Berkshire Leadership Summit

Only 27% of leadership positions in the non-profit theatre are held by women.

In a field in which representation is important to the stories we present to the public, the persistent underrepresentation of female leadership in the non-profit theatre is puzzling and problematic.

In August 2016, the results of research on gender imbalance in leadership of non-profit regional theatre were presented by Wellesley Centers for Women at the Women’s Leadership Conference in San Francisco at the American Conservatory Theater.

Inspired by the findings of the research study and the conversations at that conference, four people came together to create the Berkshire Leadership Summit which will continue the work of shifting consciousness and perception around women and leadership in this industry.

WAM Theatre will host the pilot Berkshire Leadership Summit on October 28 and 29, 2017 at the Elayne P. Bernstein Performing Arts Center on the campus of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts.

We want to make it easier for women from across North America to attend this important summit by providing scholarships to help with registration and travel.

These scholarships will allow women of all backgrounds, identifications, and locations who are early- to mid-career theatre professionals on the path to leadership to attend this inaugural summit, taking place in the beautiful Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts.



Summit attendees will understand the barriers to leadership, learn how to advocate for their future as leaders, build skills to achieve their goals, and create a broader network of peers and allies.

If you’re someone who believes that everyone deserves an opportunity to explore his or her potential for leadership, please consider a donation and fund these scholarships!

We need to raise $3,500 by May 27, 2017 in order to provide as many scholarships as possible.

We need you to help us reach our goal in just 33 days. Please share this video and link – every contribution helps!

Thank you for your support!

Steering Committee: Kristen van Ginhoven, Artistic Director of WAM Theatre; Akiba Abaka, Audience Development Manager at Arts Emerson; Rachel Fink, Managing Director of Theatre Bay Area; and Shafer Mazow, who currently works at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and was a lead developer and organizer of the Women’s Leadership Project and convening.