To encourage diversity in the design community for live events, TSDCA, in partnership with Questex’s Live Design International (LDI) and USITT, announces the fourth annual Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships for undergraduate students.
Founded in 2019, and funded by LDI and Live Design, the goal of these unique Diversity In Design scholarships is to support underrepresented and unique voices in the field of entertainment design. The scholarships are named for Pat MacKay, formerly publisher of Theatre Crafts and Lighting Dimensions magazines and founder of the LDI Trade Show and Conference. MacKay is a USITT Fellow and has served as a mentor for multiple generations of industry professionals. The scholarships are awarded to students currently enrolled in lighting, digital media, and sound design programs on an undergraduate level, as well as high school seniors who have been accepted to an undergraduate college or university design program.
The portal for scholarship applications is now open, and will close at 11:59 p.m. on May 27, 2022. Winners will be announced in mid-June. Members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
“While this last year has been challenging for so many in the industry, it is especially gratifying that we can continue our annual Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships for the third year,“ says Marian Sandberg, vice president and market leader for LDI and Live Design. “We are fully committed to the mission of promoting diversity and inclusion, and looking to future generations to contribute their talents to the entertainment technology profession. A diverse industry is better for everyone, raising the standards of creativity and skill.”
Criteria:
- Presently a senior in high school or enrolled in an undergraduate design program.
- Must be involved in study—or if a senior in high school, must have accepted admission to—an appropriate area of study related to design, technology, or other production program in entertainment technology and performing arts, including theatre, concerts, architainment, or venues.
- Interested in further study in lighting, video/projection, or sound disciplines, including design and programming.
- Meets the diversity criteria as described: “… to encourage the involvement in the profession of a variety of people in terms of race, ethnic background, religion, age, sexual orientation or gender identity, and those differently abled, as well as the diversity of geography, employer groups, philosophies, and career choices within the broad field of entertainment design.”
- LDI and Live Design do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law.
For additional information, visit the application page on USITT website.
