Building Opportunity through Leadership and Development (BOLD)

About

Dear KCACTF Region 6 Community and Guests,

We are thrilled to announce a pivotal moment in our journey as we embrace our new name: BOLD Building (Opportunity through Leadership and Development). This evolution reflects our dedication to empowering our students and fostering an inclusive theater community that values every story and every voice. Our mission remains steadfast, focused on nurturing artistry across all disciplines of theater through merit, achievement, and collaboration. We understand that diverse experiences and perspectives not only enrich our educational mission but also prepare the next generation of creative leaders in American theater. As we turn this new page, we are committed to:

● Fostering Positive Change: We are dedicated to encouraging confident and capable student leaders who rise to the challenges of the field with creativity, resilience, and integrity while rejecting harmful stereotypes and cultural appropriation.

● Upholding Respectful Discourse: We expect all production respondents to engage with respect, promoting a wide range of artistic choices and embracing the rich tapestry of narratives found across college campuses nationwide.

● Commitment to Excellence: We honor the complexity of our collective historical legacies while engaging with the present and reimagining a future for the American theater that truly reflects and represents us all.

In this spirit, we invite all guest artists and presenters to be mindful of how your work aligns with our BOLD principles. Together, we can create a platform that not only entertains, but also inspires and uplifts everyone who engages with our community.

We encourage you to explore the resources below as a foundation for understanding and embracing our new vision:

"The Gift of Imperfection" by Brené Brown

“The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins

“The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker

Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting new chapter together. We look forward to your valuable contributions as we build a BOLD theater community that celebrates and uplifts all.

Theatrically Yours,

KCACTF Region 6

KCACTF REGION VI CONFERENCE 58
BOLD SCHOLARSHIP

Our conference leadership recognizes the challenges to provide an open theatre space for everyone today. It is our duty to support efforts that uplift the global community. To honor students making a difference, we present the BOLD Scholarship Award—up to six awards of $250. Visionary ideas and plans for implementation will also be considered. Applications open Friday, February 20th, and close Monday, February 23rd, at 11:59 PM. Recipients will be announced at our closing gala on Tuesday, February 24th.

We look forward to celebrating your work and impact!

Application form HERE.

National Statement

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is dedicated to nurturing artistry across all theater disciplines, guided by merit, achievement, and a spirit of collaboration. We recognize that a broad range of experiences and perspectives strengthens our organization, enriches the educational mission, and prepares the next generation of creative leaders in American theater. We affirm our commitment to programming, policies, and practices that uphold excellence in theater education and artistic development for student participants, teaching artists, and organizational leadership at both regional and national levels. We encourage the growth of confident and capable student leaders who meet the challenges of the field with creativity, resilience, and integrity. We expect discourse and pedagogy that fosters positive change in the representation of all communities, both onstage and off. We reject practices that perpetuate harmful stereotypes or cultural appropriation.

We expect production respondents to engage with respect, avoid discriminatory comments, and embrace the wide spectrum of artistic choices found on college campuses across the country. We support collegial exploration of new ideas, grounded in respect for long-held artistic practices and the communicated intentions of the playwright. Through these commitments, we affirm our role in advancing the highest standards of theater education, creative expression, and leadership—honoring the complexity of our collective historical legacies, engaging fully with the present, and reimagining a future for the American theater that reflects and represents us all.