New award offers free registration for MFA candidates at the 2017 URTAs, promoting professional training in theatrical sound design.

Building on the huge success of last year’s Arts Leadership Initiative, aimed at promoting recruitment of MFA candidates in the area of theatre management, we’re expanding the program to candidates in sound design.

The program, now known as the URTA Candidate Awards, will include the Candidate Award in Arts Leadership and the Candidate Award in Sound Design. The Award offers MFA candidates in these areas of study free registration for the URTA Audition & Interviews (‘The URTAs’) as well as free admission to our various Continuing Education panels and workshops.

“Many of the top MFA programs in sound design recruit through the URTAs. We want to give as many aspiring MFA candidates as possible the chance to interview with all of these nationally ranked institutions,” said URTA’s Executive Director, Scott Steele.

The URTAs allow prospective MFA candidates in all areas of theatre study to meet with recruiters from among our 39 member programs at a single site, in a single day. They’ve long been the most popular and efficient way to find and secure a placement in a quality MFA theatre training program.

Sound design is a burgeoning area of theatre employment, with a growing need for trained artists and technicians. URTA is determined to lead the way in promoting the opportunities in the field, and helping develop the next wave of MFA-trained designers.

Design interviews at the URTAs will take place in January in Chicago. Candidate registration will open in September.