NET is excited to announce the extension of our Pay What You Decide membership through June 2022!
A national community of artists and organizations dedicated to collaborative creation, the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) works to propel ensemble theater practice to the forefront of culture and society.
What is an Ensemble?
NET defines an ensemble as a group of individuals dedicated to collaborative creation, committed to working together consistently over years to develop a distinctive body of work and practices. Ensemble members, both artists and administrators, are empowered as core decision-makers and help to shape their company's artistic direction and organizational structure.
How do I join?
We welcome all performance-based ensembles, collectives, artists, co-creators, practitioners, producers, scholars, educators, teaching artists, students, cultural workers, organizers, activists, policy makers, funders, community partners, and other allies. If you are intrigued by or passionate about collaborative artmaking, the theory and practice of collective creation or devising work, or the vitality of the ensemble sector, come join us!
Find out more about becoming a member of the NET community here.
NET advocates for ensemble theatermaking as a distinct element of the performing arts field, amplifying the collective voice of our 350+ member companies and individuals for local and national impact.
Become a MemberNET hosts in-person and online events and gatherings to develop and deepen connections among NET members and colleagues, and provide opportunities for peer-based field learning and knowledge sharing.
Connect NowNET nurtures the growth, health, and vibrancy of the ensemble community. Our NET/TEN grant program has distributed over $1 million to support relationship building and exchange among NET members.
Learn MoreIn celebration of our 25-year mark, NET has launched a year-long series to ignite the imagination: Inspiration On-Demand: Creators in Conversation. Each month, NET’s very own board members will join their own mentors and other artists they admire in conversation.
Our next conversation is this Friday, September 24 at 10am PST / 1pm EST with NET board member Dipankar Mukherjee (Artistic Director, Pangea World Theater) in conversation with Sharon Day (Ojibwe; Executive Director and co-founder, Indigenous Peoples Task Force).
Learn MoreBuilding off our last Community Forum, we invited our NET colleagues on September 3rd to share about the remote connections made by individual and ensemble members this year. We heard about innovations, successes and challenges, and left excited to continue making.
Watch the Recording
Patricia Garza
2020-2021
Through NET's Summer 2021 NET/TEN Virtual Exploration Grants, NET has provided support to a breadth of their members to build relationships across distance and further community healing, reflection, and learning. NET awarded $100,000 in funding to 118 ensembles and individual artists across 25 states and Puerto Rico.
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Sandglass Theater and Linda Parris-Bailey
NET/TEN 2018-19 Exchange
Eric Bass of Sandglass Theater (Putney, VT) and Linda Parris-Bailey (Knoxville, TN) shared and learned each other's approaches to writing, dramaturgy, puppetry, and song; they will examine how both artists stand in the moment of passing the legacy of their theaters into younger hands, while continuing to be creators of theater. The resulting project addresses both an exchange of creative practices and the act of leadership succession.
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Ninth Planet and Michael O'Bryan
NET/TEN 2018-19 Exchange
Ninth Planet (Philadelphia, PA) consulted with cultural strategist and youth advocate Michael O’Bryan (Philadelphia, PA) to design a new model of community responsive programming. Using Homeworld, a performance experience for 3-to-18-month-old babies and their caregivers, they reimagined their work to extend beyond a singular artistic experience and create potential for long-lasting community building opportunities.
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NET
The Network of Ensemble Theaters loudly and lovingly supports and honors the activists and community members who have taken to the streets this week in the Twin Cities and across the country to defend human and civil rights and demand justice for Black Americans.
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NET
Over the last few weeks, NET has heard countless stories from our members of show cancellations, project interruptions, and financial uncertainty. The spread of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing has made our collective work -- of bringing together communities through ensemble performance and practice -- extremely difficult. In this unsettling time, our social connections and the interwoven support and camaraderie provided by networks such as NET become even more critical.
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