What is NET?

Please note: Until June 2021, all NET memberships will be offered on a Pay What You Can basis. Scroll to the last section on this page for more information.

The Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) is the coalition of North America’s permanent ensemble companies committed to preserving and passing on the legacy of the ensemble theater movement. The companies making up the NET include some of the most prestigious and vital ensembles in the United States as well as new ensembles that will inherit and reinvent this movement. NET works to support, strengthen and sustain artists and ensemble through our programs, which include:

• NET's Travel & Exchange Network (NET/TEN), a grant program that supports ensemble relationship building;
• Connector, a new NET mobile app that supports artist-to-artist touring and presenting, peer-based residency hosting, skill/resource sharing, and alternative-economy exchanges among NET members;
• National and Regional Gatherings that connect the field together and explore pressing issues;
• Knowledge Building/Sharing thats document successful field practices and disseminate information broadly; 
• and Advocacy to local, regional, and national policy makers to illuminate issues and needs specific to the ensemble sector.

Who can be a NET member?

NET works on behalf of the ensemble field in the broadest sense—which means you don’t have to be an ensemble to be a NET member! Whether you’re an individual or an organization...if you believe in this work...if you want to stand up and be counted as a supporter of the ensemble movement...then there’s a place for you in the NET family. We have four categories of membership:

• Students
• Individuals
• Ensembles: 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 to help shape their theater's artistic direction and organizational structure.
• Affiliates: Affiliate members are non-ensemble-based companies or organizations that support and are interested in the work of the ensemble movement (i.e. presenters, producers, regional theatres, universities, service organizations, etc.)
   

Why be a part of the NET community?

NET provides the opportunity for ensembles to organize at the national level. NET positions the form of Ensemble Theater in the national arena as none of us could do individually. NET establishes the ensemble as a specific and recognized form of making theater and organizing artistic assets, with unique advantages and special accomplishments. NET offers real benefits right now. As a member of NET you will:

• Have access to NET programs, such as National Gatherings, field convenings, and regional/local meet-ups;
• Be eligible to apply for funding including NET's Travel & Exchange Network (NET/TEN), and a joint funding program by NET and the Playwrights' Center that supports the development of new work;
• Be one of the first to access NET's custom-designed Connector mobile app, a member-only digital tool that matches you with other ensembles and artists for artist-to-artist touring and residencies, skill swaps, and resource sharing;
• Receive advance notice about—and valuable discounts on—various NET events and programs;
• Be eligible to apply for Travel Subsidy Scholarships to support your attendance at select NET events outside your region;
• Be part of a NET’s online Membership Directory and contact other members through our Member-to-Member Direct Messaging feature— Ensemble and Affiliate members receive their own page on the NET website to edit at will;
• Strengthen NET’s advocacy and cultural policy efforts with funders, unions, and policy makers, and receive critical advocacy reports through NET's participation in the Performing Arts Alliance;
• Contribute to and review a growing archive of ensemble theater documentation, including the Shareback Library, NET blog, field case studies, and more;
• Have a voice in setting NET's organizational priorities and how NET serves the field;
• Receive our monthly e-newsletter and member mailings that outline NET's activities and offerings; and
• Join the NET Facebook group where you can exchange ideas and resources with nearly 4,000 other ensembles, artists, practitioners around the U.S. and the world, to learn about job opportunities, internships, exchange and touring information, post announcements, and more.