Forbes Center Fellowships

No applications are being accepted at this time. 

Fellowship Overview

The Forbes Center for the Performing Arts fellowships provide advanced, hands-on training in production management, stage management, lighting/electrics and sound for recent college graduates and early career professionals.  

Fellows are a vital part of the day-to-day operations of the professional performing arts center. Under the mentorship of staff members, fellows work side by side on over 200 performances per year and are given a springboard to a career in the performing arts.

All fellowships require a season-long commitment from late August to mid May. 

Forbes Center fellows receive a stipend paid bi-weekly including holidays. Fellows will not work more than 40 hours per week. 

About the Forbes Center, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the area:

The Forbes Center opened in 2010 and quickly established itself as the premier destination for world-class theatre, dance and music entertainment in the Shenandoah Valley. The venue hosts internationally recognized professional artists, renowned faculty members and emerging young talent from JMU’s School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance. The 175,000-square-foot facility houses five performance spaces. The Mainstage Theatre features a flexible thrust stage, a fly space for full–length backdrops and set pieces, as well as state–of–the–art lighting and sound. The Concert Hall is utilized for a variety of music productions, and the acoustically perfect space is supported by a professional audio system. The smaller Recital Hall is perfect for intimate solo performances. The Earlynn J. Miller Dance Theatre is utilized for a variety of professional and student dance performances and features a maple dance floor as well as mirrors for rehearsals. The fully configurable, black box style Studio Theatre is a dynamic space that can be adjusted to fit the needs of the production.

James Madison University is a public, comprehensive university with 20,000 students. The university offers programs on the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. JMU is located approximately 2 hours south of Washington, D.C. and is easily reached via multiple airports including:

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) - 15 miles

Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO) - 46 miles

Dulles International Airport (IAD) - 118 miles

Harrisonburg is a vibrant multicultural community of approximately 50,000 residents. Food trucks, microbreweries, farmers markets and diverse restaurants call the city home. The city's location in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley provides access to multiple outdoor activities including access to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park and nearby George Washington National Forest. Nearby cities provide additional access to the arts and entertainment including the American Shakespeare Center and numerous music and arts festivals.