Arts Institute for Creative Advancement
Over 87% of AICA graduates to date have worked regularly in the DMV theatre and production scene.
Launched in 2023, the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement (AICA) is a year-long paid apprenticeship program that seeks to help young adults ages 18-25 who have faced barriers to livable wage employment to establish careers in technical theatre. In the process, the AICA addresses the labor shortage in theatre production and diversifies the field.
The AICA provides its apprentices with intensive education, hands-on training, and direct work experience to prepare them for lasting careers in technical theatre. Apprentices receive 700 hours of paid training and work, earning $18.40/hr. for every hour learning in the classroom or working at a theater, developing skills in lighting, carpentry, audio engineering, scenic painting, props, costuming, stage management, and more.
This apprenticeship made me realize that my creativity is not only a passion, but can also be a sustainable career.
A groundbreaking program that seeks to transform DC’s technical theatre industry, the AICA brings together over 30 of the DMV region’s most respected theaters and arts institutions to provide apprentices with high-quality training, career development, and opportunities for employment. Partner organizations include Atlas Performing Arts Center, Complete Fabrications, IATSE 22, Sitar Arts Center, Studio Theatre, Theatre Washington, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and many more.
An initiative of the DC Arts Education Alliance, the AICA is led by The Theatre Lab in partnership with Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and Life Pieces To Masterpieces.
For more information about the AICA and how to apply, visit the DC Arts Education Alliance’s website below.
Natalie Pertz, AICA Program Director
Natalie (she/her) is the AICA's Program Director, previously serving as the Head of Education at The Kreeger Museum. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Goucher College and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Communication Arts from Gannon University. Natalie has trained at The Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute, Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, and The Globe Education Center in London, England. She has taught and supervised the implementation of STEAM curriculum with pre-school through aging adult students in states and districts such as Erie, Syracuse, and Hartford. For questions about the AICA, contact Natalie at natalie@arts-institute.org.
We’re thrilled to be creating and implementing a curriculum in theater production that will be accessible to young adults who have faced obstacles in traditional learning environments,
