The ATD is delighted to announce that the ATD Teacher-Researcher Fellowship 2025-26 has been awarded to Milone Reigman - a teacher on the Masters Creative Producing - for her research project, “A Practice of Love: Re-envisioning Artistic Development and Governance through a Black Diasporic Lens"
Through the Fellowship, Milone will explore new models for nurturing artistic talent, aiming to move beyond tokenization and reactive responses to dominant structures. Grounded in and centred on Black diasporic experience, Milone will conduct participatory, dialogical research together with students, teachers, professionals and communities to collectively reimagine the intersection of arts education, artistic development and government in the context of systemic barriers.
The research contributes towards a long-term goal to establish a new performing arts learning and development center underpinned by a focus on spirituality, intersectional leadership, fostering equity for systemically peripheralized artists and communities.
The Fellowship is supported by both the Masters DAS Creative Producing and DAS Theatre. Co-artistic leader of Creative Producing, Marijke Schaap commented: “In the Masters program, we learn about decoloniality in the Art & Decolonization curriculum. At the same time, we know and experience daily that we, as an educational institution, also operate in an institution that is built on a history of white thought patterns. The question 'how to learn from a Black perspective' is therefore crucial and necessary to be able to take didactical and pedagogical next steps. It goes without saying that this thinking and doing exercise requires the breathing space of its own research. The tempting perspective that Milone has in mind is to build an infrastructure in which the power of the Black diaspora is used to shape both the design and organization of Black artistic processes, as well as the Black processes themselves. It is an ambition that connects with the search of several alumni of the Masters program Creative Producing in the field. But the learnings from this research will not only be relevant for the Masters Creative Producing. These experiences will also be an important addition to the current education for the other courses within the ATD”.
Results will be shared with the ATD and wider publics including through an archive of dialogues and a sharing within the ATD Research Month in January 2027.
Milone Reigman is an artistic director, creator of concepts and programs, and a passionate advocate for talent development in the arts. With a diverse background as a performer, maker, and director, Milone has worked extensively in the creative sector, merging artistic vision with practical execution. Her expertise spans across theater, education, and cultural initiatives, and she has mentored over 60 artists through residency programs and collaborative projects. Milone’s work is deeply rooted in diversity, inclusion, and fostering multi-voiced artistic expression.
Her artistic style is characterized by a commitment to human-centered, inclusive processes that embrace the complexities of identity, culture, and community. She prioritizes creating spaces where multiple perspectives can be heard and valued, ensuring that innovation and experimentation thrive within a supportive environment. Milone’s work often challenges conventional boundaries, merging disciplines and fostering dialogue between artists, audiences, and the broader social context. She is currently involved in freelance projects and is dedicated to shaping a sustainable, inclusive future for the arts.