Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University School of the Arts have announced Columbia@Roundabout, an initiative aimed at educating and developing the next generation of playwrights and theatre administrators.

Through the new program, Roundabout will present new plays by Columbia MFA playwrights to public audiences as part of a new reading series and will provide apprenticeships to Columbia MFA students for a full season. Participating students will be provided hands-on experience and given the opportunity to provide their own knowledge to future students through a teaching artist training component.

“We are so grateful to the Tow Foundation for making this unmatched collaboration with Roundabout possible,” said Columbia’s Dean Becker in a press statement. “This is an exceptional opportunity, not only to provide our students with valuable professional experience, but also to share their extraordinary skills with a wider audience.”

“Columbia@Roundabout is an extension of our robust education initiatives, which use theatre to enhance teacher practice and deepen student learning in New York City classrooms while providing theatre artists an opportunity to share their craft and inspire young people,” added Julia Levy, executive director of Roundabout Theatre Company.

The new program is made possible by a grant from the Tow Foundation. For more information on Roundabout’s education initiatives, visit roundabouttheatre.org/education.