Diversity & Inclusion

MISSION 

The Groundlings Theatre and School is committed to nurturing a diverse community of students, staff, and board members and believes that everyone of any race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or physical ability should be given the same opportunities within our program. 


DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IMPACT AT THE GROUNDLINGS:

  • More than 1,000 Diversity Scholarships have been awarded since the program’s inception.

  • Over $500,000 in scholarship credit has been awarded.

  • Diversity Scholarship recipients can be found in every level of the school, from Basic to Advanced Lab to Main Company.

  • The Groundlings has partnered with “Saturday Night Live” for the creation of the “SNL Scholarship”. This will initiate significant steps toward progressive recruitment of diverse applicants.

  • Dozens of free monthly “Diversity WOW” classes have been held for scholarship recipients.

  • NBCUniversal and Nickelodeon have sponsored our Diversity Festivals, an annual event held at The Groundlings School to celebrate and grow the diversity of the Groundlings community.

  • Social events, such as receptions, performances, and Q&A’s are regularly hosted for Diversity Scholarship recipients to meet and mingle.

  • Outreach workshops have been offered at several colleges and schools including Los Angeles City College, USC, Cal Poly Pomona, Pasadena City College, Fairfax High School, Occidental, and Chapman University.

  • Current teachers receive mandatory Equity and Inclusion training.

DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP INFO:

Please visit our Scholarships page HERE for more information on the Diversity Scholarships and application process! 

ANNUAL DIVERSITY FESTIVAL

The Diversity Festival is an annual event that offers a full day of performances that are free and open to the public. Attendees can participate in other festivities taking place throughout the day including food trucks, raffle prizes (such as free Groundlings tickets and classes), sweet treats and free swag. The festival hosts several diversity-related workshops exploring such topics as Creating Diverse Characters, Queer-Prov and Finding Your Voice. The festival is also a continuation of The Groundlings’ partnership with NBC’s Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS), the network’s long-standing diversity and inclusion initiatives for onscreen and behind-the-scenes talent. Nickelodeon supports the teen portion of the program by sponsoring the improv training for a select group of teens invited to perform at the festival. Nickelodeon and The Groundlings have partnered for the past ten years to help nurture the development of young talent.

For the schedule of classes and registration information, please visit https://www.groundlings.com/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-festival.

Check out pics from our previous Diversity Festival's!