05/30/2026
Earlier this year, Nathalia Cordero, a student pursuing a BFA in Theatre Performance, was recognized as an ASPIRE Fellow at the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) Region 5 event in Minnesota. As part of this fellowship, Nathalia traveled to New Jersey and New York City this past April to participate in the ASPIRE Arts Leadership Conference, an intensive week focused on theater administration, business, and inclusive arts models. During the conference, fellows engaged in workshops and mentorship sessions with prominent industry leaders and artists, including Donna Walker-Kuhne, Chesney Snow, Kurt Columbus, Khady Kamara, etc.
Following the final business presentations, Nathalia was selected as one of only two fellows from the cohort of seven to receive the prestigious 2026 ASPIRE Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Observership Award, sponsored by the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). Part of this observership includes financial support to attend the conference taking place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this June.
The TCG National Conference is one of the largest nationwide gatherings of the not-for-profit theater community in the world. While there, Nathalia and her fellow award recipient will join TCG’s National Conference fellows program alongside students from the University of Puerto Rico. Together, they will co-create a conference breakout session building on TCG's "Inheritors" arc, a programming series specifically designed by, for, and about theater-makers ages 30 and under.
Reflecting on her journey, Nathalia noted that the mentorship she received in New York and New Jersey greatly enhanced her work, enabling her to showcase Ecuador's artistic talent on an international stage. She looks forward to continuing her leadership training and building global artistic alliances this June in San Juan, and is very thankful for the opportunities that the UCM Division of Theatre and Dance is offering her.
