(Duluth, Minn.) January 28, 2021 – The Catalyst Story Institute, a professional development program for TV writers, actors, directors, and producers announced that they have partnered with the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the organization that gives out the coveted Emmy® Awards for excellence in television, to offer its mentorship program at NATAS’ 19 regional chapters around the country.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which administers the daytime, news, documentary, sports, technology & engineering Emmy® Awards along with regional awards, joined the announcement at the annual Catalyst Content Festival, the premier showcase for the independent television industry that brought more than 600 independent content producers to the city for the four-day event.
“We are proud to participate in Catalyst’s StorieRoad Mentorship Program in which we will offer chapter members access to talent of all kinds via a year-round educational and professional development institute that empowers creators to bring their narrative stories to fruition,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of the National Academy in a video-announcement at the festival.
The Boston/New England Chapter, led by President Dannielle Mannion, will work to coordinate interested mentors from New England broadcast, media and creative business community to engage with mentees that are vetted and nurtured through the Catalyst’s StorieRoad Program.
Boston/New England Chapter’s Mentorship Program is coordinated by Meaghan Meachem, the Chair of the Communcations Dept at Northern Vermont University – Lyndon.
“The program will start with a small group of mentors and mentees in each of the Academy’s 19 regions and is expected to blossom quickly,” said Philip Gilpin Jr., the executive director of Catalyst.
“The notion is to take what is really an annual event for us and make it a year-round program to engage aspiring creators through the academy’s 19 regions,” he said. “Creating and distributing content for TV and the Internet has been simplified in recent years due to advancement in technology but you still need relationships, networking and mentors to push projects forward.”
At its festival, Catalyst discovers new storytelling artists and brings them together with the world’s best independent content creators and leading TV industry professional. The content festival has become the country’s longest running independent television industry event, and Catalyst receives more than 800 project submissions from 15 countries each year and selects fewer than 10 percent to be showcased.
More information and applications for mentorships can be found here.
About Catalyst: The Catalyst Story Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit community of creators, executives, agents, and fans discovering the best new programming created on independent budgets. It helps advance the narrative storytelling arts by giving creators a pathway to develop professional workinIg careers in the industry.
ABOUT NATAS
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy® Awards for News, Documentary, Sports, and Daytime television programming, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering. NATAS membership consists of more than 18,000 broadcast and media professionals represented in 19 regional chapters across the United States Beyond awards, NATAS provides educational programs through its Foundation, including regional and national scholarships and Student Production Awards.
For more information, go to http://www.emmyonline.tv/
