The popular improv and sketch comedy theatre The Groundlings, which include alumni like Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Will Ferrell, is partnering with NBC and Nickelodeon for the third annual Diversity Festival to celebrate diversity and inclusion in comedy and entertainment. The event will take place at The Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles on June 8 — and it’s open to the public!
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, to create the NBC/Groundlings Writing Lab Scholarship. NBC alsop provides scholarships to The Groundlings for students of diverse backgrounds. The festival will include performances by scholarship recipients.
Nickelodeon will support 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 are no strangers to each other. The two have joined forces have for the past ten years to help nurture the development of young talent. For nearly two decades, Nickelodeon has championed diversity by cultivating a new generation of diverse and creative talent through its unique and innovative outreach programs such as their Animated Short Program, Writing Program, Artist Program and Artist Collective.
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