Spike Lee
NEW YORK, NY – Spike Lee and The Gersh Agency, LLC excitedly announced the selection of the inaugural class of the Spike Fellows at Gersh Program, which was designed to nurture creative undergraduate students from the Atlanta University Center Consortium (which consists of three Historically Black Colleges and Universities based in Atlanta — Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University) who have an interest in the entertainment industry.
The Spike Fellows at Gersh program is based on the belief that access plus exposure will create opportunities, and this powerful program — a partnership between Spike Lee and Gersh — will place five talented HBCU future industry leaders both in front of and behind the camera.
“The Gersh Agency is truly committed to building a more diverse and dynamic ecosystem that provides support and resources to aspiring filmmakers and beyond,” said Bob Gersh, Co-President of Gersh.
Led by Gersh’s Head of Culture Jayson Council, the five Spike Fellows at Gersh will undergo an 8-week immersive paid summer learning experience, consisting of an agency-wide departmental rotation, senior-level industry mentoring, curated off-site learning moments, and volunteer service projects.
At the end of the summer intensive, each Spike Fellow will be awarded $25,000 in academic debt relief and full-time employment beginning September 5, 2024.
clockwise from top left Quentin Anderson – Morehouse College Tai Livingston – Spelman College Jalen Ellis – Morehouse College Shayna Cartledge – Clark Atlanta University Halle Jones – Clark Atlanta University
To further show the importance of the partnership, Gersh has also agreed to support on-campus programming throughout the school year. “When creating transformative legacy-oriented opportunities like the Spike Fellows, it’s critical to focus on non-transactional partnerships deeply rooted in respect and sustainable impact,” said Council.
Three Spike fellows will be based in Los Angeles and two Spike fellows will be based in New York.
Selection for the program was based on criteria that included grade point average, leadership, school involvement, creative work, and professional recommendations. The inaugural five Spike Fellows selected to participate in the program this year are:
Spike has been quite active in the process, even calling each fellow personally to inform them of their acceptance into the fellowship. Both Gersh and Lee are excited about the launch and the overwhelming amount of student interest in the program and are already looking forward to seeing this initiative grow over the next few years. “At Morehouse, Spelman And Clark College (Now Clark Atlanta University) Is Where My Path To Being A Filmmaker Started. I’m Thrilled That The Gersh Agency And I Have Hooked Up To Get 5 Serious Graduates From These Mentioned Schools Into The Film Business. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF” Lee explained.
The Spike Fellows at Gersh Program will begin on June 12, 2023.
source: Alta Global Media
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