In Poughkeepsie, NY—inside a beloved music venue with stories soaked into the walls—a new kind of professional arts education is taking shape.
Empire Training Center for the Arts (ETCA) isn’t a college. It’s not trying to be. It’s a 10-month, three-day-a-week program designed for adults who want to work in live performance—on the ground, backstage, or in the office. It’s built for people who don’t necessarily want (or can’t afford) to spend four years earning a degree to get there.
“We wanted to build ETCA in a diverse community that was centrally located in service to the range of employment opportunities in NYC and the greater Hudson Valley,” says Trish Santini, Co-Founder of the Center. “Our industry needs a stronger, more inclusive pipeline of technical and administrative talent, and we believe some of these jobs are best taught through hands-on vocational training, not always traditional academics.”
The idea is simple, but powerful: create a pathway into the arts that’s faster, more affordable, and more grounded in real-world experience.
What the Program Actually Looks Like
Students at ETCA don’t sit in classrooms. They will learn how to be stagehands, audio and video techs including the language and culture of working backstage.. And alongside that technical training, they also take courses in things like financial literacy, mental health, business communication, and networking.
They will also visit venues, meet professionals, and experience different types of programming. By the time they graduate, they haven’t just learned how the industry works, they’ve lived inside it.
ETCA also places students into jobs and keeps them connected through an alumni network. “We’re setting them up for sustainable careers, not just gigs,” says Santini.
Reframing Arts Education as Workforce Development
There’s a myth that arts education is a luxury. ETCA pushes back against that hard. For their students—and for the communities they live in—this work is about opportunity, sustainability, and building long-term economic futures.
And it’s deeply local. ETCA is housed at the historic Chance Theater, a space with meaning for generations of Hudson Valley residents. The training center partners with community orgs for student recruitment, offers sliding scale tuition (and connects students with funding support), and hosts public events that bring new life to the venue.
As Santini puts it, “We want to soften the barriers that exist in so many spaces as it relates to access and a sense of belonging in our industry—whether on stage, backstage, or in the audience.”
What’s Next
In 2026, ETCA will launch its second round of the Stagecraft program—and introduce a new Arts Administration track. The demand is there. So is the need for funding.
“We’re not a big institution. But if you’re part of this industry, or if you benefit from the labor that makes live performance possible, we’d love to talk. This work matters. And your support helps our students build careers they didn’t think were possible.”
Inspired was created by Situation Project 501(c)3.
