Mission Statement
Otis College’s Black Creatives Institute is focused on developing an inclusive and affirming campus climate for incoming student participants in an effort to increase student engagement, first- to second-year retention, and degree completion.
Program Goal
Fostering community among student participants by providing holistic support of their personal growth, identity formation, cultural development, and career development to create a stronger sense of belonging within the Otis College community.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will identify challenges faced by creatives with specific identities in their respective industries.
- Students will articulate strategies for creating more inclusive creative spaces based on the experiences of the panelists, guests, speakers, and mentors.
- Students will reflect on their own biases and privileges in relation to the experiences shared by the panelists.
- Students will establish meaningful personal connections.
- Students will leave with a better understanding of their culture, heritage, and identities.
How to Register
If you identify with the experience of a Black creative student and you are an incoming new student for Fall 2025 who would like to participate in this free program, check your email in the days following your deposit for an invitation, or use the registration link on this page. Registration will be open until July 28, 2025. This program focuses on the experience of Black-identified people in the creative industry and is open to all students.
Who is Eligible?
All incoming new students are eligible for this program. This program is focused on the experience of Black creatives and will offer opportunities for students to self-explore and build connections around this focus. This program is open to all incoming Otis students regardless of background, race, ethnicity, or other protected identities.
Where the Program Will Take Place
The Black Creatives Institute takes place on campus at Otis College of Art and Design. We recommend all students stay on campus in the Residence Hall over the course of five days as an immersive summer bridge experience before Orientation Week. If you have secured housing in the Residence Hall for the school year, we will do our best to place you in your academic year assignment. If you will be commuting during the school year, you can still live on campus for the five-day program for free. This program includes some off-campus visits to local businesses and historical locations in Los Angeles, and all transportation is included.
The program dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, August 13–Sunday, August 17, 2025
- Move-in will happen on Wednesday, August 13
- Monthly BCI Community Lunch and Check-Ins will happen with BCI alumnx and Black faculty and staff once per month during the academic year
Program 2024 Sample Schedule
| Time | Program/Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4p | Move In | All students attending BCI should sign up for a move in appointment with housing to move in during this time frame. Check your email for more details. |
| 5-6p | Dinner and Fireside Chat with Natasha DesRouissex | Natasha DesRouissex who currently serves as the Lead, Emerging Creators NORAM at Meta will have a conversation about how creators and Black creators, specifically, can use social media to engage in multiple ways within their art practices, in addition to art, design, influencer culture, and how to use and mazimize social media as a pathway to entrepreneurship. |
| 6:15-8p | BCI Welcome and Housing Orientation | All students will attend a welcome to Black Creatives Institute and a brief housing orientation followed by community development activities. |
| 8p | Student Led Social Event | "Circle Up!" - Building community and connecting with your crew. |
| Time | Program/Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7:45-8:45a | Breakfast | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 9a-9:15a | Welcome to Otis! | Brief welcome from Provost Colette Veasay-Cullors, President Charles Hirschorn, and Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity & Inclusion, Nick Negrete. |
| 9:15a-10:30a | Circles, Community Building, and Expectations | Overview of the day and community building activities to get to know wach other and create meaningful connections. |
| 11a-12p | Opening Keynote: Teran Evans (Global Head of Design at Amazon Music) and Teman Evans (Glolbal Chief of Design at General Mills) | Twin brothers, Teran and Teman Davis, both serve as the Global Head of Design at their respective companies, Amazon Music, and General Mills. Both brothers will share their pathway to art and design school and their career jouney and experiences that have led to their current roles. |
| 12p-1p | Lunch and Travel | |
| 1p-5:30p | Studio, Gallery, and Design Firm Visits | We will travel to Riot Games, a gaming and entertainment company founded in 2006 and headquartered in West LA, where we will visit and tour the campus. Afterward, we will engage with creatives and designers at BLT Communications, founded by one of our alums and Trustee, Dawn Baillie. BLT is known as one of the most successful entertainment marketing design studios. |
| 6:30p-8p | Dinner | Off Campus |
| Time | Program/Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00a-8:45a | Breakfast | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 9:00a-10:30a | Drumboxing - Creative Clarity and a Minfulness Experience | Drumboxing is a pysical and mental activity that incorporates rhythm, patterns, and guided music to stimulate the brain while the body is in motion, creating an optimal state of presence and clarity, removing creative blockages. |
| 10:45a-12p | Black Joy Session with Dr. Byron Young | “Let’s Talk About Black Joy,” we will be focusing on the ins and outs of our joy and happiness as Black people. Together, with Dr. Young as the moderator of discussion, we will tussle with questions around the force that is Black Joy and how we experience it, practice it, and barriers to it. We will discuss Black Joy as an act of resistance and Black Joy simply as a nourishing birthright. All you will need to bring are your minds, mobile phones, your love of music. |
| 12:15p-1p | Lunch | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 1:00p-3:30p | Art Activation Experience and Engagement with DREAMHAUS | DREAMHAUS LA, co-founded by Otis College alums, is an arts non-profit organization that provides creative programming and supplies to schools and the communities of Central Los Angeles. They have a series of highly engaging programming that promotes creativity and reflection. Get ready to create! |
| 4p-5p | Student Panel "Real Talk" | Continuing students who identify as Black Creatives share their Otis College experience, what it means to be a Black Creative, and how they navigate systems that have sometimes been challenging based on their identity as a Black person, as a creative, or both. |
| 5:15p-5:45p | Student Leader Meet and Greet | Introduction to student leaders on campus |
| 5:45p-7:30p | BBQ Dinner | On Campus |
| Time | Program/Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00a-8:45a | Breakfast | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 9:00a-10:15a | Creating the Black Creative with Cole James, Assistant Professor, Animation | Guided discussion with some multimedia engagement to begin the conversation with students around what it means to be a Black Creative within the art and design world. |
| 10:30a-11:45a | Black Creatives Industry Professional Panel | This session features Mike Chubb (Lead Artist at Treyarch/Activision), DeeDee Wright-Ward
(CEO at Purpose Toys), Will Ragland (Creative Dir. at AppleTV+), Billy Hicks (Alum; Senior Writer Producer, Disney Branded Television - Creative Marketing), Michael White (Creative Director, Riot Games), and Leo Lawson (CEO of VFILES and FIFA 1904), who BCI students will engage with over lunch and in some table top conversations. Come ready to listen to their stories and pathways toward their career, and ask questions during our interactive Q&A. |
| 12p-2p | Lunch and Black Faculty and Staff Panel | Black staff and faculty at Otis College will provide insight into their background and experience to help students connect, and offer a space for students to ask questions and engage in meaningful conversation with these systems of support. |
| 2p-6p | Leimert Park Trip - Engaging with the Creative Community in the Center of Black Arts | Get ready to connect with the center of Black Arts and the Creative Commuinty! |
| 6:30-7:30p | Dinner | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 7:30-9:00p | Student Led Activity | Freedom Wall Activity |
| Time | Program/Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30a-9:45a | Reflection and Breakfast | Elaine's Dining Hall - on campus dining |
| 10a-11:30a | Self-Portrait Image - A final refection throug art and design | Reflecting on the last few days, design a self-portrait that reflects who you are, your values, passions, identity, strengths, and other identifiers that best depicts aspects of who you are as an emerging Black Creative. |
| 11:30a-1:00p | Lunch and Learn: Self-Portrait Share | Participants will be able to grab lunch and share each of their reflective self-portraits with the group. |
| 1:30p-2:30p | Closing Speaker: Launi King, CEO of Creative Play | Closing Speaker: Launi King, CEO of Creative Play. Recognized worldwide as a top Creative and Product Design Executive, Launi King is the CEO and Founder of Creative Play. She has overseen product development and brand merchandising for Mattel, Warner Brothers, MoTown, Disney, and Twentieth Century Fox, and is passionate about fostering innovation and uplifting inventors within marginalized communities. Launi is from Pasadena, California, and has a degree from ArtCenter College of Design. |
| 2:30p-4:00p | Next Steps and Move Out | Those living on campus for the fall semester will be able to remain in their assigned rooms. |
Upon successful completion of the program (full participation over five days), all participants will receive the following:
- Industry Mentor - Students will be paired with a mentor who works in the art and design industry as a mid to senior-level creative, and in the area of focus the student is interested in. These mentors are connected to BOND Creative, which is an agency that places creatives across various art and design organizations.
- Black Creatives Peer Mentor - All students will receive a peer mentor who will be their source of connection to Otis College and serve as a support person through their first year. These mentors are paid student leaders who have completed BCI at least once before and are present during all five days of the program.
- $100 Owl Dollars: All students will receive $100 in Owl Dollars upon successful completion of the post-program survey. Owl Dollars can be spent in Elaine’s or in the Cafe (both dining locations on campus), or at Graphaids (on-campus art supply store).
- Program Fee: This program is completely FREE, including three meals a day and snacks! All interested students must register for the program by July 28, 2025, and will receive more information on the program schedule.
Can I Participate Virtually?
All students participating in Black Creatives Institute are required to participate in person each day for 5 days, and are encouraged to live in the Residence Hall. Each program session will build upon each other and provide a comprehensive experience that will allow students to build community among each other while networking with Black creative mentors such as faculty, staff, and continuing students.
The Black Creatives Institute will also offer social programming in the evenings and during supervised off-campus trips for students to get to know each other in a more casual way, allowing them to develop a sense of belonging with our Otis community. Accommodations will be provided for any student who needs them. Please email ds@otis.edu to inquire specifically about your needs.