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AS STUDENTS
Castle of our Skins is committed to supporting and enhancing the educational experience of Black collegiate students in the Boston area! Learn more below about our two programs:
BSU Intercollegiate Fellowship
Teaching Artist Mentorship Program
BSU
BSU Intercollegiate Fellowship
Castle of our Skins' annual BSU Intercollegiate Fellowship is an opportunity for musicians from Black Student Unions at select Boston/Cambridge colleges and conservatories to collaborate, create, and build a network of peers beyond institutional affiliation; a network informed by identity, experience, and aspiration.
In our time together, students will gain:
Artistic engagement and fellowship with a collaborative cohort of other Black music students.
Professional development around their career, concert curation, entrepreneurialism, and self-care practices.
Creative agency to make art that reflects their most human experiences.
Complimentary social outings to local performance highlighting Black creatives.
Access to a growing library of solo and chamber works by African diasporic composers.
Documentation of their recorded performance at the Boston Center for the Arts.
Applications for the next BSU Intercollegiate Fellowship will open in the Fall of 2026.
Testimonials
“It was such a huge privilege and honor to participate in the Caste of Our Skins Cohort this year. There are not enough positive things I can say about the experience and the appreciation I have for everyone on the COOS team and program! Thank you so much for everything!” - Emma, BSU Fellow
2026 Fellows
Past Fellows
Teaching Artist Mentorship Program
TA Mentorship
Launched in Fall 2025, Castle of our Skins’ Teaching Artist Mentorship Program is designed to educate and support Black students of Boston-area colleges and conservatories on the practice of teaching artistry. Especially for current students and recent graduates of music performance programs who may not have had exposure to teaching artistry.
As part of the program, participants will engage in:
Individual mentorship and support around development as a teaching artist in today's artistic space
Access to COOS' and other Boston-based Teaching Artists through teaching observations.
Creative space to develop an educational workshop on a specific theme from Black History or Culture.
Work opportunities to join COOS' Teaching Artist roster for future educational workshop and/or teaching opportunities after the fellowship.
Professional Development around culturally-responsive teaching, lesson planning, and working in educational spaces.
Applications for the next BSU Intercollegiate Fellowship will open in the Fall of 2026.
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