Program areas at Apollo Theater
The Apollo's fy23 season marked its first full season of live, in-person programming since march 2020 with a wide range of multi-disciplinary programs that served 172,164 diverse audience members. The fy23 season theme was the next movement, as programming looked to the future to gather culture makers and thought leaders who represent contemporary african american and diasporic creativity in dance, music, theatre, and dialogue. Highlighted accomplishments include intimate conversations featuring edward enninful with lupita nyong'o and fat joe with surprise performances by busta rhymes, dougie fresh, big daddy kane, slick rick, and melly mel; the historic presentation of camille a. Brown & dancers' ink!, produced in collaboration with the joyce Theater; (continued on schedule o)the blues and its people, a special one-night-only concert composed by russell gunn in response to selected passages from amiri baraka's perennial text, blues people (negro music in white america); salon series presentations of Apollo new works, salt city by jessica care moore and aku kadogo and dream, girl! By lisa rosetta strum; and the 2023 africa now! Festival, that presented contemporary musicians, cultural innovators, and global thinkers who are transforming how africa engages the world.
Education and community engagementthe Apollo remains a leading cultural anchor for upper manhattan and the 125th street corridor, engaging an annual audience of more than150,000, including harlem and new york residents as well as national and international tourists. In addition to performing arts, the Apollo offers community programs that address important issues and meaningfully engage our neighborhood including: a free annual open house; Apollo historic backstage tours; subsidized ticketing programs the free uptown hall series fostering dialogue around pressing issues in our community;(continued on schedule o)a month of free and affordable holiday programming each december; and an array of free and low-cost programs throughout the year, including a wide-reaching ticket access program ensuring broad accessibility to the Theater's range of performing arts and entertainment. The Apollo Theater is committed to engaging students and youth through innovative education initiatives. The Apollo Theater academy offers hands-on programs to develop career and leadership skills in under-served teens by engaging them in "behind the scenes" arts and entertainment professions including technical Theater apprenticeships, administrative internships, and informative panel discussions. The Apollo oral history project is an in-depth in-school program where harlem students transform local history into original theatrical and multimedia projects. Extending the Apollo experience to a new generation of theatergoers while supporting classroom learning and in-school work, school day live and family showtime performances allow more than 11,000 students, teachers, and families to experience world-class performing arts presentations on the Apollo stages. Through its performing arts program, education and community initiatives, and other endeavors such as digital media and the archives, the iconic Apollo Theater extends its legacy as a world renowned performing arts center and a nurturing home for diverse artists. The Theater continues to showcase popular and emerging talent and engage audiences with its artistic, education and community programming. With demonstrated longevity as a significant american cultural center, the Apollo remains a celebrated and accessible venue for diverse audiences, artists and communities.