HARLEM IS OUR HOME.
THE WORLD IS OUR STAGE.
“It is shockingly rare that artists of color are invited to become full participants in the national conversation, to respond to today’s world, and to offer a glimpse of tomorrow. I’ve looked all over for arts organizations that might prioritize new and cutting edge work by artists of color, and Harlem Stage stands out as one of the only presenters in the US that makes this their goal.”
-Vijay Iyer, Pianist, Composer and MacArthur Fellow.
Zora Neale Hurston reminded us that “All water is off on a journey… and bound to make its way home someday.” Harlem Stage is just that… home to so many artists of the Global Majority who come to Harlem Stage to be healed, to be set free, to participate, to be seen and to see, to create, and to connect with one of the most diverse audiences in all of New York City. We know that artists of the Global Majority should not only be able to “become full participants in the national [and international] conversation”, but to lead it!
It is a STAGE to
Create
Fearlessly
HARLEM STAGE SIGNATURE COMMISSIONING SERIES
WATER WORKS (Dance, Music, Performance Art and Theater)
At Harlem Stage, we commission the artist at all stages in her, his, or their artistic journeys in WaterWorks, a series that pays homage to Harlem Stage’s reimagined venue that was once part of New York’s Water Supply System. This commissioning program, as Vijay Iyer so powerfully shared, is “shockingly rare” in the national arts and culture scene, providing artists of the Global Majority the rare freedom to create for, by, about and near the communities they represent.
It is a STAGE to
Present Boldy
HARLEM STAGE SIGNATURE PRESENTING SERIES
UPTOWN NIGHTS (Music, Spoken Word and Visual Arts)
Harlem Stage’s Presenting Programming of world-class artists from across the globe at all stages in their careers connecting with audiences for 50-60 live shows annually, including Uptown Nights, a dynamic set of artists across a wide range of genres, mainly music and spoken word, including Kimberly Nichole, Ian Isiah, yuniya edi kwon, Flor de Toloache, Dafnis Prieto featuring Luciana Souza, and Yasser Tejeda.
E-MOVES (Dance)
Harlem Stage’s 25-year signature dance series, E-Moves presents phenomenal choreographers and dancers, including Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Urban Bush Women, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Nora chipaumire, and Camille A. Brown to name just a few.
Theater and Film
At Harlem Stage, we believe in the transformative power of stories, but not just any story. Harlem Stage is committed to stories rooted in pure artistic freedom. It is freedom that sets the story free and unearths a truth that allows audiences to see and to hear themselves in authentic and meaningful ways, to empathize deeply, and to unearth stories that might otherwise never be told. Harlem Stage stands fearlessly on the frontlines, looking ever-forward to the future with writers, directors and theater artists of the Global Majority to present work that dares to tell.
It is a STAGE to
Educate
Endlessly
HARLEM STAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM
At Harlem Stage, we believe that creative expression is a fundamental right for all people, of all ages. Our Education Program exists to ignite creative expression for all and connect our community to the stories that we tell. Harlem Stage’s Create Endlessly Education Program has served over 150,000 public school children over the last 40 years in Harlem, Uptown, and beyond. We serve school-age children and young adults who lack access to live performances and who attend schools that lack sufficient funding for arts programs. The Create Endlessly Education Program seeks to augment cultural literacy, foster respect for ethnic and cultural diversity, cultivate young people to be future audiences, and engage families in the experience. Harlem Stage hosts dynamic and interactive pre-performance workshops at partner schools, led by Harlem Stage Teaching Artists, and invites students to witness the transformative works of world-class artists at Harlem Stage 100% free of charge.
It is a STAGE to
Question
Relentlessly
HARLEM STAGE HUMANITIES PROGRAM
Where are the spaces where artists of the Global Majority can speak freely? Challenge openly? Question relentlessly and trouble the waters to arrive at a new set of questions, ideas, models and paradigms that lead to a world in which ALL people can flourish. Harlem Stage is that space.
We move beyond “just talk” with national initiatives, conversations, screenings, essay work, and anthologies to take artists and audiences through a deeper inquiry into the ideas, values, beliefs and creative expressions that shape the human experience.