ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

Learn about how to submit a great story, and hear from past storytellers, by watching our recent webinar: https://youtu.be/eZ7a55-slLw?si=VvihOVwjV0W3bxQ6&t=12 Calling all performing arts workers! Submit your bold, untold, personal story for season four at apap365.org/podcast FINAL deadline is April 10th. If your story is selected, you’ll work with a podcast team to bring your story to life and receive a $200 honorarium. ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is produced by APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) with support from The Wallace Foundation.

Calling all performing arts workers! Submit your bold, untold, personal story for season four at apap365.org/podcast Priority deadline is March 20th. If your story is selected, you’ll work with a podcast team to bring your story to life and receive a $200 honorarium. ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is produced by APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) with support from The Wallace Foundation.

Sometimes, we have to give up one dream and find another, providing an opportunity for growth and discovery. The finale of season three features stories about the power of community from a high school teacher learning from her students, an executive challenged to remake her life, an opera singer realizing that the seeds she planted long ago have suddenly bloomed, and an Indian classical dancer who achieves a milestone for her community. Intro: “Shine” with Anna Woods, former drama theater and theater director for Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose, California. Act One: “A Path Through The Dark” with Lisa Hilas, president and director of Onstage Vacaville in Vacaville, California. Act Two: “A Full-Circle Moment” with Ersian Francois, an opera singer, producer and arts administrator in Washington, D.C. Act Three: “Finding Your Footing” with Rukhmani Mehta, co-artistic director of Leela Dance Collective in Los Angeles, California. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

In our final episode of season three, we bring you the story of an arts administrator facing a career-changing diagnosis and three other inspiring stories of second acts. Coming your way August 13.

Finding your voice is hard, but summoning the courage to use it can change your life and the lives of those around you. Whether it’s helping others recover, how advocating for yourself becomes advocating for those like you, or re-claiming a harmful narrative, episode five brings three powerful stories from arts workers who use their stories to help others heal, grow, and learn. Intro: “Harnessing Healing” with Payton Rhyan, a theater administrator and full time masters student in Performing Arts Administration at New York University. Act One: “Leaps and Bounds” with Tristan Grannum, the Director of Community Engagement and Rehearsal Director for Brooklyn Ballet in Brooklyn, New York. Act Two: “Strings Attached” with Sheila Gaskins, a teaching artist and puppeteer from Baltimore, Maryland. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

The loneliness of being the only Black dancer, a revelation on horseback, and the touching story behind a magical puppet show for an audience of one. Episode 5 features three inspirational, untold stories from arts workers. Coming to your ears July 30th.

Often, our sense of self can feel rigid. Like who we see in the mirror is who we’ll always be. But how we see ourselves is changeable, and sometimes a dramatic event shakes our self image to the core. Including stories from an artist who had to re-evaluate her career through her mother’s eyes and a dancer whose life was turned head-over-heels, episode four highlights significant changes in our perceptions of ourselves and how we fit into the world. Intro: “This or That” with Chloë Zimberg, a dancer and creative director of ODC Theater in San Francisco, California. Act One: “Parallel Tracks” with Heidi Latsky, a dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Heidi Latsky Dance in New York City. Act Two: “Striking A Chord” with Azadi Amaan, a pianist and composer in Shelton, Washington. Act Three: “Body Signals” with Maura García, a dancer and choreographer living on the homelands of the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation in Texas. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Next week, four inspiring stories about radical shifts in perspective. Turn on automatic downloads and tune in on July 9th.

Artists are often the voice for social movements. Some make it their life's purpose, while others are thrust into politics by circumstance. Episode three shares inspiring stories from artists navigating identity, society, and the industry. First we share a story from a singer with a mission. Then, from a performer dragged into a political battle. And lastly, from a groundbreaker who confronted racism and found a gateway to tell her story through art. TRIGGER WARNING: There is discussion of disordered eating between 24:05 and 25:10. Act One: “Songs In The Key Of Change” with Wayna, a recording artist based in Washington, D.C. Act Two: “The Kindness Of Strangers” with Dennis Porter, a variety artist and owner of Happy Faces Entertainment in Kansas City, Missouri. Act Three: “Bravery in Brass” with Dr. Jazzie Pigott, a tuba player and composer in Baltimore, Maryland. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Artists who are changing the world take the spotlight in next week’s episode, coming to your feed June 25th!

Systemic barriers to equality are apparent throughout the industry, but at a certain point you can't keep dancing around the red tape. You have to break through it. Episode two is all about arts workers that are breaking down barriers. But these storytellers don’t just shine a light on inequality, they offer a tangible and inspirational path forward. Intro: “Eyes and Ears” with Sabrina Martinez, an audio describer in Houston, Texas. Act One: “Tours and Tribulations” with Justine Bayod Espoz, the executive director of Torito Arts in Chicago, Illinois. Act Two: “Mobilizing To Move Forward” with Daniel Phoenix Singh, the executive director of Metro Arts Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Episode two arrives June 11th – featuring inspirational stories of arts workers breaking down systemic barriers.

The audience was seated, the performers were waiting in the wings, and the musicians were just about to play the opening note when a powerful storm took out the electrical grid for the entire county. With the event suddenly canceled on the last night of their tour, Jono Gasparro’s company found inspiration in desperation. And that’s when the magic happened. The first episode of the third season of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. explores what results when artists and arts workers must remix, rework, and reimagine their performances, their work life, and their art. Whether by accident, a cruel twist of fate, or through thoughtful consideration, these necessary adaptations reveal what truly guides performing arts professionals. Act One: “Remix” with Jono Gasparro, the co-founder of Electric Root in Los Angeles, California. Act Two: “Rework” with Ziiomi Law, an administrative care worker and artist. They are currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. Act Three: “Reimagine” with Perla Batalla, a singer and recording artist in Los Angeles, California. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Are you ready to shine? Season three of the award-winning ARTS. WORK. LIFE. podcast arrives May 28th! Twenty bold, untold stories will take you behind the curtain of the performing arts industry. Whether about failure and heartbreak or triumph and success, each story reveals an important truth from the perspective of a professional working in live arts and entertainment. Subscribe or follow the show, turn on automatic downloads, and tell a friend about ARTS. WORK. LIFE. https://apap365.org/podcast/

ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is looking for your bold, untold stories for Season 3! Whether you work on-stage or behind-the-scenes, we want to hear from you. The final deadline of April 9th is approaching! Submit your story at ArtsWorkLife.org.

Learn how you can share your personal story in Season 3. Visit ArtsWorkLife.org Priority deadline is March 21st. ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is produced by APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) with support from The Wallace Foundation.

Being prematurely judged or misunderstood can be frustrating, limiting and even harmful. In the final episode of Season 2, artists and arts administrators share stories of pushing boundaries, subverting categories and defying expectations. Act One: “Up-Rising” with Emily Isaacson, a conductor and the founding director of Classical Uprising in Portland, Maine. Act Two: “Such Creatures” with Luke Greeff, a dancer, choreographer, circus artist, and educator in Chicago, Illinois. Act Three: “More Than Madness” with Sam Simon, a playwright, author and actor in McLean, Virginia. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ You can find the resource Luke mentions in their story, Gender Expansive Practices in Dance Spaces: An Introduction here. Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Content warning: description of sexual harassment between 9:10 and 10:05 and brief mention of sexual abuse of minors between 24:09 and 24:49. The best workplaces provide safety and support for their teams: permission to innovate, protection from harassment, support during difficult times, and a safety net for workers.n Episode 5, artists and arts administrators share stories of how their workplaces either provided that safety and support—or didn't. Introduction: “Starting From Scratch” with Josh A. Campbell, a curator and engagement and education professional in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Act One: “Breaking The Silence” with Lexis Hamilton, a presenter and program coordinator for the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. Act Two: “Lifeboat” with DJ Doza The God, an international DJ currently based in Chicago, Illinois. Act Three: “Strength In Numbers” with Shenea Stiletto, a circus arts advocate in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Feeling like an “outsider” can be isolating, and sometimes you don’t even realize the weight you’re carrying until you find yourself in a place of belonging. In Episode 4, a circus performer, Shakespearean actor, classical musician, and Native storyteller share their journeys from “outsider” to “insider,” exploring representation, safe spaces, embracing identity and confronting privilege. Introduction: “In The Spotlight” with Chris Rooney, a circus performer and founding member of the BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest in Chicago, Illinois. Act One: “Barred from The Bard ” with Farah Merani, an actor, writer and arts educator in Los Angeles, California. Act Two: “Into the Fold” with Mari Lee, the CEO and artistic director of Salon Séance in New York, New York. Act Three: “Walking Between Worlds” with Leland Faulkner, a performing artist and arts educator. He lives in Maine on Mi'kmaq‎, Penobscot‎, Passamaquoddy‎ and Abenaki‎ tribal land. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Content warning: brief mentions of gun violence, suicide and child molestation between 18:16 and 19:32. Whether you are an arts worker and parent, share your art with kids, or see arts education as vital, the intersection of kids and the arts can be joyful and challenging. In Episode 3, hear from a circus artist, drag performer and a clogger. From the Intro: Watch the hilarious video of children reacting to the Opera on Max Grossman’s TikTok account: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tiktok.com/@maxigrossman/video/7253994878726802734&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1689570168290561&usg=AOvVaw1pqWG05J4RM0YCpKgiuIST Act One: “High Stress on the High Wire” with Amancay Kugler, the executive director of Yes Ma’am Circus in Chicago, Illinois. Act Two: “A Magical Existence” with Beatrice Thomas, a creative producer, drag performer and educator, and former director of Drag Queen Story Hour in California. Act Three: “Clog A Mile In My Shoes” with Brian Bon, a clogger, arts educator and director of Powerhouse Percussive Dance in Anaheim, California. You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/ Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit