Eliconie

January 10-14 in New York
APAP Announces Programming Highlights for APAP;NYC 2020, 63rd Annual Global Performing Arts Gathering Multi-Platinum Selling Singer-Songwriter and Arts Education Champion Ben Folds Announced as Closing Plenary Speaker.

The Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) today announced important programming highlights for APAP;NYC 2020, the world’s leading global performing arts gathering, marketplace and members conference, taking place from January 10-14. On January 9th and 10th, APAP;NYC 2020 will hold its pre-conference, with professional development intensives, networking forums, and affinity groups most of which are free and open to the public. The pre-conference will also include Wavelengths, the largest gathering of music professionals in North America.

In its 63rd year, the annual industry gathering will host more than 3,600 performing arts professionals as they experience more than 1,000 performance showcases, a robust 370-booth EXPO Hall and five days of thought-provoking professional development and plenary sessions.

As APAP;NYC begins a new decade, the theme “Risk and Resilience” will drive the dialogue and content of this year’s programming. The performing arts industry and the professionals within it have leaned into taking risks in the creation and discovery of art-making and arts-presenting while staying resilient in the face of societal, climate, economic and geopolitical issues. Reflecting the times in which we are operating, the conference will embrace the wellness of our professionals through a new professional development track dedicated to the personal balance of creating balance and building resilience.
In the opening plenary session on Friday, January 10th, attendees will dive into an artist-led discussion on “The Power of Risk-Taking.” As the ultimate risk-takers and models of resiliency, artists will share their stories, challenge us to embrace risk in our individual and collective work, and remind us of how discovery and failure can lead to resilience and strength.
“APAP;NYC 2020 will provide an important lens for our industry as we take stock of the risks we’ve taken to stay resilient and support the creative forces that have encouraged discovery, empathy and courage in our field,” said Mario Garcia Durham, President and CEO of APAP.
On Saturday, January 11th, the plenary session “Risk and Resilience: Responses from the Field” will be led by members of APAP’s Leadership Fellows Program who will explore which real-time risks are worth taking for arts leaders in a world of ceaseless change. The dialogue will continue on Sunday, January 12th with “Resilience and Sustainability: The Long Conversation” in a unique and intimate format, a relay of one-on-one conversations that will explore personal experiences and approaches to overcoming obstacles and nurturing personal vision and practice.

Ben Folds takes the stage as the closing plenary speaker on Tuesday, January 14th. In addition to his enormous body of genre-building music with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums and numerous collaborative records, he also serves as the first Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Folds is also a highly recognized champion for arts education and music therapy funding in our nation’s public schools. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Americans for the Arts’ Arts Action Fund’s ArtsVote2020 national initiative to advocate for a greater commitment to the nation’s creative economy through improved public policies for the arts and arts education. You can also hear him as host of a podcast series of interviews on arts policies with current 2020 presidential candidates.
In addition to solo rock and orchestral touring, Mr. Folds has recently written his critically acclaimed memoir, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” which debuted as a New York Times Best Seller. At the APAP;NYC conference, he will share a message on risk, resilience and creativity based on his book, a collection of essays, anecdotes and lessons about art, life and music.
The closing plenary takes place Tuesday, January 14 at 10 a.m. All plenary sessions take place at the New York Hilton Midtown.

APAP;NYC 2020 offers more than 60 professional development sessions focused on eleven subject-matter tracks in addition to daily plenary sessions bolstered by artrepreneurs, artists, activists and innovators who are shaping the future in powerful ways. These tracks explore a range of current topics facing both the artist and industry both in the U.S. and abroad: arts, activism and social responsibility; artist development and creative practice; business and industry know-how; equity, inclusion and access; engaging audiences and communities; international programming and exchange; producing and new work development; venue and operations; marketing, fundraising, and digital strategies; programming and curation; small and mid-sized presenting; and R&R: resiliency through self-care.
APAP;NYC’s daily plenary sessions, including the Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Monday, January 13th, will also be streamed on Facebook Live.

To learn more about the conference program and schedule details, please visit www.apap365.org/conference.

See more about the conference at APAPNYC.org, @APAP365, #APAPNYC and facebook.com/APAPNYC. APAP membership information can be found at APAP365.org. APAP;NYC is also founding partner of JanArtsNYC, the most comprehensive annual celebration of the performing arts around the globe and annual convergence of 13 major performing arts industry forums and public festivals. 2020 event dates and descriptions of all 13 partnering events available at JanArtsNYC.org.

About APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals
APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, based in Washington, D.C., is the national service, advocacy and membership organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust, performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it. Our 1,600 national and international members represent leading performing arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, nonprofit performing arts centers, culturally specific organizations, foreign governments, as well as artist agencies, managers, touring companies, and national consulting practices that serve the field, and a growing roster of self-presenting artists. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing and civic engagement. APAP is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by President & CEO Mario Garcia Durham. In addition to presenting the annual APAP;NYC conference—the world’s leading gathering and marketplace for the performing arts (Jan. 10-14, 2020)—APAP continues to be the industry’s leading resource, knowledge and networking destination for the advancement of performing arts presenting.

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Leah Frelinghuysen
Leah@MonarchyPR.com, +1.917.280.5170