Eliconie

5 - 19 January 2016 - NYC

APAP|NYC 2016 Announces Highlights of its 59th Annual Global Performing Arts Conference this January

Award-winning artists, speakers, EXPO Hall and 1,000+ Performance Showcases in New York City

Performing arts industry leaders, artists, managers, agents, presenters and the public will make their annual pilgrimage to New York this January to APAP|NYC 2016 to network and get a glimpse of trends and performances to come. Many will broker deals for artists and performances in and outside the U.S. for future seasons. In its 59th year, the premier global performing arts marketplace and membership conference for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), APAP|NYC 2016, will take place January 15-19, 2016.

“This year we’re excited about our professional development program, featured artists and presenters, and exploring more ways to open access to the performing arts for new audiences within the U.S. and globally,” says Mario Garcia Durham, president and CEO of APAP. The organization, including its annual gathering, is a critical force in the strengthening of the performing arts industry and its evolution. It plays a significant role both monetarily and creatively, and brings artists and audiences together. “We are committed to the work of established and emerging artists, and allowing them maximum opportunities to present their work to audiences in the U.S. and around the world,” says Durham.

In conjunction with the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, over which the conference falls, APAP members will explore opportunities and strategies that address current social justice and humanitarian issues resonating throughout U.S. and the world. And, open to the public are an expanded free live-streaming track and many free pre-conference sessions; as is APAP’s Professional Development Institute featuring day-long intensives on international exchange, artist management and presenting fundamentals (registration and fee required).

The conference theme, MAKERS, recognizes the craft and contributions of artists and all people critical to the process of making art and bringing live performances to communities worldwide. Artists and speakers will present information and ideas based upon the conference subthemes and tracks: Make Art, Make a Difference, Make Decisions and Make Money. “We are an industry of MAKERS, innovators, instigators and entrepreneurs. Together, we present the best practices and trends in the performing arts presenting and touring field from a diverse range of artists, presenters, agents, managers, educators, researchers and related industry professionals,” says Durham.

“APAP|NYC provides a platform for many voices to discuss the ways artists and presenters reflect and are engaged in discussions and solutions around pressing societal issues,” says Scott Stoner, vice president for programs and resources, who curates the conference program. “Our lineup of artists and speakers includes some of today’s most engaging thinkers, and creators of dance, music, theater, opera and multimedia.”

THE FULL LIST OF KEYNOTE PLENARY SESSIONS INCLUDES FEATURED ARTISTS AND PRESENTERS: Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS; choreographer, dancer and executive artistic director of New York Live Arts, Bill T. Jones, who is creating a new piece to perform at the APAP|NYC opening session; Carla Dirlikov, the rising young opera singer who has founded the El Camino Project to promote cross cultural ties through music, advocacy, innovation and education; Anna Deavere Smith, currently the artist-in-residence at the Center for American Progress, known for TV roles in “The West Wing” and “Nurse Jackie,” but more so for using solo performances as a public medium to explore issues of race, identity and community in America; Lisa Kron, actor, playwright, and daughter of a Holocaust survivor, and this year’s Tony Award winner for Best Book and as co-lyricist for “Fun Home;” Tony-award winner, Bartlett Sher, who this year directed Best Musical, “The King and I;” and 2015 Kennedy Honors recipient Rita Moreno, the only Latina to win all four major entertainment awards (Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy), and most noted for decades of opening doors to the performing arts for the Latino community.

“We’re especially looking forward to insights from Ahmad Sarmast, founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), and from arts leaders from Sweden and Ghana about points of entry and models for nurturing participation in arts and culture,” says Stoner. “Dr. Sarmast is known as the man who revived music in Afghanistan. ANIM allows opportunities for all talented Afghan youth regardless of gender, ethnicity or social circumstances to achieve their general education and specialist training in Afghan traditional and Western classical music.” Sarmast was to present at last year’s APAP conference but was injured in a suicide bomber attack while his students performed at the French Cultural Center in Kabul the month before he was to travel to the U.S.

The program lineup this year comes from all corners of the globe, and one indication of expanding arts markets is found in the roster of attendees. “I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of friends, colleagues and collaborators I’ve met through the APAP community from all over the U.S. and all over the world. It’s about bringing people together,” says Bill Bragin, executive artistic director, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, and co-founder of globalFEST.

CONFERENCE HOTELS AND COLLABORATING PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS IN JANUARY

APAP|NYC 2016 will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown and the Sheraton New York Times Square. Book early and find conference hotel discounts for attendees of any of 12 festivals, forums and conferences that work in collaboration with APAP annually under the “January In NYC” partnership. This year’s unmatched convergence of live performing arts events takes place on staggered dates January 5-19. It includes American Realness; APAP World Music Pre-Conference; APAP|NYC 2016, COIL 2016; Chamber Music America; globalFEST; Jazz Connect; The Joyce Theater’s American Dance Platform; New York ISPA 2016 Congress; PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theater/Now; The Public Theater’s Under the Radar and Winter Jazzfest.

“There really is no better way for those in our profession to connect with each other and bring the best of performances to their communities, than to attend APAP|NYC,” says Durham. “This includes the experience of meeting face to face with so many colleagues in one place, the knowledge gained by attending sessions, and the exposure from visiting the EXPO Hall and more than 1,000 performance showcases presented to live audiences that help presenters gauge what will most resonate with their own communities.”

ABOUT APAP

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters is the national service, advocacy and membership organization for presenters of the performing arts. APAP is dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts industry and the professionals who work within it. APAP|NYC conference information APAPNYC.org, APAP membership information APAP365.org ,Twitter @APAP365, Facebook facebook.com/APAPNYC.

For general tourism information about New York see nycgo.com.

Media:
Find all media materials and credentials information at the APAP|NYC 2016 press page.
www.januaryinnyc.org

Contact:
Carol Miller, media advisor
cmiller@artspresenters.org and carolmiller100@gmail.com

+1.202.306.0130 (mobile)

Public Contact: APAPNYC.org