Lincoln Center Activate Initiative Announces Expansion

The initiative was designed to foster collaboration and innovation for educators, artists, teaching artists, and arts leaders across the United States

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City has announced an expansion of its Lincoln Center Activate with five days of free virtual and in-person workshops. This year's program will focus on the concept of Radical Welcoming — "the intentional and extraordinary effort to make people feel welcome."

The 5-day initiative will take place between July 12-16, 2021. Among the events featured will be the world premiere performance of "Make a Joyful Noize," a multimedia experience by Soul Science Lab that blends music, film, interviews, spoken word, and dance in a celebration of black culture.

Workshops will be led by Dr. Christopher Emdin, the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, New York Library for the Performing Arts, artist Andrea Miller, and the Lincoln Center Education team.

Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual, and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequality, and education. He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, and author of the New York Times bestseller, "For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too."

"We often turn to artists and educators in times of crisis, to help guide, comfort, and inspire," said Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. "As we work to chart a new and more equitable way forward, the arts must play a central role. We're so proud of the network we're building and the learnings we can share with one another and the world as we work to come back better and more inclusively."

Established in 2020 with the mission of building a community amongst artists and educators facing challenges brought on by the pandemic, Activate has now grown into a global network of thousands of arts professionals from over 30 countries.

All events are free and registration is available at: LincolnCenter.org/Activate.