named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
COIL Festival
Annual winter festival showcasing contemporary performance by local, national, and international artists, emphasizing live, rigorous, and interdisciplinary work.
Long Table Series
Discussion-based program fostering dialogue on topics at the intersection of art and technology, community, and performance practice.
RAMP Residency
Annual residency program supporting emerging New York City-based artists with time, space, and resources to develop ambitious new performance works.
SPAN
Annual discussion series exploring theory and practice, criticism, and collaboration within the New York City performance ecosystem.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Amplifying art workers' creative practicesProduces the annual "Art Workers Are Artists Too" program, now in its fifth year, which provides a platform for in-house technical and support staff—including designers, technicians, and front-of-house personnel—to present original artistic work reflecting their dual roles in the arts ecosystem.
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New Play Development Programs 1 activity
- Facilitating works-in-progress feedback programsHosts recurring WIP Feedback Front events and Open Movement sessions that provide artists with opportunities to present works in progress and receive anonymous audience feedback, culminating in open-mic showcases and structured response formats to support artistic development.
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Post-Performance Audience Engagement 1 activity
- Hosting public discourse and artist talksOrganizes recurring discussion series, artist conversations, and public lectures that examine contemporary performance practice, theory, criticism, and political discourse, including events centered on New York City’s cultural landscape and artist diasporas.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Offering educational programs for children and familiesProduces educational initiatives and public events for children ages 8–18, including interactive storytelling, art, movement, and the Keith Haring Lecture Series, which engage families with social issues and artistic exploration beyond standard school curricula.
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Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Providing accessible performance spaces and accommodationsOperates ADA-compliant indoor public spaces in the East Village with step-free access, gender-neutral wheelchair-accessible restrooms, assisted listening devices, and service animal accommodations to ensure inclusive access for artists and audiences.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Supporting artist residencies and new work developmentOperates residency programs and provides studio access to support the research, development, and presentation of new performance works by emerging and established NYC-based artists across genres and disciplines, including commissioned projects and multi-artist collaborations.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Presenting interdisciplinary contemporary performancePresents interdisciplinary artistic works integrating performance art, dance, theater, music, visual art, poetry, prose, ritual, nightlife, food, film, and technology through annual festivals, recurring programs, and U.S. debuts of international work, including the annual Coil Festival and EDGING performance laboratory.
- Producing community-engaged and co-governed programmingHosts community councils, town halls, guest-curated programs (Octopus, First Mondays), and collaborative governance models involving artists and collectives in institutional leadership and decision-making, including structured dialogue with city cultural agencies.
- Reimagining organizational structure and cultureConducted the year-long 02020 project engaging salaried artists, staff, and board members in reimagining the organization’s mission and operations in response to the pandemic and racial justice uprisings, fostering internal transformation and collective leadership.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.86M
Contributions & grants$2.60M91%
Program service revenue$203K7%
Investment income$45K2%
Other revenue$11K
expenses
Total expenses$2.79M
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$1.54M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.64M
Cash$844K
Investments$0
Liabilities$115K
Net assets$1.52M
Liquid reserves3.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +48.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PATRICIA HERTLING | SENIOR DIRECTOR | 40 | $154K |
board members · 15
- AUTUMN KNIGHT — BOARD MEMBER
- CECILE WINCKLER — BOARD MEMBER
- FRANK SPELMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- JACKSON POLYS — BOARD MEMBER
- JEFFREY LEE — BOARD MEMBER
- JONATHAN GONZALEZ — BOARD MEMBER
- KERSTIN BRATSCH — BOARD MEMBER
- MARIE-LUISE VON SACHSEN — BOARD MEMBER
- MAUREEN O' BOYLE — BOARD MEMBER
- MEAGHAN GRAGG — VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY
- NICOLE EISENMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- SEAN LEFFERS — BOARD MEMBER
- SOPHIE MORNER — BOARD MEMBER
- TED OBERWAGER — TREASURER
- THOMAS ROM — CHAIR
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- Abrons Arts Center Partner — Jointly supports Performance AIRspace residencies for artists developing performance work.
- Ace Hotel New York Partner — Co-hosted the Umyuangvigkaq: PS122 Long Table and Durational Sewing Bee with Emily Johnson/Catalyst.
- Amant Partner — Collaborated to present the U.S. debut of EDGING in conjunction with Christelle Oyiri's solo exhibition at Amant.
- Amant Partner — Coordinated with Amant to present the U.S. debut of EDGING alongside Christelle Oyiri’s solo exhibition Belief May Vary.
- Art Workers Are Artists Too Partner — Annual program created, performed, and designed by in-house art workers at Performance Space New York
- Asia Society Partner — Collaborated with Performance Space 122 and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival on the Shanghai / New York: Future Histories 2 event.
- BOFFO Partner — Collaborates to commission new artistic work through the BOFFO 2025 commissioning program.
- China Shanghai International Arts Festival Partner — Collaborated with Performance Space 122 and Asia Society on the Shanghai / New York: Future Histories 2 event.
- Dana Burton Partner — Anthropologist who co-led a program for children exploring water, the cosmos, and intelligence.
- Forge Project Partner — Collaborated on a year-long installation transforming the community space into a site for respite and connection.
- Forge Project Partner — Collaborated on a year-long residency and closing event in the Open Room.
- Henry Street Settlement•Abrons Arts Center Partner — Co-presented the Ramp 2017 residency showing by Tess Dworman.
- Hollis Bartlett Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Hollis Bartlett as a performer and maker.
- Jasmine Hearn Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Jasmine Hearn as a performer and maker.
- Joanna Kotze Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Joanna Kotze as a performer and maker.
- Kevin Wynn Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Kevin Wynn as a performer and maker.
- Kickstarter Partner — Co-hosted the Long Table: Art + Technology event at TED Conferences.
- Lenape diaspora Government — Acknowledges operating on the traditional land of the Lenape diaspora and commits to addressing ongoing harms of settler colonialism through institutional practice.
- Monica Mirabile Partner — Curates and organizes the Open Movement program
- Monica Mirabile Partner — Curator and organizer of the Open Movement program and WIP Feedback Front events.
- Movement Research Partner — Co-sponsors artist residencies for interdisciplinary performance makers.
- NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Partner — Co-hosts community listening sessions with the arts community.
- Nattie Trogdon Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Nattie Trogdon as a performer and maker.
- Ogemdi Ude Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Ogemdi Ude as a performer and maker.
- Pioneers Go East Collective Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Pioneers Go East Collective as a performer and maker.
- SCRAAATCH Partner — Collaborated on a cosmic dance party and art project for children exploring water and cosmic connections.
- Slowdanger Partner — Collaborative artistic relationship; Symara Sarai has worked with Slowdanger as a performer and maker.
- The Keith Haring Foundation Funder — Supports the We the Youth – Keith Haring Lecture Series in honor of Keith Haring.
- Vera List Center for Art and Politics Partner — Co-presents Water. Moves. Us. as part of the Matter of Intelligence Seminar Series.
- Walter Scott Partner — Hosted a screening and conversation with the interdisciplinary artist as part of a closing event.
+ 2 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Centered Risk-Takingmethodology: artist-centered risk-takingBy nurturing and encouraging creative risk-taking among artists, the organization produces innovative and impactful artistic work because it prioritizes artistic experimentation and creative freedom as central to cultural advancement.
- Centering Marginalized Voices in Artistic Productionmethodology: centering-marginalized-voicesBy providing a platform for queer, radical, and historically excluded artists, the organization generates more authentic and transformative art because systemic exclusion undermines artistic diversity and cultural relevance.
- Integrating Art Workers’ Creative Labor into Institutional Practicemethodology: artist-worker reciprocity modelBy creating space for art workers to present their own creative work, the organization strengthens institutional culture and artistic reciprocity because recognizing the full humanity and creativity of all contributors fosters a more equitable and generative arts ecosystem.
- Process-Based Artistic Development with Community Feedbackmethodology: process-based artistic developmentBy using informal, community-centered showcases and anonymous feedback, the organization advances artistic development because iterative, low-pressure exchange fosters honest dialogue and creative growth more effectively than formal critique structures.
- Transformative Conditions for Artistic Productionmethodology: structural transformation of artistic conditionsBy restructuring the material, social, and institutional conditions under which art is made, the organization deepens artistic impact because the context of creation fundamentally shapes the substance and reach of creative work.