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ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals

Performing Arts Society & Culture

Season 5

Trust

Trust is hard to build and easy to break. And in the performing arts, it's everything. In this episode of ARTS. WORK. LIFE., four stories explore what trust really looks like: a second-generation theater owner learning to listen to her community, a singer who had to find her way back to her own artistic voice after being let down, a leader who made a promise to herself about the kind of workplace she'd build, and a choreographer who found an unlikely collaborator on death row. You can watch this episode on APAP’s YouTube channel. Featuring: Juanita Anderson - "In Family We Trust" Perla Batalla - "Reimagine" Rachel Fine - "Team Player" Alex Ketley and Bill Clark - "Freedom to Lead" Performing artists and arts workers are essential, and more than ever, it's important that the world understand what it's like to work in the performing arts. Hear the bold, untold personal stories from behind the scenes. Produced by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and made possible with support from the Wallace Foundation. Learn more at apap365.org.

Health & Healing

Laughter isn’t always the best medicine – art is. From a hospital room, a piano bench, a barn, or a dance floor, this episode of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is about how art can heal someone, body and soul. Featuring a music therapist who helped a paralyzed teenager write his way back to hope, a farmer-turned-musician who used songwriting as a lifeline through grief, a dancer who learned to finally listen to her body, and a performer who discovered that their neurodivergence wasn't a barrier but a breakthrough. These are stories about what the arts can do that nothing else can. Julián Silva - "Home Run" Azadi Amaan - "Striking A Chord" Jeff Corle - "Empty Barns, Not Empty Hearts" Maura Garcia - "Body Signals" (Music included in this segment is "Rhizome" by Mark Gabriel Little) Performing artists and arts workers are essential, and more than ever, it's important that the world understand what it's like to work in the performing arts. Hear the bold, untold personal stories from behind the scenes. Produced by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and made possible with support from the Wallace Foundation. Learn more at apap365.org.

Paths

A career in the arts can take many different paths, and how sometimes it’s the most unexpected events that lead you to where you were meant to be. In episode two of season five, we hear from a puppeteer who discovered the healing power of telling your own story, a producer who left New York City's arts world to follow their intuition into the unknown, a performer who learned to say yes to the room he was in, and an actor who found his truest creative voice only after his life was upended by loss. You can watch this episode on APAP’s YouTube channel. Featuring: Sheila Gaskins - "Strings Attached" Yura Sapi - "Let It Rain" Jason Fletcher Christian Laws - "Make The Most of It" Leland Faulkner - "Walking Between Worlds" Performing artists and arts workers are essential, and more than ever, it's important that the world understand what it's like to work in the performing arts. Hear the bold, untold personal stories from behind the scenes. Produced by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and made possible with support from the Wallace Foundation. Learn more at apap365.org.

Origin Story

In this first episode of Season Five, we revisit the stories that started it all: a mime who contracted COVID before doctors knew what it was, a Chicago blues singer who found a new way to perform, a trauma therapist who discovered the healing power of shared stories, and an arts administrator who had to rebuild from the ground up. We also reflect on how the events of 2020, from the pandemic to the racial reckoning, are still impacting the performing arts world – along with updates from some featured storytellers. You can watch this episode on APAP’s YouTube channel. Featuring: Tony Lopresti - "Off Balance/Body and Soul" Lynne Jordan - "The First Step" Anthony Torres - "Going In Circles" Carolyn Van Brunt - "Essentials" Performing artists and arts workers are essential, and more than ever, it's important that the world understand what it's like to work in the performing arts. Hear the bold, untold personal stories from behind the scenes. Produced by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and made possible with support from the Wallace Foundation. Learn more at apap365.org.

Season 5 of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. arrives June 2

On June 2nd, Season 5 of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. premieres! You'll hear some familiar voices, and we'll explore some of our favorite topics from the past while looking at how the industry is evolving. Turn on automatic downloads and follow APAP's YouTube channel for the video version of the podcast—new this year! ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is produced by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and made possible with the generous support of the Wallace Foundation.

Season 4

A Surprise Bonus Episode: A busy day at APAP|NYC

At last year’s APAP|NYC conference, we followed three arts professionals from sun-up to sun-down, capturing the excitement, ambition, and energy of the conference. Featuring: Ryan K. Johnson, the executive artistic director of SOLE Defined, based out of Washington, D.C. Danielle Devlin, an agent and manager with Canis Major Music from Sheldon, Vermont Aaron Shackelford, director of programming at DukeArts in Durham, North Carolina The next APAP|NYC is from January 9-13, 2026! You can join APAP and register for APAP|NYC at https://apap365.org/conference/register/ Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions, SOLE Defined; Skye Consort, Emma Björling, Alex Kehler, Amanda Keesmaat, and Seán Dagher. ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is made possible with the generous support of the Wallace Foundation. 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

Paying it Forward

Almost all of us have a mentor who shaped our path—a teacher, a family member, or even someone miles away. In the finale of season four, we explore what happens when creatives step into that role and give back to the next generation. From sharing skills to offering encouragement, we discover how mentoring can be just as transformative—and sometimes even more fulfilling—than creating our own work. INTRO & ACT ONE: “Passing the Mic” with Dumisani “Dumi RIGHT” Ndlovu, a performance artist and educator working in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. ACT TWO: “Stepping Stones” with Julie Opiel, the Director of Education and Community Engagement at BodyTraffic in Los Angeles, California. ACT THREE: “Freedom to Lead" with Alex Ketley and Bill Clark, two performance artists and educators collaborating in Vacaville, 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

The Healing Power of the Arts

They say that laughter is the best medicine, but so are human connection and genuine self-expression. In episode five, we explore stories about the healing power of the arts, not just for the creator, but for entire communities. INTRO & ACT ONE: “Empty Barns, Not Empty Hearts" with Jeff Corle, a singer/songwriter from Windber, Pennsylvania. ACT TWO: “Life Worth Living” with Sam Simon, a playwright, author and actor in McLean, Virginia. ACT THREE: “Home Run” with Julián Silva, a music therapist based in Northern 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

Inner Compass

Working in the arts requires imagination, intuition, and a belief in oneself because oftentimes, you have to follow your inner compass. On today's episode, hear stories about discovery, perseverance, and recalibrating your direction when the road ahead isn’t clear. INTRO & ACT ONE: “Para-Lyrics” with Chad Harper, the founder and CEO of Hip Hop Saves Lives in Madrid, Spain. ACT TWO: “A Day in the Life” with Kersee Whitney, an actor, singer and dancer in Salt Lake City, Utah. ACT THREE: “Art Therapy" with Angelica McCarthy, a doctor of athletic training in Clinton, Connecticut. 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

It Takes a Village

Whether you are creating street art, launching a career, running a business, or building a “Globe-ette,” you can't do it alone. In this episode, we explore the breakthroughs, the challenges, the successes and the magic that comes from working together. INTRO: “Each Brick In The Wall” with Sonia Clark, owner and producer of Unicycle Productions in Niagara Falls, New York. ACT ONE: “Flying High” with Karen Franzel, the manager and booking agent for Danny the Acrobat based out of Orlando, Florida. ACT TWO: “A Day in the Life” with GregRobin Smith, the founder and managing director of The Washington Shakespearean Festival in Seattle, Washington. ACT THREE: “In Family We Trust” with Juanita Anderson, the theater coordinator for Teatro Trail and Sala Catarsis theaters in Miami, Florida. 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

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