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2024-2025 Social Impact Season Announcement

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
announces

 2024–2025 Social Impact Programs

Featuring a fresh lineup of artists-in-residence, a new cohort of Culture Caucus innovators, and new D.C. libraries added to Impactful Connections poised to serve all eight wards

including
Conflux partner World Pride 2025
and the 50th celebration of Pride in Washington, D.C.

and
The Cartography Project “Black Futures” Commissions with the
Washington National Opera slated to debut in January

 

(WASHINGTON)—²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp's Social Impact team is excited to reveal a dynamic roster of artists-in-residence, a new Culture Caucus cohort, and the expansion of library access points for the Impactful Connections program dedicated to providing access to free arts programming for residents in all quadrants of the The Social Impact team is actively creating positive change through strategic relationship building and targeted programming. They are committed to forging long-term solutions by engaging in international collaborations with culture makers who prioritize equity in their work.

The Social Impact program and its collaborating partners are driven by its mission:

At the Kennedy Center, our systemic commitment to social impact lives in our belief that the arts hold unique power in our society to build community, center joy, inspire action, and drive meaningful change. We leverage the arts for non-arts outcomes to advance justice and equity in all that we do.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Vice President of Social Impact and Artistic Director of Cultural Strategy, said,

“²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp has always stood for the artist as a contributor to the creative fabric of our country, which means we also stand for the artist as a core part of the nation’s *social* fabric. As the country continues to expand demographically, the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact philosophy and programming holds the institution’s vision for what it takes to creatively reflect our nation in all its gorgeous, imaginative multiplicity.”

Community Empowerment/REACH Activation

Conflux: The Conflux program forges a compelling intersection between the Kennedy Center and a prominent national organization dedicated to social impact-driven work. This season's convergence spotlights and the 50th Anniversary of Pride celebrations in Washington, D.C.

The is excited for Washington, D.C. to host World Pride 2025 and share this momentous and exciting milestone with our international community. Why Washington D.C.? The Capital Pride Alliance explained, “Our greatest wish is to inspire our global audience to become changemakers within their own communities, and to help enrich LGBTQ+ lives worldwide. With our culturally diverse, inclusive, and supportive community, we look forward to making participants from visiting countries feel safe and welcome.”

The Cartography Project: Launched in 2019, The Cartography Project is a collaborative music initiative involving the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and the Washington National Opera (WNO). This innovative program, drawing inspiration from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, is dedicated to mapping Black dignity through music and is in the midst of its third iteration. The project's primary goal is to use the power of music to foster healing and stimulate conversations surrounding anti-racism.

Since its inception, the Cartography Project commissions composers and librettists each year from various regions across the U.S. These artists create poignant works that reflect on local events and contemplate the future of justice in Black and Brown communities. This season, the Social Impact team is focused on continuing its work in Seattle, Detroit, Houston, and New Orleans.

Washington National Opera Commissions:

  • Seattle, WA

National Symphony Orchestra Commissions:

This January will feature a special operatic debut in partnership with the Washington National Opera from the first group by Levi Taylor.

Culture Caucus: An embodiment of collective creativity, the Culture Caucus assembles a vibrant cohort of 10 individuals and organizations from the D.C. area. Throughout a two-year residency, these culture innovators and their creative endeavors are supported by the Center as they produce events across the REACH and throughout the greater Washington area. The Caucus for the next two seasons includes , , , , , , , , , and Culture Caucus Media Partner .

Community Partnerships: The forthcoming season introduces a diverse spectrum of partnerships, each underscored by Social Impact's five pillars of Community Empowerment, Artist Empowerment, Impact Performance, Cultural Leadership, and Activation at the REACH, which is now celebrating its 5th year. Community Partnerships represent a year-long collaboration between the Center and multiple community-based organizations in alignment with these pillars. This association with the Kennedy Center will facilitate artist workshops, panel discussions, performances, and film screenings at the REACH, including dance, theater, jazz, comedy, international programs, and hip-hop culture and contemporary music, and provide opportunities to interface with established Social Impact programs like Millennium Stage, Office Hours, Local Theater Residencies, and Dance Sanctuaries. This year’s partnerships include , , , , , and .

Impactful Connections: Impactful Connections is a free shuttle program in partnership with the District of Columbia Public Libraries that creates access to Social Impact programming at the Kennedy Center by providing transportation to and from the Center, making it easier for DC residents to attend free Millennium Stage performances featuring local, national, and international arts and culture. In the 2024-2025 season, Impactful Connections will have 12 participating DCPL sites, spanning all four quadrants of the District. By the end of the 2024–2025 season, Impactful Connections will have served all eight wards in the District of Columbia. For more information on the activations, click here.

Artist Empowerment/REACH Activation

Social Practice Residencies: The Social Practice Residency at the Kennedy Center is a meticulously curated program that selects two artists each season for a three-year tenure. This program fosters a purposeful and collaborative relationship between the Kennedy Center, the artists, and their communities of practice. Through this residency, artists are empowered to create critical interventions within existing social frameworks, sparking discussion and driving societal change.

The program emphasizes the dynamic interactions among audiences, communities, and social systems. Social Practice Residents actively engage both within their communities of practice and the Kennedy Center, expanding the reach and impact of their work. Beginning their residencies in the 2024–2025 season are and . Collaborations continue with second-year residents Samora Pinderhughes, Angelina Spicer, and Tahir Hemphill, alongside third-year residents Dr. Cristal Chanelle Truscott, Kristina Wong, and Dr. Elizabeth Rule.

Dance Sanctuaries: Social Impact collaborates with selected curators to organize free movement-based classes on designated Saturdays at the REACH. This program is designed to cater to diverse dance styles, fostering a community environment that welcomes everyone from beginners to advanced movers. ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp supports these curators by providing the necessary resources to engage their existing community members and expand their influence within the DMV area.

This year, Social Impact has committed to four, year-long curators, enhancing their ability to activate and enrich their communities and the REACH throughout the programming season in a more substantial and sustained manner. This season’s Dance Sanctuaries curators will be , , , and . , and .

Local Theater Residencies: Hosted at the REACH, the Local Theater Residency is a carefully designed developmental program that offers local DMV theater companies and playwrights essential resources for creating. Uniquely, this residency does not impose any output requirements, allowing artists to focus entirely on the creative process. The Local Theatre Residency program targets individuals whose work amplifies marginalized stories and connects with artists who are driven by Social Impact's mission.

The Center proudly welcomes partners such as:  , , , and The season will end with the 3rd Annual Local Theatre Festival on August 23, 2025 when patrons are welcomed to engage with theater making by the brilliant creatives of the DMV theater ecosystem in a day brimming with free public readings, workshops, and discussions.

Impact Performance

Millennium Stage: The iconic Millennium Stage continues its commitment to accessible and culturally enriching performances, celebrating the diversity of heritages and artistic expressions. Live shows and events are presented Wednesday through Saturday, with live streaming available via the Kennedy Center’s Digital Stage. The Extraordinary Cinema series is set to return this season, offering screenings in the REACH's Justice Forum during the cooler months and transitioning outdoors for the summer season.

 

FUNDING CREDITS

Major support for Social Impact provided by The Social Impact Endowment Fund; Shelley and Allan Holt, Principal Founding Contributors.

Additional support for social impact provided by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

Support for Millennium Stage provided by The Dougherty Family Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Mallory Walker, and other supporters of The Jim Johnson Arts Access Endowment Fund.


Additional support provided by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, The Meredith Foundation and GEICO


The Millennium Stage was created and underwritten by James A. Johnson and Maxine Isaacs to make the performing arts accessible to everyone in fulfillment of the Kennedy Center’s mission to its community and the nation

For more information, please visit the Social Impact page on the Kennedy Center website.

 

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PRESS CONTACT

Jordan Stewart
(202) 416 8446
[email protected]

 

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