ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

Latest Episodes:

Evolution Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

What does the future of the performing arts look like? In this final episode of Season 5, four artists and arts workers share stories of evolution — a hip hop musician who found his true calling at the Paralympics, a violinist who left her elite classical bubble to ask who the arts are really for, a conductor who decided to stop waiting for permission and take the helm, and an Ethiopian-American singer whose journey from "We Are The World" to the Grammys shows how music at its best connects us all. This is where ARTS. WORK. LIFE. began, and this is where we're headed.

Featuring:

Chad Harper - "Para-Lyrics"

Mari Lee - "Into the Fold"

Emily Isaacson - "Up-Rising"

Wayna - "Songs In The Key of Change"

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.

Advocacy Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Advocacy takes many forms — a circus performer demanding labor protections, a flamenco dancer who refusing to believe her passion has an expiration date, an arts worker fighting for equal access to the arts, and a playwright with Alzheimer's who keeps taking the stage because he knows theater can change minds in ways policy papers never will. In this episode of ARTS. WORK. LIFE., four artists and arts workers share what it looks like to speak up, push back, and commit to leaving the industry better than they found it.

You can watch this episode on APAP’s YouTube channel.

Featuring:

Shenea Stiletto - "Strength In Numbers"

Ami Otero Minars - "Expiration Date"

Sabrina Martinez - "Eyes and Ears"

Sam Simon - "Life Worth Living"

Learn more at apap365.org.

Trust Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

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"

Learn more at apap365.org.

Health & Healing Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

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)

Learn more at apap365.org.

Paths Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

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"

Learn more at apap365.org.

Origin Story Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

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"

Learn more at apap365.org.

Season 5 of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. arrives June 2 May 26, 2026

Show notes

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.

A Surprise Bonus Episode: A busy day at APAP|NYC Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

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 Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

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

Prepare for our finale! Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

Next week on ARTS.WORK.LIFE, we celebrate the finale of season four with stories about mentorship, teaching, and the invaluable act of paying it forward.

Episode six arrives August 26th.

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