For The Culture

Following the Saturday evening performances of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, join multi-hyphenate Tony Award nominee Daniel J. Watts (Lights Out! Nat King Cole, The Refuge Plays) in a continued celebration of Basquiat’s life and legacy. With music, spoken-word and his singular practice of painting with his feet while he dances, Daniel and his special guests will bring the party to 4th Street!

The special guests include extraordinary artists Sage Gallon, Ari Grooves, Joan Morgan, Lee Quiñones, Michael Thurber and Tiana Webb-Evans.

September 11, 2026 by NYTW

Surrounding In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, NYTW Education & Engagement has curated a variety of events for our For the Culture series in collaboration with community partners. We invite you to join us and get to know these organizations during a post-show conversation or community gathering, and to learn more about them below!

August 28, 2026 by Emma Yaniger

It’s the start of summer! Now that the school year and the season at NYTW have both ended, we thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on our year of Education & Community Engagement programming. In addition to another successful season of our after-school programs, including Mind the Gap (in NYC and London) and a comedic new work created by our Youth Artistic Instigators, we hosted a range of in-school residencies through our Learning Workshop program, and a variety of community engagement events through our For the Culture series.

June 25, 2026 by Marty Chandler

In just one calendar year, NYTW staff, artists, friends, neighbors, and community partners gathered outside on East 4th Street for a variety of events that each echo the block’s long-standing history of artistry and community-building. Take a look back with us at all the fun we’ve had breaking bread and celebrating together, from last summer to this one!

June 24, 2026 by Marty Chandler

Now that the In the Bricks Festival has wrapped, take a look back at our For the Culture events hosted by the NYTW Education & Community Engagement team in collaboration with our presenting partners, community partners, and artists on stage. Through meaningful conversations to new connections while breaking bread on East 4th St, we had a blast connecting with so many communities surrounding the Festival’s celebration of our shared humanity. Be sure to join us next season for even more talkbacks, community events, and opportunities to gather with one another!

June 16, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement

Surrounding the In the Bricks Festival, NYTW Education & Engagement has curated a variety of events for our For the Culture series in collaboration with community partners and the Festival’s presenting partners, as well as an event for our Mind the Gap program alumni. We invite you to join us and get to know these organizations during a post-show conversation or community gathering, and to learn more about them below in the meantime!

April 23, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement

Teaching artist and theatremaker Kurt Brungardt has dedicated his career to bridging people to the body-mind connection through the arts. Most recently, Kurt has returned to East 4th St in partnership with Rod Rodgers Dance Company (RRDC) to create the NeuroArts Wellness Lab, a community-based lab which brings scientists and artists together to create evidence-based programming to improve brain and body health.

I sat down with Kurt to discuss his story and work, our collaboration as partners in the community, and his goals for the future as the NeuroArts Wellness Lab continues to develop here on the block.

April 20, 2026 by Marty Chandler

Now that MY JOY IS HEAVY has taken its final bows, take a look back at our line-up of For the Culture events that NYTW Education & Engagement hosted throughout the run of the show. From meaningful post-show conversations with our partners to joyous events including our Arts & Community Day, we had a blast connecting with so many communities to celebrate the themes of the show.

April 13, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement

For MY JOY IS HEAVY here at NYTW, access has been woven into both the fabric of the piece itself and the audience experience of the production. From open captions projected onto a dedicated section of the set design to various affinity nights and to technical choices to make every show a relaxed performance, these intentional decisions are the result of many conversations between The Bengsons, the creative team, NYTW staff, and access dramaturg Alison Kopit.

Alison took some time a couple weeks before tech rehearsals began to tell me about her story of developing the practice of access dramaturgy, as well as her work on My Joy is Heavy.

March 11, 2026 by Marty Chandler

MY JOY IS HEAVY is just around the corner here at the Workshop, and our Education & Engagement team has partnered with nine organizations to reflect on the conversations around love, joy, and care that The Bengsons open up through their piece. These themes of the show are embodied in the impacts our partner organizations have on families, caregivers, and artists. From groups working at the intersection of the arts and healing, to health service and advocacy organizations, to performance groups for artists of all backgrounds and identities, we are honored to be working with these partners. We invite you to join us for a post-show conversation or community gathering to get to know them more, and read more below in the meantime.

February 12, 2026 by NYTW Education & Engagement