Systemic barriers to equality are apparent throughout the industry, but at a certain point you can't keep dancing around the red tape. You have to break through it. Episode two is all about arts workers that are breaking down barriers. But these storytellers don’t just shine a light on inequality, they offer a tangible and inspirational path forward.

Intro: “Eyes and Ears” with Sabrina Martinez, an audio describer in Houston, Texas.

Act One: “Tours and Tribulations” with Justine Bayod Espoz, the executive director of Torito Arts in Chicago, Illinois.

Act Two: “Mobilizing To Move Forward” with Daniel Phoenix Singh, the executive director of Metro Arts Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-podcast-season-3-episode-2/

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Episode two arrives June 11th – featuring inspirational stories of arts workers breaking down systemic barriers.

The audience was seated, the performers were waiting in the wings, and the musicians were just about to play the opening note when a powerful storm took out the electrical grid for the entire county. With the event suddenly canceled on the last night of their tour, Jono Gasparro’s company found inspiration in desperation. And that’s when the magic happened.

The first episode of the third season of ARTS. WORK. LIFE. explores what results when artists and arts workers must remix, rework, and reimagine their performances, their work life, and their art. Whether by accident, a cruel twist of fate, or through thoughtful consideration, these necessary adaptations reveal what truly guides performing arts professionals.

Act One: “Remix” with Jono Gasparro, the co-founder of Electric Root in Los Angeles, California.

Act Two: “Rework” with Ziiomi Law, an administrative care worker and artist. They are currently based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Act Three: “Reimagine” with Perla Batalla, a singer and recording artist in Los Angeles, California.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-podcast-season-3-episode-1/

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Are you ready to shine? Season three of the award-winning ARTS. WORK. LIFE. podcast arrives May 28th! Twenty bold, untold stories will take you behind the curtain of the performing arts industry. Whether about failure and heartbreak or triumph and success, each story reveals an important truth from the perspective of a professional working in live arts and entertainment.

Subscribe or follow the show, turn on automatic downloads, and tell a friend about ARTS. WORK. LIFE. https://apap365.org/podcast/

ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is looking for your bold, untold stories for Season 3! Whether you work on-stage or behind-the-scenes, we want to hear from you.

The final deadline of April 9th is approaching! Submit your story at ArtsWorkLife.org.

Learn how you can share your personal story in Season 3. Visit ArtsWorkLife.org

Priority deadline is March 21st.

ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is produced by APAP (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) with support from The Wallace Foundation.

Being prematurely judged or misunderstood can be frustrating, limiting and even harmful. In the final episode of Season 2, artists and arts administrators share stories of pushing boundaries, subverting categories and defying expectations.

Act One: “Up-Rising” with Emily Isaacson, a conductor and the founding director of Classical Uprising in Portland, Maine.

Act Two: “Such Creatures” with Luke Greeff, a dancer, choreographer, circus artist, and educator in Chicago, Illinois.

Act Three: “More Than Madness” with Sam Simon, a playwright, author and actor in McLean, Virginia.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-podcast-season-2-episode-6/

You can find the resource Luke mentions in their story, Gender Expansive Practices in Dance Spaces: An Introduction here.

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Content warning: description of sexual harassment between 9:10 and 10:05 and brief mention of sexual abuse of minors between 24:09 and 24:49.

The best workplaces provide safety and support for their teams: permission to innovate, protection from harassment, support during difficult times, and a safety net for workers.n Episode 5, artists and arts administrators share stories of how their workplaces either provided that safety and support—or didn't.

Introduction: “Starting From Scratch” with Josh A. Campbell, a curator and engagement and education professional in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Act One: “Breaking The Silence” with Lexis Hamilton, a presenter and program coordinator for the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming.

Act Two: “Lifeboat” with DJ Doza The God, an international DJ currently based in Chicago, Illinois.

Act Three: “Strength In Numbers” with Shenea Stiletto, a circus arts advocate in Las Vegas, Nevada.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-podcast-season-2-episode-5/

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Feeling like an “outsider” can be isolating, and sometimes you don’t even realize the weight you’re carrying until you find yourself in a place of belonging. In Episode 4, a circus performer, Shakespearean actor, classical musician, and Native storyteller share their journeys from “outsider” to “insider,” exploring representation, safe spaces, embracing identity and confronting privilege.

Introduction: “In The Spotlight” with Chris Rooney, a circus performer and founding member of the BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest in Chicago, Illinois.

Act One: “Barred from The Bard ” with Farah Merani, an actor, writer and arts educator in Los Angeles, California.

Act Two: “Into the Fold” with Mari Lee, the CEO and artistic director of Salon Séance in New York, New York.

Act Three: “Walking Between Worlds” with Leland Faulkner, a performing artist and arts educator. He lives in Maine on Mi'kmaq‎, Penobscot‎, Passamaquoddy‎ and Abenaki‎ tribal land.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-season-2-episode-4/

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit

Content warning: brief mentions of gun violence, suicide and child molestation between 18:16 and 19:32.

Whether you are an arts worker and parent, share your art with kids, or see arts education as vital, the intersection of kids and the arts can be joyful and challenging. In Episode 3, hear from a circus artist, drag performer and a clogger.

From the Intro: Watch the hilarious video of children reacting to the Opera on Max Grossman’s TikTok account: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tiktok.com/@maxigrossman/video/7253994878726802734&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1689570168290561&usg=AOvVaw1pqWG05J4RM0YCpKgiuIST

Act One: “High Stress on the High Wire” with Amancay Kugler, the executive director of Yes Ma’am Circus in Chicago, Illinois.

Act Two: “A Magical Existence” with Beatrice Thomas, a creative producer, drag performer and educator, and former director of Drag Queen Story Hour in California.

Act Three: “Clog A Mile In My Shoes” with Brian Bon, a clogger, arts educator and director of Powerhouse Percussive Dance in Anaheim, California.

You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: https://apap365.org/podcast/arts-work-life-podcast-season-2-episode-3/

Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit