MA Arts Management and Entrepreneurship Capstone Projects Highlight Interdisciplinary, Innovative, and Creative Productions
To be an artist in the 21st century means you have to be, on some level, an entrepreneur. Working actors, writers, directors, and other creatives are responsible for ever evolving careers that have become increasingly interdisciplinary over the years, while adapting to new mediums and adjusting to constantly changing audience tastes.
The MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship at the College of Performing Arts is training artists precisely for a career path that requires flexibility, adaptability, and creativity. These characteristics and more are on full display thanks to the capstone projects created each year by the graduating cohort of students, which demonstrate their skills as socially engaged, independent creative producers.
For their capstone project, Leo Layla DĂaz was inspired to develop something that could be performed in their home state of New Jersey, as they often see their local scene sapped due to the proximity to New York City. They brought The 24 Hour Plays to Hoboken in order to engage New Jersey artists in an accessible framework.
“We’re a working class and family-oriented community, so a lot of people can’t take off work for an eight-week rehearsal process, don’t have reliable transportation to the city constantly, or just don’t want to have to cross state lines to engage in art,” they explain. “I was very afraid that no one else would care about this project as much as I did and that my lack of professional producing experience meant I wouldn’t be taken seriously, but I found myself working with an incredibly kind, professional, and engaged team. It was really rewarding doing work outside of the school bubble and with people who view me as a colleague rather than a student.”
Projects ranged from an interdisciplinary performance that integrated live flower arrangement, musical instrument performances, and contemporary dance to a movement wellness project that made Indian martial arts wisdom accessible to all, as well as a dance workshop, concert, and more.
Antonio De La Vega produced a series of yoga classes for artists and taught by artists that were discipline specific to vocalists, actors, and dancers. Inspired by the ways in which mindfulness, breath work, and his work as a director are intertwined, the yoga classes were an opportunity for artists to be reminded of their bodies’ strength and delicacy.
“I wanted to create a space where the well-being of artists is put before the projects/products we create,” he says. “This project is a reclamation of our minds and our bodies both as individual artists and as a creative community.”
Both DĂaz and De La Vega are leaving the program with a new community of artists, and a skillset they believe will help them flourish in the unique theater and entertainment landscape of New York City and beyond.
“Producing has always been an interest in my own artistic practice, and this program has provided me with the toolbox to develop further sustainable wellness offerings for artists,” shares De La Vega. “Through the program, and my directing practice, I have developed a modality of leadership that hones my passion for mindfulness and creativity. Because of MA AME, I’ve been able to hone my leadership skills, procure on-the-ground experience in producing, and centralize my creative focus on wellness for artists. Essentially, this program helped me become the artist I always wanted to be.”