ARTS. WORK. LIFE.
ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

ARTS. WORK. LIFE.

the Association of Performing Arts Professionals

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Episodes

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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 on workplace and work culture from behind the scenes. Produced by APAP and made possible with support from the Wallace Foundation.

Recent Episodes

A Surprise Bonus Episode: A busy day at APAP|NYC
OCT 21, 2025
A Surprise Bonus Episode: A busy day at APAP|NYC
<p>At last year’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apap365.org/conference/register/">APAP|NYC</a> conference, we followed three arts professionals from sun-up to sun-down, capturing the excitement, ambition, and energy of the conference.</p><p>Featuring:</p><p><strong>Ryan K. Johnson</strong>, the executive artistic director of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.soledefined.com/">SOLE Defined</a>, based out of Washington, D.C.</p><p><strong>Danielle Devlin</strong>, an agent and manager with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://canismusic.com/">Canis Major Music</a> from Sheldon, Vermont</p><p><strong>Aaron Shackelford</strong>, director of programming at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://arts.duke.edu/">DukeArts</a> in Durham, North Carolina</p><p>The next <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apap365.org/conference/register/">APAP|NYC</a> is from January 9-13, 2026! You can join APAP and register for APAP|NYC at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apap365.org/conference/register/">https://apap365.org/conference/register/</a></p><p>Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions, SOLE Defined; Skye Consort, Emma Björling, Alex Kehler, Amanda Keesmaat, and Seán Dagher.</p><p>ARTS. WORK. LIFE. is made possible with the generous support of the Wallace Foundation.</p><p>You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apap365.org/podcast/">https://apap365.org/podcast/</a></p><p>Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit">https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit</a></p>
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10 MIN
Paying it Forward
AUG 26, 2025
Paying it Forward
<p>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.</p><p><strong>INTRO &amp; ACT ONE: </strong>“Passing the Mic” with <strong>Dumisani “Dumi RIGHT” Ndlovu</strong>, a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/dumiright/?hl=en"><strong>performance artist</strong></a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://corcoran.gwu.edu/dumi-right"><strong>educator</strong></a> working in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. </p><p><strong>ACT TWO</strong>: “Stepping Stones” with<strong> Julie Opiel</strong>, the Director of Education and Community Engagement at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bodytraffic.com/"><strong>BodyTraffic</strong></a> in Los Angeles, California.</p><p><strong>ACT THREE</strong>: “Freedom to Lead" with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.alexketley.com/news-updates"><strong>Alex Ketley and Bill Clark</strong></a>, two performance artists and educators collaborating in Vacaville, California. </p><p>You can find a full transcript and more on APAP’s website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apap365.org/podcast/">https://apap365.org/podcast/</a> </p><p>Are you a performing arts worker with a story to tell? Submit it here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit">https://bit.ly/AWLpodsubmit</a></p>
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28 MIN