The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante. Renderings by Nightnurse; design by WorkAC
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, the People’s Theatre Project (PTP) celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking for its first and future home, The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luis A. Miranda Jr, on behalf of the Miranda Family Fund, and Dr. Steven J. Corwin, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian,
“The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante will be an exemplary space, developing and producing theater that is more equitable and representative of immigrants, Latine artists and our communities of color,” said Mino Lora, founding Executive Artistic Director of the People’s Theatre Project. “For the last 15 years, we have been committed to uplifting the voices of marginalized communities, and The People’s Theatre will connect, inspire, and catalyze generations of immigrants and their allies. We are extremely grateful for the catalytic support from Governor Hochul, EDC, DCLA, the Miranda Family Fund, and NewYork-Presbyterian during this exciting moment for our neighborhood and our organization, with an opportunity to build a community-rooted and anti-oppressive cultural institution in New York City from the ground up.”
“It is with tremendous pride that we break ground today on The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante, here in Northern Manhattan,” said Luis A. Miranda Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda of the Miranda Family Fund. “It is no secret our family loves this neighborhood. This is because Northern Manhattan is a vibrant, hardworking community of diverse creators, makers, movers and shakers – all looking to share their stories. Theater is about community, offering a space where art, culture, and identity converge. Our uptown neighborhood is more than ready to have a permanent home for its theater practitioners, to nurture and showcase countless generations of storytellers and stories to come.”
“NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to support the People’s Theatre Project, and we look forward to the future of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante,” said Dr. Steven J. Corwin, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. “This will be a space where members of the community can come together to create meaningful social connections, build a sense of belonging, and help enrich the community and New York City through the arts.”
“As the largest Latine theater in New York City and the city’s first Dominican-managed cultural institution, the People’s Theatre Project’s new home will be more than a performing arts center – it will be a tribute to the diverse artists, cultures, and communities that define our great state,” Governor Hochul said. “New York has always cherished its diversity and inclusiveness, and through our support for timeless institutions like this one, we always will. I will continue working with my partners in government and the arts community to find ways to celebrate the history, creativity, and culture of all New Yorkers, and I look forward to cutting the ribbon on this beautiful space in a few short years.”
The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante – located at 407 West 206th Street – will amplify the voices of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities and cultivate work by local artists and arts organizations. When it opens in 2026, audiences will experience theatrical performances that center and explore the breadth of immigrant experiences represented in New York City, enjoy live music, and dance performances, film screenings, and other civic and community events. For children and families, the center will offer classes, festivals, and student matinees field trips. PTP also will partner with the New York Public Library (NYPL) to provide research and literary programming that will allow community members to explore the immigrant experience through scholarship and the performing arts.
The center’s 19,000-square-foot space will be in a new, mixed-income, mixed-use building, developed by a joint venture of LMXD, MSquared, and Taconic Partners. Designed by the woman- and immigrant-owned architecture firm WORKac and theater and acoustics consultant Charcoalblue, the center will have a flexible midsize theater, a smaller performance space, rehearsal studios, a soundproof practice room, and gallery space.
The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante has a total capital budget of $37 million, which includes both public and private financial support. The City has already earmarked $24.4 million to support the development of the center.
About People’s Theatre Project
Rooted in Washington Heights and Inwood, People’s Theatre Project (PTP) makes theatre with and for immigrant communities to build a more just and equitable world. Now in its 15th anniversary season, PTP is Manhattan’s largest performing arts organization north of Harlem. An immigrant- and women-of-color-led cultural organization, PTP is an advocate for immigrant New Yorkers and the arts as a partner with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, an active member of the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LXNY) steering committee, The New York Immigration Coalition’s (NYIC) Immigrant Leadership Council and Culture@3’s Anti Racism Working Group.
The center – which is expected to draw at least 28,000 people annually – will house PTP’s work through:
Production, which includes the development of devised and playwright-driven original theatre, all by immigrants and artists of color;
Education, which provides free access to high-quality arts education through the multi-year PTP Academy for Leadership, Theatre, & Activism for immigrant youth, and Partnerships with schools and libraries across the city for immigrant New Yorkers of all ages; and
Advocacy, in which PTP staff and artists collaborate with elected officials, community leaders, and other organizations to champion immigrant rights, racial equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, and equitable arts & culture funding in New York City and beyond.
The center is a key component of NYCEDC’s ‘Inwood NYC’ neighborhood plan, which is prioritizing public investment in Inwood to allow it to remain a place where New Yorkers work, live, and raise a family. The ‘Inwood NYC Action Plan’ was the product of over three years of extensive community engagement led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).
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