Brian Stokes Mitchell, The New York Philharmonic & More to Headline July Programming for Restart Stages

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts today announced new multidisciplinary artistic commissions, performances, workshops and more this coming July to Restart Stages-the outdoor performing arts center constructed on the Lincoln Center campus.

As New York continues to emerge from this pandemic, Restart Stages is helping bring back the performing arts sector and contributing to the revival of New York City. Lincoln Center's 10 outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces and civic venues are being activated by artists, arts organizations, students, and many more from across its campus and the five boroughs.

"The energy and connection the arts bring to our city is truly coming back," said Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. "The creative well found throughout New York City seems endless and is such an inspiration for us all. What a joy to be welcoming audiences and artists from all over the five boroughs to discover anew so much of what makes the city so special."

Restart Stages at Lincoln Center is made possible through the generous support of the Lincoln Center Board of Directors and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of the SNF-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative, a collaboration bringing new approaches in cultural engagement to public spaces.

Core to Lincoln Center's mission is to provide access to the arts for the widest possible audience. This July, the institution shines a light on the work of disabled artists and Disability Pride Month with a series of virtual and in-person performances and workshops to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Performances include Disability Pride Silent Disco featuring DJ Nico DiMarco, a fourth-generation Deaf person, as well as virtual events with Omnium - A Bold New Circus and the kickoff event for a Storytelling and Self-Advocacy Series. More events to be announced in the coming weeks.

A special event on July 17 will commemorate the one-year anniversary of the passing of the civil rights leaders John Lewis and C.T. Vivian, marking the first live public performance of The Baptism commission featuring Carl Hancock Rux, Meshell Ndegeocello, and The Resistance Revival Chorus, with imagery by Carrie Mae Weems.

July also features new commissions and collaborations-including the transatlantic art exhibition, Faces of the Hero, a partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) and the inaugural collaboration of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative, that examines the meaning of a "hero" and "heroism" through time, and the world premiere of You Are Here, a sculpture, sound, and performance installation conceived by choreographer Andrea Miller with audio portrait subjects that offer windows into their experiences in this past year. The sound installation is free and open to the public on July 14-16, July 18-19, and July 21-23 (11:30 am-6:30 p.m.), and July 17 from 2:30-8:30 p.m. on Hearst Plaza. Ticketed performances begin on July 24.

Free tickets to July's Restart Stages events will be made available through the TodayTix Lottery, the Official Ticketing Partner of Restart Stages. The TodayTix Lottery will open for entries two weeks before the performance and close three days prior to the performance at 12:59 p.m. EDT. Attendees who secure tickets will be required to follow safety protocols. Enter the Lottery through the TodayTix app. For those without access to the app, please call Lincoln Center Guest Services at 212-875-5456 to reserve.*

Throughout the month of July, audiences can access The GREEN, the participatory public art installation on Josie Robertson Plaza, and spend a few reflective moments with a book at the Outdoor Reading Room, created by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. New Yorkers may also come across surprise Pop-Up performances in full swing on The GREEN and across campus. Family programs on The GREEN include "Poets on the Plaza", showcasing youth poets in partnership with Urban Word NYC (July 10, 14 at 12 p.m.), Storytimes in partnership with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts feature Boys Dance! with ABT (July 6 at 12 p.m.) and a musical session based on Aesop's Fables (July 20 at 12 p.m.), and Pop-Up Workshops include an instrument making workshop (July 3 at 12:30 p.m.), a weaving workshop (July 13 at 12 p.m.), and a jazz dance workshop (July 27 at 12 p.m.). A series of jazz performances will be offered throughout the month in a pop-up jazz venue in Jaffe Drive. Check RestartStages.org for updates.

Select Restart Stages events will be live streamed on Lincoln Center and partner organization digital platforms, increasing access nationally and internationally, well beyond those able to travel to the physical campus.

All offerings occur outdoors with health and safety protocols in place for artists, audiences, and staff. Designed with expert advice from medical and public health professionals, a variety of safety protocols will be in place, following recommended guidelines as the public health situation evolves.

Restart Stages launched on World Health Day, April 7, with a special performance for healthcare workers. It has continued with pop-up performances by ensembles from The Juilliard School, Passion Fruit Dance Company/Tatiana Desardouin in collaboration with Works & Process, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, and puppeteer Basil Twist. A new art installation, titled "We Belong Here" by Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya is currently on view across campus. Building upon the "I Still Believe in Our City" art campaign she created as artist-in-residence with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the installations offer Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders a respite from grief, a moment of peace, and a sense of pride and hope amidst the brutal attacks and harassment their community has endured.

In line with Lincoln Center's ongoing commitment to reflect the artists and audiences that make up New York City, Lincoln Center is continuing its commitment to civic and community service with Restart Stages. Lincoln Center has partnered with Food Bank For New York City for several food distributions, with the New York Blood Center for blood drives to help address the critical shortage in NYC, and with the City's new mobile vaccination buses to serve New Yorkers alongside the Campus. Currently, the David Rubenstein Atrium serves as a designated primary election polling place, in partnership with the Board of Elections, and hosts public school graduations for over 3,000 graduates and their families from more than fifteen schools from across the city. Additionally, more food distributions and blood drives will take place throughout the coming months.

Restart Stages is developed in coordination with NY PopsUp, part of Governor Cuomo's New York Arts Revival, in a partnership to help extend reach of the initiative far beyond Lincoln Center's campus.

Since the pandemic began, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has driven efforts to bring the power of the arts to New Yorkers outdoors and digitally-from Love From Lincoln Center concerts for individual essential workers to works of art that elevate the voices and lived experiences of people of color in America, such as Carrie Mae Weems' installation Resist COVID/Take 6!, Davóne Tines' Vigil, and digital commissions like The Baptism by Carl Hancock Rux. International collaborations with the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in Athens (SNFCC) will bring new approaches to cultural engagement in both cities. These are just the beginning of a reorientation towards prioritizing openness, access, and inclusive excellence-elevating talent from every corner of the globe and fostering a sense of radical welcome on the campus.

Additional programmatic details, including upcoming events for August, will be announced in the coming weeks. All seating for Restart Stages is located on accessible routes and can be removed to make space for mobility devices. For all Restart Stages family programs, social narratives describing entry and seating through images will be available. These are designed for neurodiverse families preparing for new experiences. Captioning will be available via streaming on personal phones or tablets for To Be Baptized: A Performance tribute to John Lewis and C. T. Vivian on July 17. American Sign Language, captioning and live audio description are available for select performances and upon request.

*No purchase is necessary to enter the TodayTix Lottery and reserve free tickets for these July performances. The prize value of tickets is $0. The odds of winning tickets depend on the number of eligible entries received. The TodayTix Lottery is open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 18 or over. Complete official rules, prize description, and giveaway entry information will be available on the TodayTix website at TodayTix.com.

Highlights include:

Disability Pride Month celebrations throughout July with virtual and in-person performances and workshops to commemorate the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Premiere of new commission You Are Here, a sculpture, sound, and performance installation conceived by Andrea Miller

First live public performance of The Baptism with Carl Hancock Rux, Meshell Ndegeocello, The Resistance Revival Chorus, and imagery by Carrie Mae Weems to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the passing of the civil rights leaders John Lewis and C.T. Vivian

Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell kicks off Lincoln Center Theater's concert-cabaret series

Premiere of Faces of The Hero, a transatlantic visual arts exhibition in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, presented in both New York City and Athens through the Stavros Niarchos Foundation - Lincoln Center Agora Initiative

The New York Philharmonic, led by Music Director Jaap van Zweden, performs works by Carlos Simon, Mozart, and Stravinsky

The public premiere of a new work composed by Iraqi American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Amir ElSaffar with Raga Maqam

Silent Discos on The GREEN with DJs Nico DiMarco, Mar Y Sol, and more

First in-person Activate event, Soul Science Lab's Make a Joyful Noize

Sneak preview screening of Ailey, a new documentary about renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey, presented by Film at Lincoln Center, Dance on Camera Festival, and NEON

The Memory of Water, a new performance with Sunken Cages and Migiwa "Miggy" Miyajima in partnership with The Asian American Arts Alliance

Chamber Music Society's Summer Evenings Outdoors concludes this month with evenings of Beethoven and Dvořák, and Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schumann

Three special Concerts for Kids performances including an interactive, bilingual musical history of Latin bugalú with members of Spanglish Fly

Mimi Lien's The GREEN and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' Outdoor Reading Room both open daily

Free tickets to all events can be reserved through the TodayTix Lottery, Official Ticketing Partner of Restart Stages, or through Lincoln Center Guest Services

Additional surprise Pop-Up performances of music, dance, art, and weekend family workshops, children's recitals, and more to take place on The GREEN and across Campus

Restart Stages is part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative

Visit RestartStages.org for updates.