New 42, under the leadership of president and CEO Russell Granet, has announced a free ticketing program in collaboration with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The performing arts nonprofit will provide show tickets to families living in NYCHA housing. Through the program, each family can receive up to four free tickets per New Victory Theater season to be used to see shows of their choosing.
The program initially launched in 2022 and, to date, has provided more than 1,000 tickets to over 200 families in public housing. The announcement comes with the ongoing commitment of the organizations to the initiative.
“It is critical that the NYCHA community, especially the youth in particular, be exposed to a variety of art forms to instill an appreciation for expression, culture, and the vibrant connectivity that thrives within the arts community," said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt in a statement.
As part of the ongoing partnership, residents will be provided a code via the NYCHA newsletter to access the free tickets. In addition, NYCHA residents can participate in New Victory Arts Breaks, online videos hosted by New Victory teaching artists that allow educators and families to incorporate the arts into everyday learning. New 42 and NYCHA will continue to evolve new strategies to expand arts access for families, including the possibility of moving select performances to NYCHA communities in the future.
“We are thrilled to partner with NYCHA to provide access to our programming at the New Victory,” Granet said in a statement. “We know the critical role the arts can play in community development and how exposing kids to theatrical experiences in early childhood can foster a sense of belonging in arts spaces, continuing to build future generations of artists and audiences.”
“Access has always been at the forefront of our work here at New 42,” Granet continued, “and we hope this partnership with NYCHA can continue to grow and develop for years to come.”
The New Victory Theater’s 2023-2024 season will commence in October and feature 11 productions from around the world.
New 42, which operates the New Victory Theater and New 42 Studios, aims to include the performing arts in everyone’s life from as early on as possible. The New Victory has been offering theater, dance, circus, puppetry, opera and music programming for children and families since 1995.
