October 20, 2015
Brooklyn Academy of Music (B.A.M.) is America’s Oldest Performing Arts Center, located in the heart of today’s hip and luster city of Brooklyn, New York. Since 1981, BAM created a new and immersive way in presenting contemporary arts of local, regional, national, and worldwide premiers. BAM’s three theaters presents worldwide aspects of contemporary arts in Dances, Performing Arts, Musics, Physical Theaters, Opera, and Films. BAM also modestly extends the boundaries of Next Wave performances to present works in the Fine Arts. The importance of the Next Wave is to successfully open BAM’s local identity and worldwide visibility with a set goal in mind – create a wonderful common ground where people can come together within BAM and beyond. Today’ New Wave festival successfully features nearly 30 prestigious performances with New York, U.S., and World Premieres. The reason for Next Wave’s success can be determined by BAM’s successful management and administration in its goals, efficient marketing programming, and fundraising tactics.
BAM’s prestigious reputation and historical run is not from luck or NY State’s merciful budget. However, BAM has immersed its academy with clear goals and open-mindedness to the art industry. According to 21 voices: the Art of Presenting the Performing Arts,” by Naomi Rhodes, quoted Vice Chairman Franklin R. Weissberg of BAM which states “The function of the board is to support that cunning, to find the money, and to help establish an atmosphere in which things happen.” The BAM board also believe in their goals and staff to execute any possibilities, “Dreamers(managers) who have amazing chutzpah and a great sense of impracticality, grounded in a cunning that somehow you can get these things done,” stated Weissberg. Because of this mindset and open minded administrative to fulfil their most significant goal and to include younger audiences in the contemporary arts.
BAM’s Next Wave festival creates yearly programs which showcases its identity in featuring contemporary arts and generate local and international audience by programming its performances within the yearly festival timeframes of September to December. New Wave’s success is due to its careful consideration to create a self identity, and its continual redefinition to keep New Wave concept fresh every year. BAM’s programing in New Wave creates month long performances which almost consistently being played every weekend during the festival time frame. With three theaters, they manage to coordinate the schedules and shows for each weekend not to have an overlapping theme; for example, in one weekend they would have one music performance in one theater and a dance performance in another theater while the third theater would prepare for a larger scale US or world premiere audience. Having this system not only points out BAM’s masterful management staff but also to keep to its marketing goals that broaden its audience and maintain unique contemporary shows throughout the festival. But most importantly they bring new and old audiences in an immersive New Wave environment.
Along with its masterful management and clear goals, BAM also maintain its worldwide prestigious facility along with showcasing the local arts. BAM’s marketing is to immerse its academy to welcome new contemporary arts and also expand the academy’s reputation worldwide. The reason for BAM success internationally is their fundraisers tactics which broadened all possibilities and connections to corporations and influential individuals with similar goals to Next Wave’s Theme. This not only improved their spending cushion but also create connections with other worldwide organizations. By partnering with U.S. Corporations that have similar goals as BAM which consistently deal with international organizations, BAM’s fundraisers and board exploits its connections with corporations to connect their goals with worldwide organizations with the same goal as well. World premiere performances are held every year at Next Wave. Not only international artist come to BAM to exploit BAM’s goal, but also BAM boldly expands their branches to artist across the world. This make BAM known internationally and immensely put themselves in a higher tier in the performing arts centers and significant contributor to New York State.
In conclusion, Brooklyn has successfully homed its own Academy of Music for 150 years and established a world class Performing Arts Center. This is because of BAM’s clear understanding of their goals and belief in their staff which makes the academy have new and innovative ways to approach challenges. Also, BAM’s Next Wave creates an immersive festival which continuously redefine contemporary art. Its management masterfully set performance schedules that keep BAM lively and packed every weekend. Their performance represent local, regional, national, and worldwide performances that broadens its audiences and keep people excited. The board and fundraisers recognize the Next Wave’s potential so they reach out to international artist by partnering with influential individuals and corporations with like minded goals. BAM’s Next Wave festival proves that the performing arts is essential to its local community and to the world community. Furthermore, BAM proves that the arts is important to the world heritage and cultural identity that makes us wanting for more new and innovative ways to take challenges.
Kidd Panther 