Kenan Institute for the Arts

What happens when talented artists are given the support to take bold, creative risks?

At the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, expanding pathways for emerging artists means helping original work move beyond the classroom and onto the world stage. Through the support of , recent UNCSA School of Drama alumni brought “The Sound of Water” to the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts festival.

Along the way, they gained firsthand experience producing an international production, connected with artists from around the world and discovered new opportunities that are already shaping their careers.

As the program grows, more University of North Carolina School of the Arts artists will have the chance to transform original ideas into work that reaches global audiences.

Two original productions by graduates from the 2026 Class of the School of Drama were selected to receive support for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival - Read more in the story ➡️ https://bit.ly/fringe-2026

🌍 Applications are now open for the Kenan Arts-sponsored 2026 La MaMa Umbria Residency for University of North Carolina School of the Arts Alumni

What happens when artists are given the time, space, and support to reconnect with their creativity?

For eight alumni from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the answer was found among the hills of Spoleto, Italy, through the Kenan Institute for the Arts' partnership with La MaMa Umbria International. Over ten days, artists immersed themselves in a global community of creators, explored new artistic practices, built lasting relationships, and discovered new possibilities for their work and themselves.

"The first word that comes to mind is possibility," shared alumna Isabelle Ellingson. "I went to La MaMa and discovered endless possibilities."

Read the full story and learn more about the opportunity: https://www.uncsa.edu/news/20260603-kenan-arts-la-mama-umbria-residencies.aspx

📅 Application Deadline: June 26
🎭 Eligible Applicants: University of North Carolina School of the Arts Alumni from the Class of 2025 and earlier

At Kenan Arts, we believe creativity thrives through collaboration, curiosity, and global exchange. Experiences like La MaMa Umbria help artists deepen their practice, expand their perspectives, and connect with a broader creative community.

Kenan Institute for the Arts supports UNCSA alumni creativity and self-discovery at La MaMa Umbria Tucked among the hills of Spoleto, Italy, lies La MaMa Umbria International — a branch of New York-based La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. For the third year in a row, alumni from UNCSA have attended the 10-day sessions, free of charge, through a partnership between the Thomas S. Kenan Instit...

From the University of North Carolina School of the Arts to NYC, the Kenan Institute for the Arts is expanding pathways to creativity!

Three UNCSA School of Dance alumni are stepping into the professional world after a year as the inaugural Fellows at Limon Dance Company program.

Naya Gonzalez
Cailee Harvey
Kyriaki Christoforou

After a year performing with Limón2 for the 2025–26 season, they have grown tremendously from mentorship, experience, and a deeper connection to one of the most influential modern dance companies in the world.

This is what building pathways for looks like.

Read more at the link in bio.

Kenan Arts Fellows at Limón: Building dance careers & finding artistic voices Three UNCSA dance graduates launch their professional journeys as inaugural Kenan Arts Fellows with Limón2 in New York City. Through intensive training, performance and mentorship, the fellowship connects conservatory preparation to real-world experience, helping emerging artists refine their voice...

Winston-Salem, NC: Tonight is opening night of Johnny Loves Johann - a new work led by Grammy-winning violinist and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman.

Kenan Institute for the Arts and Carolina Performing Arts served as lead co-commissioners on this project, with additional support from The Joyce Theater, the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond, Works & Process, and The Yard.

Join us this weekend and read more about the December 2025 developmental residency at University of North Carolina School of the Arts with students.

Music and dance align in 'Johnny Loves Johann,' co-commissioned by Kenan Arts “Johnny Loves Johann” is a multidisciplinary project created by Grammy Award-winning violinist Johnny Gandelsman that explores the relationship between sound and movement. The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the arts at UNCSA serves as a lead co-commissioner for the project.

The Black Sacred Music Symposium XIX is in full swing, and every room is alive with sound and community. Sessions are bringing together singers, students and community members around the rich traditions of Black sacred music.

Come experience the energy for yourself TOMORROW at 3 p.m. in Gerald Freedman Theatre for a powerful culminating concert celebrating Black sacred music and FELLOWSHIP, hosted by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Be in the room for this joyful gathering. Get your tickets ➡️ https://shorturl.at/pQ5yl

Misty Copeland stepped onto the Oscars stage in the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s iconic Firebird costume, a look that carries generations of artistry.

Now, that same iconic ballet and look is taking flight again through Dance Theatre of Harlem's restaging of “Firebird,” made possible in part by the multi-year partnership between the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

As we count down to Firebird in Norfolk this weekend, 14 UNCSA dancers and 10 UNCSA musicians will join DTH and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra on stage — demonstrating how works like this move from stage to screen to communities everywhere, inspiring the next generation of artists.

The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts are hosting the second regional gathering of the celebrated Black Sacred Music Symposium under the direction of Dr. Ollie Watts Davis of the University of Illinois Black Chorus.

Black Sacred Music Symposium XIX – FELLOWSHIP (March 19–22) is an opportunity for anyone passionate about choral music, especially Black sacred music, to learn and perform with visiting instructors who are among the nation’s leading artists and scholars. The experience is designed to strengthen practice and expand pathways in performance, education, ministry and community work.

A culminating concert, open to the public and featuring Symposium attendees with local and national guest artists, will be held on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. in the Gerald Freedman Theatre at UNCSA.

ℹ️ Learn more and register: https://www.uncsa.edu/kenan/current-programs/creative-community/black-sacred-music-symposium-2026.aspx

Additional presenting partners for the Black Sacred Music Symposium XIX include Building Bridges Through Song, Delta Arts Center, Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Winston-Salem State University, and the City of Winston-Salem.

Black Sacred Music Symposium XIX – FELLOWSHIP The Black Sacred Music Symposium is a four-day conference dedicated to the study and performance of Black sacred music traditions, culminating in a large-scale community choral performance to celebrate the music, the methods and the message behind the impactful genre.

As artistic and interim executive director of Madison Ballet, Ja’ Malik is taking real risks. And they’re paying off. In this interview, he talks leadership, contemporary programming and how the company is growing audiences while others struggle.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. Photo credit: Lexia Frank

Rebuilding Ballet on New Terms: Ja' Malik As artistic and interim executive director of Madison Ballet, Ja' Malik is taking real risks. And they're paying off. In this interview, he talks leadership, contemporary programming and how the company is growing audiences while others struggle.