About this episode

Shanta Thake discusses her vision for Lincoln Center and the importance of community in artistic programming.

Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Shanta Thake is the vision behind Lincoln Center's free Summer for the City festival happening right now through August 8 in New York. It's a good moment to go back and hear how she thinks about building a season for an entire city, not just a subscriber base. ----- Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection. As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine what one of the world's most storied institutions can be. Since joining in 2021, she's helped usher in an era of experimentation and access to ensure the arts remain central to New York City's civic life. In this episode, Shanta reflects on what it means to democratize the programming process, how the arts contribute to community wellbeing, and why leading with curiosity sparks meaningful innovation. She also takes listeners behind the scenes of initiatives like Lincoln Center's West Side Expansion and Summer for the City—efforts rooted in humility, collaboration, and partnership with local…

People in this episode

Host: Monica Holt

Guest: Shanta Thake

Topics covered

• artistic curation
• community connection
• democratizing programming
• arts and community wellbeing
• innovation in the arts

Keywords

• Lincoln Center
• Shanta Thake
• Summer for the City
• artistic curation
• community wellbeing
• innovation
• New York City

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Places: New York

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