Dance - Festivals - Music - Nonprofit - Special Events - Theatre
Website: https://firstworks.org
(401) 421-4278
235 Promenade Street, Suite 130, Providence, RI 02908
FirstWorks is a Providence-based nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich the social, educational and economic fabric of Rhode Island by engaging diverse audiences with world-class performing arts experiences. Our cultural initiatives catalyze partnership that foster equitable access to the arts.
FirstWorks was founded in 2004, as a unique public-private partnership with the newly formed Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Under the visionary leadership of Executive Artistic Director Kathleen Pletcher, opening our doors with an idea and a $15,000 start-up grant, FirstWorks has grown to be the only First Night festival in the country operating as a year-round arts organization. We are a key partner in building Providence as the “Creative Capital”, working across three mayoral administrations. Over 18 seasons, we have forged collaborations with over 90 organizations to create new gateways to the arts across businesses, social services, schools, tourism, and government.
From producing Pixilerations New Media Festival (2004-2013) to FirstWorks Kids (2004-2009), to long partnerships with artists like Jazz at Lincoln Center, our programming demonstrates artistic excellence and a commitment to include marginalized communities. In 2011, our arts strategy to revitalize downtown Providence was awarded a $200,000 Our Town grant that culminated in the success of the 2012 FirstWorks Festival: On the Plaza. The event evolved to become the City’s signature arts festival, PVDFest, which has employed over 3400 local artists since its inception. FirstWorks connects artists across the globe to Rhode Island and brings local artists to the world’s stage.
Central to our mission, FirstWorks’ robust education program harnesses the power of the arts to reengage thousands of students, motivate teachers, and supporting hybrid-distance and in-person learning. We prioritize youth that already faced significant socio-economic challenges and are now dealing with additional hurdles considering the COVID-19 crisis.
Our commitment to inclusive programming brings audiences together with exemplary artists as diverse as our community, performing on local (and virtual) stages and in classrooms for fruitful intercultural exchanges. This provides audiences a global approach to understanding our shared world. FirstWorks’ performances, education, and community engagements have been recognized as ones that “expands our community’s horizons through the arts” (Providence Business News).