The 52nd Street Project is a community-based arts organization that partners kids from Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, starting at age nine and continuing through their teens, with theater professionals to create original works performed free for the public. By building on the core experience of accomplishment and collaboration, the Project fosters a sense of inclusion and pride in a place where children belong and where their creativity is the driving force.
Through long-term mentoring, academic support, employment opportunities, and exposure to a wide range of art forms (including poetry, dance, songwriting, and theatrical design), the Project nurtures self-expression, literacy, life skills, and a love of learning. All programs are offered at no cost, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to participate fully.
At its heart, the Project is not about teaching children to act or to write (though they do learn those skills), but about giving each young person the experience of success, honoring the wisdom and talents they bring, and guiding them toward growth, maturity, and community engagement.
As our founder says:
“I have seen the joy in their eyes and have heard it in their voices. I have watched them take a bow and come up taller.”
