National Performance Network Information

The National Performance Network and Visual Artists Network (NPN/VAN) believes artists and arts organizations are essential for creating a just and sustainable world, and we believe communities deserve broad access to art and culture that reflect their own experiences and inform about the experiences of others. We seek to provide risk-taking performing and visual artists with the resources needed to develop and tour new work, to ensure arts leaders have the skills and opportunities to be change-makers in the arts presenting field, and to influence cultural policy for more just and artist-centered practices. Through our network of more than 100 arts organizations in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia, we are committed to investing in artists whose voices and visions illuminate and shape the world around us and to those organizations that take risks in showcasing such artists. This intentional network of active and engaged partners fosters deeper collaboration among presenters, greater mobility for artists, and a stronger collective voice for our sector. By focusing on a limited number of partner organizations, NPN/VAN’s support and services are more strategically designed, effectively distributed, and successfully leveraged. Since its inception, NPN/VAN has reached 3.5 million audience members and supported 4,700 artist projects employing over 21,000 artists. We have provided $26 million in direct support to artists and presenters and leveraged another $44 million, resulting in $70 million in support for artists and arts organizations.