BRIC CELEBRATE BROOKLYN!
“Prince sang some upbeat lyrics extolling racial harmony, and took a fleeting solo on guitar. Then he struck a dramatic pose, tossed his guitar pick and a white towel into the audience, and strutted off. He had been onstage for exactly seven minutes.”
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is New York’s longest running free outdoor performing arts festival. THE OFFICE Founding Director Rachel Chanoff was BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!’s Artistic Director, and THE OFFICE curated the festival, from 1992 to 2022, defining its identity through dynamic, innovative, boundary-pushing programming that included unique commissions and concept shows, surprising artist pairings, work that bridged art and activism, and a deep commitment to giving opportunities to local performers—all of which made Celebrate a home for artists to experiment and take risks.
Launched in 1979 as a catalyst for a Brooklyn performing arts scene and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! was an early anchor in the park's revitalization and has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. The festival attracts upwards of 250,000 attendees from across New York City to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer.
Unlike the multi-stage destination festival scene, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is a free, summer-long experience allowing New Yorkers to come back again and again with their friends and family to appreciate or discover a new genre, acclaimed artist, or world culture each night of the festival. The programming we did there was a joyous and meaningful celebration of Brooklyn’s diversity; over 25 free shows each summer, we aimed to present work that speaks to as many communities as possible, and to hold up and give a platform to artists whose work embodies the values of inclusion, equity, and social justice that inspire us. During its 40+-year run, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has presented celebrated global music icons, legendary jazz artists, chart-topping indie bands, gravity-defying dance troupes, large-scale film/live score projects, innovative theater and spoken word, multi-artist concept shows, and more, becoming a beloved summer tradition.
From its very first performance in the summer of 1979, the mission of the festival has been to bring Brooklyn together in a safe, harmonious setting. These free experiences at the Prospect Park Bandshell enhance the quality of life in the city and our understanding of the world by illuminating the vibrant cultures that make Brooklyn so unique.
PAST FESTIVAL LINE UPS
[Festival lineup graphics: Iris A. Brown]
[Banner photo: Joe Buglewicz]