Dedicated to serving artists and audiences by supporting, developing and presenting original performing and literary work, Dixon Place (DP) inspires and empowers artists to generate new ideas, cultivate new practices, and execute their vision. Free of physical, social and monetary barriers, live audiences enhance the artists’ process with encouragement and feedback. Inclusivity regarding gender, race, age, disability, ethnicity and socioeconomics is sacrosanct; thereby, DP policies, programming and curatorial practices must evolve with the ever-changing landscape. Foremost priorities are to serve as a safe haven for artists and provide accessible, enriching experiences for audiences.

After spawning DP as a salon in a Paris apartment in 1985, founder El Covan housed the organization in her NYC living room for 23 years. Now in a professional, state-of-the-art facility, DP’s mission is fulfilled through its programs, which facilitate the development of new work by early career artists and provide outstanding opportunities and resources to support the artistic process, foster new collaborations, and elevate work to a new level.

Institutional transformation is supporting DP’s vision to sustain a safe space promoting and advancing social justice, transparency, equity, advocacy, and the manifestation of innovation, imagination and artistic aspiration.

The organization’s vision and values are inspired and activated by the following principles:

• The creative process must be nurtured.
• Inclusivity, conscientiousness, and artist remuneration are essential and unassailable.
• Art is a catalyst for awareness, advocacy, and social change.
• With an ability to transcend disparity and inequity, live art is essential for human wellbeing.
• The artist-audience exchange is unlike any other human experience.

Jerome Foundation supports Dixon Place’s Commissioning and Co-Production Program. Supporting at least two early career generative artists each cycle, this program provides artistic fees and production expenses, as well as customized residencies with substantial access to DP’s theater, studio, and lounge for meetings, auditions, and the creation, development, and rehearsal of the new work. Artists receive comprehensive technical support, from consultations throughout development to production management, lighting design, and board operation during production; full front-of-house support includes ticketing, programs, box office operation, and a welcoming ambience for community cultivation.