Community
Little Island is a space where people of all ages and backgrounds are invited to explore and imagine, find respite, and get inspired. Our programs and partnerships are designed to engage, educate, and employ local New Yorkers in service to providing the public with art, nature, and community. We also partner with neighborhood schools and organizations, provide job opportunities for young people, and provide access to performances and events.
We are inclusive to visitors of all abilities in our park and programming. Learn more about our accessibility offerings here.
Creative Breaks
| Led by teaching artists and community partners, Creative Breaks range from DIY arts and craft activities to music and dance classes, storytelling sessions, and more. Creative Breaks take place around our Art Cart, so find our mobile artmaking hub in the park and come play with us! Previous Creative Break partners have included MoCADA, Children’s Museum of the Arts, The Free Black Women’s Library, The Center for Fiction, and Oye Group.
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Teen Night
On Friday nights in the summer, Little Island hosts Teen Night, a public performance showcase led by and for New York City youth. Teen Night is produced in collaboration with the young adults of The Door.
Creative Community Partnerships
Our partnerships with Hudson Guild, Greenwich House Music School, and the Westbeth Artists Residents Council have brought art, dance, and theater workshops to local older adults. Participants in these partnerships work with our Little Island Artists-in-Residence on public programs, creating, and sharing their art with park visitors.
Community Ticketing
Through our Community Ticketing Program, we partner with local organizations to distribute free performance tickets to organizations and families throughout NYC, ensuring that a broad diversity of New Yorkers have access to Little Island’s ticketed events. In our first two years, we distributed over 43,000 free tickets.
Plan Your Field Trip
We welcome schools to engage with Little Island as an outdoor classroom and unique field trip venue, where students have the opportunity to learn outside of the traditional school setting. Feel free to contact our Education & Community Relations team here for Little Island curriculum or help coordinating your visit.
Our previous partnerships with PS 11, PS 33, 75 Morton, Corlears School, Avenues: The World School, and City As School have included workshops, opportunities to perform at Little Island, and access to free tickets for performances in The Amph.
Can’t make it to one of our programs in the park?
Bring the excitement of Little Island’s Creative Breaks into your classroom through these Creative Break Webisodes led by our Teaching Artists:
Make a Rain Stick
Dream Dance
Call and Response
Through our partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY), college students and recent alumni can learn professional skills and receive pathways to employment through paid opportunities with Little Island.
Starting as a paid Little Island Intern, students gain exposure to the workings of a dynamic public space while supporting administrative and programmatic projects during a spring or fall placement. In addition to gaining hands-on work experience, members of our Workforce Development programs also receive workshops and professional development in Communications, Financial Capability, Leadership, Public Art, and Public Space.
Fellowship Program
College students in our summer Little Island Fellowship program are assigned to a specific department of Little Island that aligns with their career goals, providing direct support to their team while receiving sustained mentorship from staff. For 2022, Fellowships were available in Education Programs, Employee Experience, Operations, and Events and Communications. Throughout the program, Fellows participate in workshops focused on career readiness and wellness.
Usher Corps Program
Our new Usher Corps Program provides summer jobs for college students looking to build their hospitality skills and explore careers in the performing arts, welcoming audiences into our performance spaces and assisting production operations as needed. This opportunity gives our participants invaluable work skills as they learn and grow alongside a peer support network.
Alumni
Alumni of our career development programs stay connected with Little Island, returning for Q&A sessions for prospective youth hires, attending our Teen Night series, receiving offers for temporary work, networking with other arts and park organizations, and more.
Current CUNY students and recent alumni should click here for current opportunities.