The Programs of The Carr Center

The Carr Center is a multi-disciplinary arts organization that leverages the essence of the African American cultural experience to inspire, entertain, challenge and educate.

Currently, our three core  programs include :

  • The Carr Center Artist Hub:  Home to local and regional artists as well as special guest artist residencies.  The Carr Center hub provides support and space for resident artists, community-based artists and arts organizations to do and/or create their work 
  • The Carr Center Presents: Hosts national, regional and local performing and visual arts to metro-Detroit.  These series of LIVE performance, film and visual arts events are also available to the public via Livestream.
  • The Carr Center Arts Academy: Our educational umbrella which offers multi-disciplinary arts education and training through in-school classes, summer intensives and early career professional development programs. 

Programs include a Saturday Arts Academy for students grades 6 – 8, our competitive Summer Dance Intensive, offered  through a partnership with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and  professional development programs for early-career artists, includingThe Gathering Orchestra, and the Independent Scholars Program for visual artists.

And Something’s Coming… 

Carr Center Performace studio

Even before the current health crisis, The Carr Center had been exploring the need for an intimate performance studio, providing broadcast-quality infrastructure and post-production. Then came the pandemic and suddenly staying connected to our audience, in the absence of normal activity, became our number one priority.

We diligently began to create a new business model. One that reflects the new realities around LIVE audience engagement. Our new performance studio is at the very core of that model. Once the studio opens, later this year, all of our performances and educational programs will include digital content as fundamental elements. Using the performance studio we will engage our audience in three ways.

LIVE In Person
LIVE Streaming
Video on Demand

The Carr Center Performance Studio is scheduled to open in Fall of 2022. It will be a place where arts and community come together. The 2500 sf. flexible space will feature state of the art digital, video and sound production with exceptional acoustics. It will be available for performance, rehearsals, film and more. It will also be a space where we encourage the creation of new work.

The Carr Center is a key element in the fabric of cultural life in Detroit. Through program and audience development partnerships with the Henry Ford Museum ofAmerican Innovation, University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, Detroit OperaHouse, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, The Carr Center has created a variety of innovative artistic initiatives focused on increasing cultural participation for artists and audiences.