Mann Heightens Leadership Role Connecting City’s Youth with Transformative Opportunities in Arts Education and Careers; Names Nationally Regarded Arts Education Leader Frank Machos, Ph.D., as Director

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 4, 2025) – A favorite destination for outdoor summer concerts for nearly 50 years, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts has steadily been building its repertoire as a formidable force in the kind of year-round programming and community involvement that changes young lives. Now with the launch of the Mann Center Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact, Mann leadership is raising the bar again by reimagining the role an arts institution can play in developing career opportunities for urban youth, empowering communities, and fostering social impact.

“We are at an inflection point in the Mann’s storied history,” said Catherine M. Cahill, the Mann’s chief executive officer. “We host more than 400,000 visitors annually and are proud to be known as the summer music destination in Philadelphia. Beyond that, we have a desire, a track record, and a responsibility to do more. Why would a performing arts center lean in so intently on community workforce development? Because we can and should and because our West Parkside community here in Philadelphia has asked us for it and experienced the benefits,” she said.

“Establishing the Institute represents the culmination of deep community partnership and evolving programs that have been rooted in arts education and engagement for decades. Now, informed by in-depth evaluation of the impact of those efforts and with extensive input from our community and the unanimous support of our Board of Directors, we will have the capacity to further scale our work centered on the needs, agency, and desires of participants,” Cahill added.

Leading the Mann Center Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact will be its new vice president and director, Frank Machos, Ph.D. He will join the Mann in May 2025. Machos is currently the executive director for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of The Arts & Creative Learning. In that role since 2016, Machos supports 500 arts educators serving more than 116,000 students, partners with cultural and creative economy organizations, and is a successful advocate for arts education funding.

“Through committed leadership, continuous support from the Board of Education, and the unwavering dedication of the finest educators and administrators, the School District of Philadelphia has demonstrated sustained growth in the arts in schools for more than a decade and is well poised to continue this progress in the years ahead,” Machos said. “I’m excited to expand this work further into the community and across Philadelphia’s rich music industry through the Mann Center Institute, developing opportunities for youth and aspiring creatives that build on Philly’s incomparable legacy as an incubator for arts and culture.”  

The Institute will support three pillars:

1. To become a leader on the national scene for youth workforce development in the music industry  

Recognizing both the potential and pressing need for students, particularly those living below the poverty level, to see and aspire to career paths for their future selves, the Mann Center Institute is well positioned to create groundbreaking opportunities in the music industry for young people. With the Mann’s physical assets and industry connections, the Institute aims to develop a highly effective model that not only cultivates new dreams and skills but also leads to economic mobility and stability at both individual and community levels.  

“We see the Mann acting as a hub that organizes partners and industry to form a comprehensive system that carries youth from exposure and training opportunities through apprenticeships and ultimately to employment and career advancement,” Machos said.

2. To deepen out-of-school-time programs  

The Mann remains committed to building more equitable access to quality arts education and expanding access to its portfolio of out-of-school programming. “There are nearly 5,000 K-12 aged students in Parkside alone. How many would find healthy friendships and belonging on a dance team, their voice in a choir, a sense of discipline and pride through the drumline if they haven’t the opportunity to try?” Machos said, referencing Mann programs like the after-school Music & Motion Academy and summer intensive All City Orchestra Summer Academy. “The idea is to create as many access points as possible for young people,” he said.

3. To enhance cultural convening and connecting initiatives  

Institute priorities are to strengthen community bonds and foster understanding across differences, leveraging the Mann as a central hub where people come together. The Institute will emphasize co-creation with community artists, residents, and partners to ensure equitable engagement for groups historically excluded from participation, particularly people with disabilities, senior citizens, and communities of color.

The Mann Center Institute programming includes:

All City Orchestra Summer Academy (ACOSA) – A summer orchestra training camp for young local instrumentalists from 5th grade to 12th grade, ACOSA serves 110 young students annually through a two-week classical chamber and orchestra academy and a jazz week led by the Mann’s Jazz Curator in Residence Gerald Veasley. The program partners with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the School District of Philadelphia, Network for New Music, and Project 440. Local students gain high-quality orchestra experience at no cost. As a result of the Institute’s growth, the Mann projects this program doubling in impact serving 230 students by 2030.  

Motion & Music Academy (MMA) – A year-round after-school arts program presented by Highmark Blue Shield, MMA serves 4th-8th grade students with drumming, ballet, and step classes. The program was launched in partnership with Global Leadership Academy in West Philadelphia and has since expanded. Program partners include the drumline/youth leadership development organization Philly Beatz, West Philadelphia-based artist ensemble Elite Step, and the Mann’s newest resident ensemble Ballet X. Currently this program serves 105 students annually; by 2030, the Mann seeks to expand this to 300. Students in MMA have competed and performed across Philadelphia, including the 2024 Thanksgiving Day Parade.  

Music Industry Training Program (MITP) – MITP is a workforce development program, serving high school students in creating viable career paths within the music industry through partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia, Live Nation, Live Nation Urban, and the Community College of Philadelphia. The Music Industry Training Program is designated as a CTE (Career Technical Education) program within the School District, meaning that high school students receive school credit for participation. MITP is a three-year program with a tiered curriculum starting with observation and ending in applied skills and practice, currently serving 75 students annually. The program provides training in music production, sound engineering, music business, carpentry, lighting, video, and makeup. Students also have access to workshops in financial literacy and career readiness. Based at Overbrook High School, the Mann added a second school partner in 2024, School of the Future.

Music Industry Apprenticeship Program (MIAP) – Launched in 2024, this new program is an offshoot of MITP for post-high school students. MIAP serves as a bridge between high school and higher education and/or career attainment in the arts and culture sector. The program partners with the Community College of Philadelphia to provide certification for participants, as well as a suite of Philadelphia-based employers to create a 10-month rotation of on-the-job training. Additional partners include Philadelphia Works and the Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The Mann is piloting this program in 2024-2025 with the goal of serving 40 students by 2030.  

Young People’s Concert Series (YPCS) – A long-term signature Mann program, YPCS provides free, cultural performances to children and families during the spring and summer months at the Mann. Events provide culturally diverse performing arts programs and are presented free of charge. Annually, YPCS serves between 3,000 and 4,000 children and families. Expanded through the Institute, this program will reach 5,000 participants annually by 2030.

HBCU Festival – Debuted in 2023, this free, full-campus event is presented by TD Bank and celebrates and promotes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for prospective students and families locally and regionally. The festival offers a wide range of programming including highly acclaimed performing ensembles from top HBCUs, a College Fair tent, health and community services from health organizations, financial counseling for college funding and personal finance, and hands-on activities for young children and siblings. This program will reach up to 10,000 community members because of the expanded Institute.  

Community Artist in Residence – The Mann’s Community Artist-in-Residence program aims to weave new community ideas, voices, and art into the Mann Center. This program reaches into all aspects of the Mann Center – both programming and educational. Chill Moody, a West Philadelphia rapper, hip-hop artist, and entrepreneur served as the Mann’s inaugural Community Artist in Residence for the 2022-2023 year. In 2024, the Mann introduced a Jazz Artist-in-Residence, Gerald Veasley.

Voices of Hope: A Celebration of Black Excellence – An annual event that honors the individuals and organizations that are contributing significantly as artists and innovators to shaping Philadelphia’s Black community. The Mann presents several awards each year as part of the program, which also includes performances on the Mann’s main stage in the TD Pavilion.

Mann Music Room: Learn & Mann Music Room: Learn LIVE! – An innovation that emerged in 2020 to provide arts and culture programming to young people during the pandemic, the Mann Music Room: Learn is an online catalog of culturally diverse content, virtually connecting audience and performer. Interactive student guides accompany each episode. The Mann Music Room: Learn LIVE! takes performing artists directly into schools for students from pre-K through grade 12. The program is designed to enhance school-based arts curriculum throughout the academic year. It has a particular focus on students in the West Parkside community. Both programs are supported by PNC Arts Alive.

“This body of work speaks to our commitment to serve as a creative catalyst, bridging the gap between artistic expression and community development,” said Cahill. “The Institute will be a resource that connects people, communities, organizations, systems, and partners. We look forward to further developing it and ultimately sharing our experiences and learnings with other performing arts organizations, particularly those in urban settings.”

About the Mann 
As one of the foremost outdoor music centers in the country, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a leading non-profit organization, has a historical legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists, now in association with Live Nation Entertainment. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars, and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz and pop take the stage here. The Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the Mann hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually. Signature concert experiences are surrounded by Philadelphia’s stunning skyline and include seats beneath the Mann’s acoustically acclaimed TD Pavilion; picnics, blankets, and music under the stars on its Great Lawn or at the top of the hill at the Highmark Skyline Stage @ the Mann; and dining in Crescendo, the venue’s spectacular tented restaurant. In addition, the Mann’s Education & Community Engagement Program reaches tens of thousands of young people annually through free programming and educational initiatives as well as its virtual Mann Music Room. The Mann's unique setting also provides an unparalleled opportunity to activate the campus's six unique event spaces available to host concert presentations, intimate gatherings, corporate events, and private functions. For more information, visit www.manncenter.org.  

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