Outdoor farm dinner under sailcloth tent at Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, NY
Community Initiatives
Community initiatives at Great Performances are built into how we operate. From our founding as a staffing company created to support women in the arts, to our ongoing investments in food education, workforce development, and creative expression, we believe hospitality is a powerful platform for opportunity.
Our initiatives focus on three areas that have always shaped who we are: food access and education, support for artists, and pathways for growth within our own teams. Each program reflects a long-term commitment sustained through partnerships, mentorship, and direct investment.
Fellowship recipient holding award check at ceremony
Children learning in the fields at Katchkie Farm with The Sylvia Center
Students participating in hands-on cooking class at The Sylvia Center
The Sylvia Center
Founded by Great Performances’ founder Liz Neumark, The Sylvia Center is dedicated to creating healthy communities through the power of cooking. Based at Katchkie Farm and operating programs throughout New York City and Columbia County, the organization teaches children and families how food choices shape health, confidence, and lifelong well-being.
Through hands-on cooking classes, nutrition education, and school-based programs, The Sylvia Center connects young people to real food and equips them with lifelong skills. While Great Performances proudly supports the organization, The Sylvia Center operates independently as a nonprofit, extending the impact of the farm far beyond the fields.
GP Fellowship Awards
The Great Performances Fellowship Awards reflect our belief that the people who make our events possible should also be supported in their personal and professional ambitions. Each year, the program awards up to $20,000 in fellowships to members of the GP service team pursuing creative, educational, or career-development goals.
Fellows come from across disciplines, including visual arts, performance, writing, design, and education, and are selected by a distinguished external judging panel. The Fellowship continues our arts-rooted beginnings and represents an investment in the future of our workforce.
Fellowship Program award presentation at Mae Mae Cafe
GP Artists
Great Performances has always been shaped by artists. GP Artists are working creatives who are also part of our service teams, bringing their discipline, adaptability, and perspective into every event they support.
Representing a wide range of artistic practices, from theater and dance to music, visual arts, and writing, GP Artists reflect the creative foundation of the company. Their presence reinforces our belief that hospitality, like performance, requires preparation, collaboration, and the ability to respond in real time.
GP Artists Image
Our Ongoing Committment
Whether through food education, artist support, or internal advancement, our community initiatives are guided by the same principles that define our hospitality: respect for people, care for craft, and a belief that food and service create meaningful connection.