How We Do It

At Ars Nova, how we make is just is as important as what we make, which is why we're committed to ensuring that theatermaking and theatergoing is as sustainable as possible for artists and audiences.

FAIR PAY INITIATIVE:

The majority of our annual operating expenses go towards compensating people for the time, talents and labor. We call this investment the Fair Pay Initiative, which we formally launched in 2017 with significant investments in immediate raises from the theater industry’s widely-accepted wage floor.

Our commitments are:

To compensate artists and arts workers a living, non minimum, wage;
To consistently prioritize individual compensation, pushing against a non-profit culture that attempts to make more possible with less;
To consistently interrogate our practices and push as far as we can towards fair wages every year;
To implement these values equitably and transparently.

You can see all the details of our Fair Pay commitments in FY22 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) HERE.

The work of the Fair Pay Initiative is both not enough and never done. Do you believe that artists and arts workers should be compensated fairly? Do you want to help us get further towards this goal? Support our commitment and efforts HERE.

NAME YOUR PRICE TICKETING:

For our 20th anniversary season, we’re throwing our doors wide open! For every show this year, YOU name your price. We’re serving up a multitude of innovative outside-the-box theater, and making it easier than ever for you to be a part of the action. So come hang with us – because what’s Ars is yours!

What’s Ars is Yours: Name Your Price is rooted in our mission to make the smart, surprising new work of New York City’s most promising emerging artists accessible to the next generation of theater-goers, and is an expansion of our long standing Ticket Subsidy Initiative.

NAME YOUR PRICE FAQ:

HOW MUCH ARE TIX?

With Name Your Price tickets, we provide a range of ticket prices from $5 – $100 as well as information about what each dollar you spend on the show supports, and you decide what valuation is right for you.

WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO?

For this spring’s shows, all single ticket revenue is passed on directly to the show’s lead artists!

ARE THERE FEES?

Yes! While Ars Nova does not charge any fees, both our credit card and ticketing processors do. These fees go directly to our processing partners; we do not set the amount of these fees or keep any of these funds.

WHY ARE TIX ONLY OFFERED IN $5 INCREMENTS?

We’d love to offer you the ability to write-in any amount you’d like for a ticket, but our ticketing platform does not currently support this option.

CAN I SELECT A SEAT LOCATION?

All our shows this year are general admission. While you are not able to select your seat location in advance, you do have two options if location is important to you:

Come early! Bars Nova is open and offers the cheapest drinks and snacks around. Grab a bevvie and claim your seat as soon as the house opens (typically 30 minutes prior to show time, but check your show’s specific webpage to make sure!)
Become a Super Nova! Super Nova’s make values-based initiatives like Name Your Price possible, and in exchange get perks like reserved seating, access to sold-out shows, and concierge service. Find out more HERE.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Learn more about Ars Nova’s commitment to holding itself accountable to its community of audiences and artists by visiting this page.