Programs
Four disciplines, one mission: artistic excellence, arts education, cultural preservation, and community transformation.
Theatre
Theatre at the Onyx Center spans mainstage productions, the development of new works, and initiatives dedicated to Black theatre. Every production is an act of both artistic excellence and cultural preservation: stories carried onto the stage so a community can see its own history and imagination performed.
On the 2026-27 season: Black Nativity (December 2026) and Trouble in Mind (June 2027).
Music
The Center's music programming gathers concert series, master classes, and vocal and instrumental training under one roof. From the practice room to the concert stage, the aim is constant: rigorous training for artists and transformative live music for the community that comes to hear them.
On the 2026-27 season: Born to Sing, an original musical by Dr. Evelyn Collins and Gregg Payne, receives its world premiere in Detroit in March 2027.
Dance
Dance at the Center moves between the studio and the stage through workshops, performances, and the perspective of guest artists. It is arts education in motion, building technique and discipline in the studio and returning both to the community as performance.
Visual Arts
Gallery exhibitions, artist talks, and community showcases give visual artists a home at the Center. The visual arts program preserves culture in a form that lasts beyond a single evening, placing work in front of the community it reflects and inviting conversation between artists and audiences.
Youth Conservatory
In developmentThe Youth Conservatory is being developed to create pathways for Detroit's young people into professional arts careers: arts education grounded in artistic excellence and sustained by the Center's community, from first class to first professional credit. Program details will be announced.
- After-school program Sustained training in the Center's disciplines beyond the school day.
- Summer Arts Institute Intensive summer training for young artists, part of the 2026-27 season.
- Master classes Focused sessions with working professionals, open to advancing and professional artists across the Center's disciplines.
Work With Us
Bring a program to your community
Interested in what theatre, music, dance, or the visual arts could do where you live? Tell us about your community and the program you would like to see there.