Langston

Name

Langston

Legal name

LANGSTON

Website

https://langstonseattle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Black arts organization
• Performing arts programs
• Community arts funding
• Youth arts education
• Film festival programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Fundraising: The organization runs annual fundraising campaigns including the Black Brilliance, Bold Future campaign with matching donation opportunities. Donations from individuals support ongoing programming and operations.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Langston receives significant funding from the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (major sponsor), 4Culture, King County, and other government sources. The Create and Thrive initiative received $424,000 in new funding for 2025.
3. Event Revenue: Various programs and events generate revenue through ticket sales. Events range from free programming to ticketed shows with prices from $12.50 to $60. Teen Summer Musical tickets are priced at $30.
4. Space Rental: Space in the Place program offers free room rentals to Black and Indigenous self-identified artists and cultural workers, with sessions valued at $400 each but provided at no cost to community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Langston operates a portfolio of Black arts and culture programs at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle's Central District. Its offerings include the annual Seattle Black Film Festival and Seattle Black Nerd Festival, the Teen Summer Musical youth theater program, monthly Scope Screenings film program, the Create and Thrive grant and mentorship initiative, Youth Film Collective education programs, free workspace rental through Space in the Place, improv jams, book clubs, fitness classes, and comedy workshops. Programs are free or low-cost and target Black artists, youth, and community members in the Pacific Northwest.

Product overview

LANGSTON operates as a platform of Black arts and culture programs centered at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle. The organization offers a diverse portfolio including the Seattle Black Film Festival (annual film festival now in its 23rd year), Seattle Black Nerd Festival (annual celebration of nerd culture), Teen Summer Musical (youth theater program celebrating 25 years), Scope Screenings (monthly underground film program in its fifth season), and Create and Thrive (grant and mentorship initiative for Black artists). Additional offerings include Youth Film Collective (filmmaking education), Space in the Place (free artist workspace rental), community improv jams, a Black Futures Book Club, fitness classes, and comedy workshops. The programs are complemented by various community events, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF): Annual film festival celebrating Black storytelling, creativity, and community. Formerly known as the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (LHAAFF). Now in its 23rd year.
• Seattle Black Nerd Festival
• Create and Thrive
• Space in the Place
• Scope Screenings
• Black Futures Book Club

Products and services

• Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF) Annual film festival celebrating Black storytelling, featuring independent films, workshops, panel discussions, and filmmaker interactions. Now in its 23rd year and free to attend.
• Seattle Black Nerd Festival Annual celebration of Black nerd culture featuring gaming, anime, cosplay, science fiction, technology, filmmaking, music, visual art, and community panels.
• Teen Summer Musical Youth musical theater program celebrating 25 years, featuring teen performers in professional productions at venues like McCaw Hall and Benaroya Hall. Tickets priced at $30.
• Scope Screenings Monthly underground film festival showcasing independent short films, music videos, and short-form content, entering its fifth season.
• Create and Thrive Black artist support initiative offering microgrants, mentorship, workshops, and business development support to Black creatives in Washington State, with $424,000 in new funding for 2025.
• Youth Film Collective Youth-centered filmmaking organization offering film camps and workshops teaching storyboarding, green screen technology, and editing to young filmmakers ages 9-18.
• Space in the Place Free room rental platform for Black and Indigenous self-identified artists providing West Room and Room 2R spaces for rehearsals, classes, and gatherings.
• Unite: A BIPOC Improv Jam Monthly free improv night for BIPOC individuals of all skill levels featuring classic games and creative exercises for connection and storytelling.
• Black Futures Book Club Monthly book club focused on Black speculative fiction and futurist literature, facilitated by Brooke Bosely, PhD.
• Karate with Tyron Martial arts classes taught by Tyron with five instructors for students ages 7 and older, offered Mondays and Wednesdays.
• MixxedFit with the BodiMechanik Pay-what-you-can dance fitness program combining explosive dance movements with bodyweight toning, instructed by Deon 'The BodiMechanik' Abdullah.
• Youth Film Challenge One-week filmmaking competition where participants write, shoot, and edit short films around a secret theme.
• Stand-up Comedy Crash Course Six-week course teaching stand-up comedy writing and performance, co-taught by Javann Jones and A-QUEEN, culminating in a showcase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 artists supported with $1.1 million through Seattle Artist Relief Fund during pandemic
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Central District Forum For Arts & IdeasflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Partnership with Central District Forum For Arts & Ideas to support the Create and Thrive initiative, providing microgrants, mentorship, and workshops to Black creatives in the region. The $424,000 expanded program for 2025 continues this partnership.
• Seattle Artist Relief Fund (with Ijeoma Oluo and Gabriel Teodros)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020In 2020, LANGSTON joined with Ijeoma Oluo, Gabriel Teodros, and community partners to create the Seattle Artist Relief Fund, raising over $1 million for more than 3,000 artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. This collaborative effort demonstrated the power of collective action and laid the groundwork for ongoing commitment to supporting Black creatives.
• Seattle Office of Arts & CulturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClose partner and major sponsor of LANGSTON. Led the three-year stakeholder engagement process that resulted in LANGSTON taking over programming at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Remains a key supporter and guiding partner.
• Seattle Public LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Octavia E. Butler Birthday Bash celebration and other literary/cultural programming, bringing together institutional resources and community audiences.
• #TheBLACKOUT Comedy Showcase ProducersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with producers of #TheBLACKOUT, Seattle's only all-Black comedy showcase, featuring burlesque, comedy, and musical performances from an all-Black cast.
• Asé TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Asé Theatre to present Dispersed: The Womxn of Region Six, a theatrical production exploring Black womanhood and migration.
• Earshot Jazz FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLANGSTON serves as a venue host for four shows during Earshot Jazz Festival's 30+ year celebration of jazz, bringing performances by local and international artists to the LHPAI stage.
• Seattle Asian American Film FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership hosting portions of the Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2026 at LANGSTON, supporting cross-cultural film community collaboration.
• Youth Film CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Film Collective partners with LANGSTON to provide filmmaking education and opportunities for young people ages 9-18, including summer camps and film challenges.
• The Improv PlaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Improv Place is referenced as a related organization for the Unite: A BIPOC Improv Jam program, with potential collaboration on improv programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwest African American Museum (NAAM): Seattle-based cultural institution dedicated to preserving and celebrating Black art, history, and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and nonprofit operating model, though NAAM focuses more on museum/exhibition while LANGSTON centers performing arts.
• Central District Forum For Arts & Ideas: Seattle-based Black arts organization and LANGSTON's direct partner on the Create and Thrive initiative. Comparably focused on supporting Black creatives in the Central District with overlapping programming, audiences, and funding sources.
• Arte Noir: Seattle-based nonprofit supporting Black artists through exhibitions, programming, and youth film camps. A listed LANGSTON partner with a closely overlapping mission around Black art access and youth education in the Pacific Northwest.
• BlackStar Film Festival: Annual Philadelphia-based film festival showcasing films by Black, African, and African American filmmakers. Directly comparable to the Seattle Black Film Festival in format, mission, and audience focus, though at a larger national scale.
• August Wilson African American Cultural Center: Pittsburgh-based performing and visual arts center dedicated to preserving African American heritage and advancing the legacy of August Wilson. Directly comparable in mission (Black arts and culture), multi-format programming (theater, music, film, education), and nonprofit operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD): San Francisco-based nonprofit arts and culture museum presenting the art and culture of the African diaspora. Operates a broader portfolio of exhibitions, residencies, and community programs comparable to LANGSTON's mix of festivals, classes, and artist support.
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: A New York Public Library research center in Harlem dedicated to preserving Black history and culture. A long-established Black cultural institution comparable in mission and programming breadth, though operating at substantially greater scale and with a research/library focus rather than performing arts.
• Studio Museum in Harlem: New York-based museum historically dedicated to Black artists and artists of African descent. Operates artist residency, exhibition, and community programs analogous to LANGSTON's Create and Thrive and Space in the Place offerings, though at a much larger institutional scale.

Regional players

• Intiman Theatre: Seattle-based professional theater producing a season of dramatic works with associated education programs. Comparable as a regional community theater partner, though LANGSTON's programming focuses on Black arts specifically rather than general dramatic repertoire.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Seattle-based nonprofit professional theater producing productions for young audiences with associated education programs. Comparable to LANGSTON's Teen Summer Musical and youth education programming in scale and geographic reach, though serving a general rather than Black-specific audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/langstonseattle
• Facebookfacebook.com/LangstonInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/langstonseattle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/langston-hughes-performing-arts-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Langston