UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance

What UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance does

CAP UCLA (UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance) is a performing arts presenting organization that operates as an administrative unit of UCLA's School of the Arts and Architecture under the governance of the UC Regents. Founded in 1969 with the launch of the Design for Sharing K-12 arts education program, the organization presents live programming — dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary work — across three owned venues on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles: Royce Hall, the UCLA Nimoy Theater (opened 2016, Westwood Boulevard), and Freud Playhouse in Macgowan Hall. The organization is led by Executive and Artistic Director Edgar Miramontes, who was appointed in 2023.

The core product is a season-based presenting platform anchored by mainstage programming and supported by an interconnected set of programs: Art in Action (free public engagement programs), Design for Sharing (free K-12 arts education in LA public schools), the Artist Residency and Artist Fellows programs (creative development, commissions, and rehearsal resources), the Student Committee for the Arts and Student Passport Program (UCLA student engagement), and a Membership program. Recent additions include a 2026-27 season and the 'Far Away, Here' international opera initiative. There is no proprietary technology platform; ticketing is handled through the UCLA Central Ticket Office (ucla.evenue.net) and on-site box offices that operate cashlessly.

Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time ticket sales across the three venues, recurring membership fees providing early ticket access and exclusive benefits, and philanthropic contributions organized via the Executive Producer Council, the Design for Sharing Council, and several dedicated endowments (including the Sally & William A. Rutter, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, NEA Challenge Grant, and José Luis Nazar endowments). Marketing is conducted through cap.ucla.edu, a bimonthly email newsletter, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube), and cross-promotional media sponsorships with KCRW, PBS SoCal, KPFK, KKJZ, LAist, and KUSC. Customer segments comprise general public ticket buyers, UCLA students, and K-12 students and educators; international co-presenting partnerships (Festival d'Avignon, Villa Albertine, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, Beth Morrison Projects, National Performance Network) extend the organization's artist pipeline and content footprint without altering its LA-anchored operating geography.

Name

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance

Legal name

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance

Website

https://cap.ucla.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) is a non-profit performing arts presenter on the UCLA campus that programs dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary work across three venues — Royce Hall, the Nimoy Theater, and Freud Playhouse — serving LA audiences, UCLA students, and K-12 students through ticketed seasons, free public programs, and artist residencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Center

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

University & Educational Venue Operations (Auditoriums, Campus Arenas) (MPAGALAI), Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Live performing arts
• Performing arts presenting
• Arts education programs
• Artist residency programs
• Arts venue management

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live performance ticket sales across Royce Hall, The Nimoy Theater, and Freud Playhouse. Tickets are sold through UCLA Central Ticket Office via the website and box office.
2. Memberships: CAP UCLA offers membership programs that provide benefits including early access to tickets, special offers, and exclusive events.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: The Executive Producer Council and Design for Sharing Council provide philanthropic support. Major endowments include Sally & William A. Rutter Endowment for the Performing Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund, NEA Challenge Grant Endowment, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAP UCLA is a performing arts presenting organization that curates, produces, and hosts live performances — including dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary work — across three UCLA campus venues (Royce Hall, The Nimoy Theater, Freud Playhouse). It also offers free public engagement programs (Art in Action), K-12 arts education (Design for Sharing), artist residencies and fellowships, and a season-based membership program. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, memberships, donations, and university support.

Product overview

CAP UCLA (UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance) is a performing arts presenting organization that operates as a platform of interconnected programs and venues. The core offering includes mainstage programming across three venues—Royce Hall, The Nimoy Theater, and Freud Playhouse—featuring dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary collaborations. Supporting programs include Art in Action (free public programs), Design for Sharing (K-12 arts education), the Artist Residency Program, Artist Fellows Program, Student Committee for the Arts, Student Passport Program, and Membership. The 2026-27 Season showcases the annual programming lineup, while Far Away, Here represents a new international opera initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Design for Sharing (DFS): Free K-12 arts education program providing interactive and educational arts experiences for students from public schools across Los Angeles.
• Artist Residency Program
• Art in Action
• Far Away, Here

Products and services

• CAP UCLA Live Performing Arts Programming Curated live performing arts programming across dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary collaborations, presented at Royce Hall, The Nimoy Theater, and Freud Playhouse for Los Angeles audiences and the UCLA campus community.
• Art in Action (Free Public Programs) Free public programs featuring interactive art-making experiences, lectures, and master classes designed to engage audiences with themes explored by artists in the current season.
• Design for Sharing (K-12 Arts Education) Free K-12 arts education program providing performances, workshops, and in-class residency activities for students from public schools across Los Angeles, making performing arts accessible and inspirational for children.
• Artist Residency Program LA-Based Artists-in-Residence program providing select artists with creative time, workspace, and resources including early phase project development support, commissions, rehearsal space, and production resources.
• Artist Fellows Program Artist development initiative investing in the creative development of new work through direct funding, commissions, and artistic support.
• CAP UCLA Membership Annual membership program offering early access to tickets, special offers, exclusive events, and deeper engagement with artists and the artistic process.
• 2026-27 Season Annual programming season featuring live performance, dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary collaborations across CAP UCLA's venues.
• Far Away, Here (International Opera Initiative) New international opera initiative curating international opera productions for Los Angeles audiences.
• Student Committee for the Arts Student-led initiative connecting UCLA students with arts programming and engagement opportunities.
• Student Passport Program Program providing UCLA students with access to arts experiences and performances at discounted or no cost.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 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 core and minor.

• Hammer MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for presenting Edgar Arceneaux and Frank Lawson's 'Place Is The Space'. The Hammer Museum co-presents this performance as part of CAP UCLA's programming.
• UCLA Herb Alpert School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Yvette Janine Jackson's performance presented in partnership with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and UCLA Center for Musical Humanities as part of the Opera | Black | Queer symposium.
• Villa Albertine and Albertine FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre & New Forms program of Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation provides support for Cuervo production. Additional support from José Luis Nazar Endowment for the Performing Arts.
• YoungArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for India Carney's performance. India Carney is an alum of the YoungArts program, a national initiative that identifies exceptional young artists.
• National Performance Network (NPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Froot & Company's 'Arms Around America' is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by The Myrna Loy, Miami Light Project, and UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance. Supported by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Mellon Foundation, and NEA.
• Beth Morrison ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'BLACK LODGE' production. CAP UCLA in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects presented music by David T. Little.
• Fulcrum Arts and Chapman UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented William Basinski and Bethan Kellough in partnership with Fulcrum Arts and Chapman University.
• REDCATminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-presented Edgar Arceneaux's 'Boney Manilli' with REDCAT (Royce East Center for the Contemporary Arts).
• Festival d'AvignonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatarina production by Tiago Rodrigues is co-produced by Festival d'Avignon among numerous international theater institutions.
• Teatro Nacional D. Maria IIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatarina production from Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (Lisboa), Executive production by Festival d'Avignon.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Walker Art Center: Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary arts institution presenting performing arts alongside visual arts. Comparable in commissioning, residencies, and presenting contemporary performing work; broader in scope as a museum/visual arts institution.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: The preeminent US multi-venue performing arts campus. Comparable as a multi-format, multi-venue presenting and commissioning organization, but materially larger in scale, scope, and national reach than CAP UCLA.

Others

• Hammer Museum: Sister UCLA public arts unit under the same School of the Arts and Architecture. Active programming partner with CAP UCLA (e.g., co-presentation of 'Place Is The Space'), with overlapping audiences and shared institutional infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Segerstrom Center for the Arts: Major Orange County-based performing arts presenter (formerly Orange County Performing Arts Center). Comparable as a multi-venue Southern California presenter with a resident-company, education, and presenting model spanning dance, music, and theater.
• REDCAT (Royce East Center for the Contemporary Arts): LA-based presenter of contemporary performing arts inside CalArts, co-founded with CAP UCLA's parent school. Highly comparable artist roster, experimental programming, and LA/Westwood-adjacent audience overlap; also an active programming partner of CAP UCLA.
• The Broad Stage: Santa Monica College-affiliated performing arts presenter with multiple performance spaces. Comparable as a multi-format, educationally-oriented LA-area presenter with a comparable mix of contemporary and classical programming.
• The Ford (John Anson Ford Amphitheatre): LA County-affiliated outdoor presenting venue in the Cahuenga Pass. Comparable as a non-profit LA presenting organization programming dance, music, and multidisciplinary work for diverse Southern California audiences, with similar mission emphasis on access.
• BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music): Major multi-venue Brooklyn-based presenter of dance, music, theater, and opera. Comparable in commissioning and residencies, multi-venue operations, and emphasis on contemporary and international work.
• Cal Performances: UC Berkeley's presenting organization for dance, music, and theater. Closest structural analog: a flagship public-university performing arts presenter with a single flagship venue (Zellerbach Hall) and a parallel educational/community mission.
• Center for the Art of Performance at USC (Bovard Auditorium / Bing Theatre): USC's analogous university-based performing arts presenter. Highly comparable institutional model (university unit, presenting dance/music/theater, student and community programs) in the same Los Angeles market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cap_ucla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZUHGSfV-K5gA634v1XuaFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAPatUCLA
• Instagraminstagram.com/cap_ucla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capucla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance