Culture Spot features special offers and access to New York City’s arts organizations.

Every fall, more than 500,000 New Yorkers and visitors from around the world come to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to experience cutting-edge music, dance, film and more at the annual BAM Next Wave Festival. Since opening in 1861, BAM has grown into a thriving urban arts center, bringing international performances and film to downtown Brooklyn. Comprising three beautifully restored historic buildings, BAM’s campus houses the old and the new of art unlike any other cultural venue. The Harvey Theater, a traditional playhouse that once buzzed with Shakespearian revivals, now welcomes contemporary dance and theater performances. The Howard Gilman Opera House, built to accommodate classical operas, currently showcases progressive modern art, dance and theater, while BAM Rose Cinemas, once a turn-of-the-century music hall, is now home to the classical film program BAMCinématek and a seasonal lineup of contemporary films, like this year’s Rachel Getting Married and Bill Maher’s Religulous.


The Next Wave Festival connects innovative artists working in music, theater and dance around the globe with the artistically engaged and adventurous New York City audience. The festival offers an extraordinary range of contemporary performances, artist talks, literature, film and visual art that celebrates the creative voices leading us into the future. This year’s festival opened September 30 and runs through December 20. Visitors can log onto bam.org for details.


Special Offer: Visitors to BAM, a performing and cinema arts center located in Fort Greene, will receive 20% off tickets to select weekday live performances programmed for the month of November. These programs include select performances of the 2008 Next Wave Festival such as Les sept planches de la ruse, Arjuna’s Dilemma, Amjad, Continuous City and Les écailles de la mémoire. To receive this discount, visitors must present a special coupon at the time of ticket purchase. Coupons are available November 1–30 at the NYC Official Visitor Information Center–Times Square Alliance, NYC Official Visitor Information Center–Federal Hall, NYC Official Visitor Information Kiosk–City Hall, NYC Official Visitor Information Kiosk–Chinatown and available for downloaded here.

Address: BAM is located at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn (between Ashland Pl. and St. Felix St.).

Phone: 718-636-4100

Web: bam.org

Admission: Adults: ticket prices vary. Visit bam.org for show specific information; children: children under 5 are not admitted to live performances; Students: student rush policy: movie tickets: $7.50 Mon.–Thurs. (excluding holidays), live performance tickets: $10; seniors: senior rush policy: movie tickets: $7.50 Mon.–Thurs. (excluding holidays), live performance tickets: $10; members: visit bam.org/membership for membership information.

Hours of operation: Weekdays: BAM box office: Mon.–Fri.: noon–6pm; BAM Rose Cinemas box office opens 30 minutes before first screening; weekends: BAM box office: Saturday: noon–6pm; performance Sunday: noon–4pm; BAM Rose Cinemas box office opens 30 minutes before first screening.


Directions: To get there by subway, take the 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, N, R, M, B, or D trains to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street station, C train to Lafayette Avenue or the G train to Fulton Street. To get there by bus, take the B25, B26, B41, B45, B52, B63, B67. All stop within three blocks of BAM. BAMbus: Fare is $7 ($6 for subscribers, Friends of BAM, and students with valid ID).

Reservations: 718-636-4100 (Reservation required at least 24 hours in advance; stand-by space available on a first-come, first-served basis). Parking is available and information can be found at bam.org.