SummerStage is New York's premiere outoor concert venue in Central Park (New York City), founded in 1986 by the Central Park Conservancy, its management was transferred to City Parks Foundation in 1994. From the first, the philosophy of SummerStage has been to bring to Central Park as wide a range of performing arts as possible, making them accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. It continues to present performances of outstanding artistic quality, free of charge, including music, dance, spoken word, and film events in the summer months. The artists represent a breadth of genres and cultures, including American soul and U.S. debuts from trailblazing international acts, and specializing in New York City's own emerging indie-rock talent.