A percussionist performs wtih a group of vocalists onstage at a Mills Performing Arts venue in Oakland, California.

About Mills Performing Arts

Mills Performing Arts is committed to promoting action and exchange in the performing arts, and supporting artists and scholars who reflect, explore, and celebrate the abundant cultural, racial, gender, and economic diversity of our society.

For more than 120 years, these theaters have hosted performances by groundbreaking artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Dave Brubeck, Morton Subotnick, Anna Halprin, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown ’58, Muhal Richard Abrams, Molissa Fenley ’75, Fred Frith, and Rebeca Mauleón ’89.

Mills Performing Arts makes these venues available to today’s vanguard of performing artists and offers spaces where all voices and communities can be seen, heard, and welcomed. The creation of safe, supportive places for the rigorous, creative practice of innovation and craft in performance work is at the heart of our mission. We believe that every performance is an opportunity, and with every telling of a story, sharing of a song, or participation in a dance, we gain insight into our shared humanity, our imaginations, and the interconnectedness of the world.


To further these goals, we host the Mills Performing Artist-in-Residence Program, create opportunities for artists to collaborate with Mills students and faculty, and provide access to Mills Performing Arts resources and venues—including Littlefield Concert Hall, Holland Theater, Rothwell Theater, the Greek Theatre, and the Digital Performance Theater.

We strive to support and present work that exemplifies the global vision and impact of the Northeastern University community while fostering deep ties with the Bay Area creative community and championing a dynamic, boundary-breaking performing arts scene.

Situated on the Mills College at Northeastern University campus in Oakland, California, we acknowledge that Mills Performing Arts and our venues operate on the traditional lands of the Ohlone People.

Our Values

Cultural Equity

  • Showcasing a dynamic, diverse roster of performance-based artists and teachers
  • Creating affordable access to resources for both makers and audience
  • Providing a safe, professional, and inspiring creative environment for all artists, staff, and guests

Inclusive Excellence

  • Opening the door to a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews
  • Encouraging rigorous inquiry and dialogue
  • Engaging in community partnerships that create opportunity and support creative practice and the production of performance work

Gender and Racial Justice

  • Committed to challenging social, cultural, and economic inequalities imposed and arising from any differential distribution of power, resources, and privilege at Northeastern University and in the larger society

Our People

Advisory Council

In 2021, Mills Performing Arts launched an Advisory Council drawing together leaders from the Mills, regional performing arts and East Oakland communities to collaborate with and consult on community engagement, outreach, and programming. 

Contact Us

Mills Performing Arts
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
P: 510.430.2191
E: millsperformingarts@northeastern.edu