Apple today announced that its in-store "Creative Studios" initiative will be expanding to seven additional cities around the world this year, including Nashville, Miami, Berlin, Milan, Taipei, Tokyo, and Sydney. The program will also return for its second year in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York City, London, Paris, Bangkok, and Beijing.
Apple said the initiative is designed to "support young people who face barriers to receiving a quality creative education." The free sessions will connect participants with mentors from Apple and more than 30 nonprofit community partners who specialize in areas such as books, app design, radio, podcasts, photography, film, TV, and music.
"Creative Studios" sessions open to the public will also be hosted at select Apple Store locations, with free registration available on the "Today at Apple" website.
"Our stores have long provided a platform to showcase the great talent of local artists, and our retail teams are proud to play a role in supporting creativity within their communities and creating a place where everyone is welcome," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail and People. "We're enormously grateful to our Apple Creative Pros, our retail team members, and local partners, who together make it possible for us to expand access to free arts education and mentorship to even more communities."