CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia

Today marks DAY 1 of FringeArts annual two-week festival of contemporary circus arts - the 2021 Hand to Hand Circus Festival. These fun-filled two weeks include performances and workshops of acrobatics, aerials, clowning, juggling, and everything in between. View the full schedule of events and sign up at the link below! https://fringearts.com/2021-hand-to-hand-circus-festival/

We've been highlighting a ton of awesome events coming up from our friends & members. Which one are you getting most excited about?! Tag them below! #PhillyEvents #CultureWorks #ArtsandCtulture

CultureWorks member Love Now Media final Lunch and Love Workshop is happening tomorrow from 12-1pm! This workshop explores all things Love, Faith, and Justice. Sign up below

Member Collab Alert! CultureWorks members Philadelphia Latino Film Festival x CinéSPEAK have partnered up to bring audiences together for a special presentation featuring some of our favorite short films from the 2021 festival! Happening this Friday, June 4th starting at 7pm! This event is free but be sure to register at the link below

Did you catch CultureWorks member, The Brothers Networks' write-up in WHYY ? Read about how their important work in changing the narrative surrounding black men in our society is impacting the community below https://whyy.org//almost-a-year-after-central-park-karen-/

We’ve been pretty quiet over here, but what better reason to break our silence then to urge folks to vote. Seriously, VOTE! Today, is the deadline to apply to vote by mail or request a ballot in-person. We got this! #election2020

#ICYMI: Bartol Foundation increased their grant support this year to help teaching artists and local arts organizations during COVID 19. We are deeply appreciative to have SEVERAL CultureWorks members on the list of grantees. Congrats to Spiral Q, Power Street Theatre, Warrior Writers, Young Artists Program (YAP) as well as the other 23 arts groups to receive funding.

CultureWorks has been a perfect match to a community-based organization like ours. Being in the midst of a serious grassroots efforts to secure important resources for a local community in North Philadelphia, CultureWorks and its staff of creative professionals have offered a skill set that allowed us to focus fully on the action on the ground, while being backed up by the necessary legal, administrative and professional resources. Tommy Joshua, North Philly Peace Park Nort...h Philly Peace Park joined CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia in 2016. Today, the Park is thriving providing free programs to the greater Philadelphia community. They recently launched their "Black Joy" Campaign. Support to the campaign will help finalize an off-grid facility to further complement its programs and model an equitable design practice within a gentrifying neighborhood. Our work at North Philly Peace Park is building resilient community with worms, soil, seeds, and a loving environment for all people. - Tommy Joshua

As a Black woman and mother, I am able to emotionally understand and empathize with the plight of Black women and mothers specifically. While the sessions do get heavy sometimes, I believe there is power in getting to know the therapist sitting across from you, especially a therapist who understands [or has lived through] your experience. - Saleemah McNeil There is nothing more powerful than a Black woman on a mission to uplift. McNeil's campaign to provide free therapy to the local Black community is still collecting funds. Read the full story below!

What a beautiful day to uplift the power of artistic expression. Today’s Emergency Art Action To Fund Black Futures is so moving! Here’s a quick glance of the event with CultureWorks member, valgaysings performing. Shout out to all the organizations banding together to make this day happen. Spiral Q, bigpicturealliance, Asian Arts Initiative Fleisher Art MemGirls Rock PhillykPhilly Rock to the Future, The Clay Studio, Vox Populi and The Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project Apologies if we missed anyone we love and appreciate you all.

Hello all! Brand Awareness Director, Rashanda here. Typically, I stay behind the curtain, but feeling all the feels around and for my fellow Black women. The blatant disparity that black women face during every uprising needs to addressed. Black women are often the first ones to show-up and uplift the culture. Lifting as we climb is nothing new for Black women. Yet, many go unnamed, the widespread murder, brutality and sexual assault against Black woman rarely gets the outcry it deserves. To all the Black women reading, we honor and celebrate you. Sis, take a moment for YOU today to just breathe and be. There is so much heaviness surrounding Black women, there are so many expectations and while this is a season of great change, also remember it’s okay to take a moment to connect with yourself, your spirit and to just BE.

A powerful message from CultureWorks member and PROJECT 440 Executive Director, Joseph Conyers! For many the uprising happening now is new and uncharted, but for many Black folks this is embedded in the fabric of who we are and the daily fight we face. "For our history, for our past, for our present & for our future."

Huge shoutout to Power Street Theatre for hosting a "Digital Rally for Philly Arts" They are calling for support, your stories to amplify value of arts & culture by participating in a Digital Rally for Philly Arts. #SavePhillyArtsandCulture

Happy Heavenly Birthday to #BreonnaTaylor. Trust, we understand this is more than just posting a photo on the gram’ with yet another hashtag. Violence, trauma and grief are so real + deeply felt long after the rest of the world moves on to the next thing. While nothing will bring her back we can demand justice.

We are so grateful for the tremendous ways our CultureWorks community is showing up at protests, to clean up neighborhoods, to call out white supremacy, to share resources and so much more. We want to continue to amplify the work + mission of black owned businesses. Please drop a name below, we want to support as much as possible.

We at CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia took the weekend to process all that is happening and spoke as a team this morning to share feelings, anxiety, frustrations and overall sadness. It feels unreal that in the year 2020, thousands of folks still have to put their bodies on the line because our country doesn’t value Black and Brown bodies. This is more than a protest it’s an outcry to demonstrate how tired Black folks are - the concern isn’t about standing 6 feet apart, bu...t whether black sons, fathers, husbands and brothers will RETURN home. African Americans have been living in a burning building for many years, chocking on the smoke as the flames burn closer and closer. Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible even if you’re chocking on it until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ayyye! Philadelphia Latino Film Festival returns NEXT WEEK! Experience #PHLAFF2020 from home by just going to PHLAFF.ORG, June 4 - 7. The 9th season will be filled with virtual screenings, live Q&A's with filmmakers, and more online festival experiences. See you online!

Mayor Jim Kenney has outlined the elimination of the city’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund. If implemented, this funding slash of over $4 million would cut off financial support that’s currently going to hundreds of cultural organizations and artists. As a home for the creative community, CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia is a testament to the transformative power of the arts. Please visit https://notozero.art to take action!