Philadelphia – Mayor Jim Kenney and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy are proud to announce the awardees of the 2016 Performances in Public Spaces program. Performances in Public Spaces is an initiative, led by the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy that directly supports artists and performing arts organizations in presenting free performances in public parks and plazas across the city; encouraging collaboration and creativity between artists and site stewards. This year, ten performing arts organizations will be awarded grants to produce performances featuring theatre, dance, music, and poetry.

“It is not enough to promote arts and culture in the city of Philadelphia, we have to nurture the arts and increase access to it our neighborhoods and communities. I am proud of the Performances in Public Spaces program as it allows Philadelphia’s artists to share their gifts with their neighbors and fellow Philadelphians,” said Mayor Kenney.

This program delivers meaningful, high quality cultural experiences in Philadelphia’s communities, and provides opportunities for Philadelphians and their families to see high quality performances in their neighborhoods for free. Past performances have ranged from Shakespeare-in-the-park, to flamenco dancing, to a pop-up circus theater.

“As Chair of Committee on Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs, we are proud to support Performances in Public Spaces. The program touches all corners of the city with performances in every neighborhood in Philadelphia,” said Councilwoman Cindy Bass.

2016 Performances in Public Spaces Awardees
Philadelphia Orchestra – May 2, 3PM. Kroc Center (Wissahickon Ave. & Kroc Center Drive, 19129)
The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a Sound All Around concert, an interactive program featuring Philadelphia Orchestra musicians, award-winning storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, and children from the audience. The program is designed to engage children ages 3 to 5 in orchestral music by introducing them to instruments of the orchestra.

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers – May 9, 2PM and 5:30PM, City Hall Courtyard
The Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers will present HOME/S. 9th St. a dance-theater work informed by stories of residents living along Philadelphia’s diverse South 9th Street corridor collected through “story circles” and open dialogues with both immigrant and long-term neighborhood residents.

Warrior Writers of Culture Trust Greater Philadelphia – June 11, 4PM, Independence Mall
Warrior Writers provides a creative community and outlet for veterans to articulate their experiences. The performance will be poetry readings by local veterans, primarily those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan about their military experiences, deploying to war, and transitioning home.

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts – June 12, 2PM, Awbury Arboretum (1 Awbury Rd., 19138)
Throughout the day, a stiltwalker will stroll along the paved paths, guiding the guests from place to place. Artists will present a Little Circus performance, which includes a mix of student and professional aerialists, acrobats, and jugglers.  A small teaching workshop in juggling and low tightwire-walking will follow.

Olney Youth Arts Festival of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia – July 2, 4-7PM, Fisher Park (571 W. Spencer St., 19120)
The Olney Youth Arts Festival builds cross-cultural awareness among the performers in a neighborhood were multiple ethnic groups reside, and works to stimulate the North 5th Street corridor in Olney. This year they are expanding beyond the annual October festival to produce a jazz concert with ensembles curated by Gibson School of Music and Arts (a local, family-owned organization on North 5th Street) and the Philadelphia Jazz Project.

Shakespeare in Clark Park – Clark Park (4398 Chester Ave., 19104), July 27-31, 7PM
Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP) illuminates the powerful narratives with contemporary casting, design and direction.  Each year, SCP finds a way to cast community members alongside equity actors for a unique production. This year they will present Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Two Gentleman of Verona.

Scribe Video Center, Inc. – August 11, 7:45PM, Mifflin Square Park (6^th & Ritner Sts., 19148), August 14, 7:45PM, Malcolm X Park (5100 Pine St., 19143), Third Location TBA
Scribe Video Center will present live performances as a part of its Street Movies! screening series, which brings independent films from around the world to local community spaces. Along with these film screenings, Scribe will present performers from the site’s surrounding communities including SEAMAAC’s Hip Hop Heritage B-Boy Crew, comprised of young dancers from SEAMAAC’s hip-hop dance program, Poet Ursula Rucker, who will perform spoken word and poetry, and Los Bomberos De la Calle Bomba Plena group, which will perform Puerto Rican bomba and plena musicwith dance.

Revolution Shakespeare – September 21-25 & September 28 – October 2, 6:30PM, September 30 & October 2, 1PM, Hawthorne Park (1200 Catherine St., 19147)
Revolution Shakespeare will present Shakespeare’s King John, which will be staged using both the lawn and elevated stage, placing the audience on all four sides of the action, in the round. The selection of King John – a story of political intrigue – was made due to the 2016 election year and the organization plans to offer voter registration on-site during the production’s run.

Mad Beatz Music – July 20, 2:30-4PM, August 12, TIME TBA, Norris Square Park (2100 N. Howard St., 19122)
September 14, 1-3PM, Community College of Philadelphia (1700 Spring Garden St., 19130)
Mad Beatz Music is collective of aspiring percussion educators and performers in the Philadelphia area. Primarily upperclassmen and alumni of Philadelphia public schools, its members will be performing at sites where the majority of them live (Kensington) and attend classes (Community College of Philadelphia) to encourage participation in music ensembles.

Ars Nova Workshop – Sunday, September 18, 7PM, Bartram’s Gardens (5400 Lindbergh Blvd., 19143)
Ars Nova Workshop presents “Wandering with Billy Martin” at Bartram’s Garden. Martin and others will perform improvisational compositions inspired by William Bartram’s writings on wanderings and his explorations of nature, which made him the father of American Botany.
For more information about the Performances in Public Spaces program and the 2016 performances visit: www.CreativePHL.org/PerformancesinPublicSpaces, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter and Instagram @CreativePHL, and follow #PerformancesPublicSpaces.

City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
The mission of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is to support and promote arts, culture and the creative industries; and to develop partnerships and coordinate efforts that weave arts, culture and creativity into the economic and social fabric of the City. For more information on Creative Philadelphia, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter and Instagram @CreativePHL.