Now more than ever, PNC recognizes the vital role that the arts play across the Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware region — bringing community members together and supporting a vibrant and thriving creative economy. PNC’s 2020 Arts Alive portfolio includes more than 40 grantee organizations from across the region, including several first-time grantees through the newly expanded PNC Arts Alive CONNECT. Although the ongoing realities of social distancing have required PNC grantees to think even more creatively about the best ways to engage audiences in the arts, whether virtually or in person at a distance, we are grateful for the many Arts Alive grantees “Keeping the Arts Alive” here in this region.
Clay Studio
The popular Hands on Clay, presented by PNC Arts Alive brings The Clay Studio's ceramic arts programming out of the Clay Studio space in Old City and into the Philadelphia community, targeting those who experience economic and geographic barriers to arts and culture opportunities. This initiative aims to remove these barriers by bringing free public arts programming directly into neighborhoods and festivals, reaching more individuals of all backgrounds. Importantly, while the prospect of hosting large scale community events during these days of social distancing just isn’t feasible, PNC & The Clay Studio teamed up to redistribute unused Hands on Clay materials – now individually packaged Clay Kits – to Philadelphia children and youth participating in the city’s innovative Playstreets Philadelphia program. Playstreets is an initiative of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department that has been in operation for more than 50 years, closing designated city streets to traffic each day during summer vacation, so that neighborhood children have a safe place to play when school is out. Playstreets takes place in every neighborhood of the city, with more than 30 Playstreets locations in all, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. These Playstreets Clay Kits include all of the supplies needed for a grab-and-go hands-on clay activity, that Philadelphia kids can complete in a socially distanced manner; an activity sheet to guide the project; and a link to find additional project demonstrations online.
Grand Opera House
Each summer, Wilmington, DE's Grand Opera House brings a variety of enriching arts experiences directly to children and families in their own neighborhoods through The Grand's “Summer in the Parks” series. The Grand Opera House created the Summer in the Parks series with the City of Wilmington in 2013, and this program has since provided interactive arts experiences for Wilmington residents of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds by bringing programming in Wilmington public parks during specific times during the day, along with some evening performances. In 2020, this summertime tradition has temporarily evolved to become a more socially distanced “Concerts by Car” series, with live musical and other performances now being offered in “drive-in” or socially distanced walk-up settings at sites in and around downtown Wilmington.
People’s Light
People's Light plans to produce the world premiere of Inside Ashland, by Steve H. Broadnax III, at its 340 seat mainstage. Inside Ashland explores the complex story of Civil Rights activist and West Chester native Bayard Rustin, a contemporary and close colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Inside Ashland looks at Rustin's three-year incarceration in Ashland, KY as a result of refusal of military service, all while delving into Rustin's protest work, his Quaker beliefs, and the barriers he faced as a gay man who was unwilling to hide his sexuality. Rustin was himself also an accomplished tenor, and Inside Ashland, will play homage to this history and the broader African American music tradition, with traditional spirituals and other musical works arranged especially for this production. Among the numerous project partners will be the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County and the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center, a longtime partner of People's Light that was founded in 1918, with help from Bayard Rustin's own grandparents.
Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz
For the third consecutive year, the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts will continue its popular and well-attended Jazz Cultural Voices program — a series of free and reduced cost live musical performances, each featuring ethnically diverse, nationally recognized, and / or emerging (new talent) artists, whose work is both inspired by conventional jazz music as well as "riffed" upon to create new sound experiences. Concerts will include a range of musical compositions and traditions, representing Latin, Cuban, Japanese, European, East Indian and African American influences, and will feature such renowned artists as Grammy Award-Winning Joey DeFrancesco (Jazz Trumpeter); Sumi Tonooka (Composer); Regina Carter (Jazz Violinist); Papo Vazquez (Trombonist); Nabate Isle (Trumpeter); Tia Fuller (Saxophonist, Composer, Educator), and others. All concerts will produce the type of rich programming that crosses musical genres and attracts new and diverse audiences, while still remaining true to the Clef Club's original jazz origins.
Theatre in the X
Theatre in the X (i.e., Theatre in West Philadelphia’s Malcom X Park) was founded in 2013 in order to provide the people of West Philadelphia, and the city’s African American community in particular, the opportunity to see professional quality theater in their own neighborhood, at no cost. By removing the barriers of location and price, the audience is able to experience theater that they possibly would not otherwise have access to. Additionally, Theatre in the X provides meaningful opportunities for playwrights, actors, directors, stage managers, DJs, sound engineers, and other artists and vendors of color the opportunity to gain meaningful experience in the arts industry, in a way that directly benefits the immediate West Philadelphia community. Each year’s play is ultimately selected because it comes from the perspective of a person (or people) of color, allowing audience members to see themselves in the shows. In August of 2021 and 2022, Theater in the X will perform its annual Summer Series in Malcolm X Park — three live theatrical performances, all free and open to the public. This summer series is Theatre in the X’s flagship program, and as such will be promoted in such varied formats as providing staged readings and other promotional events at the city’s annual Philly Theatre Week productions; by reaching out to neighborhood organizations including the Friends of Malcolm X Park; by placing posters, fliers, and postcards in the windows of local business establishments; and by participating in the city’s annual Odunde and Juneteenth events – long-held staple events for the African American community in Philadelphia.
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