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Multimedia storytelling to preserve folklife and cultural heritage

Philadelphia Folklore Project
Philadelphia Folklore Project executive director Naomi Sturm-Wijesinghe (left) interviews Christina Martinez of South Philly Barbacoa at La Ofrenda, an interactive installation by Cesar Viveros. Photo by Mauricio Bayona, courtesy of the Philadelphia Folklore Project Archives.
Philadelphia Folklore Project executive director Naomi Sturm-Wijesinghe (left) interviews Christina Martinez of South Philly Barbacoa at La Ofrenda, an interactive installation by Cesar Viveros. Photo by Mauricio Bayona, courtesy of the Philadelphia Folklore Project Archives.

Reorganized staff structures, along with new technological capacity, will strengthen Philadelphia Folklore Project’s mission to sustain the vitality of folklife and living cultural heritage through collaborative community archives and multimedia storytelling projects. Upgraded digital tools and a newly envisioned folk art and social change fellowship will focus on digital humanities and asset management to reinforce the organization’s role as a secure and accessible archive for local history and culture.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient
Philadelphia Folklore Project

Philadelphia Folklore Project

Since its founding in 1987, Philadelphia Folklore Project has documented, supported, and presented Philadelphia-area folk arts and culture to sustain living cultural heritage in communities. Annually, the Folklore Project offers exhibitions, concerts, and workshops to artists and communities. The organization conducts ongoing field research into community-based local arts, history, and culture, and preserves a record of Philadelphia's folklife in its archive.

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News

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Announces Over $10.2 Million in Pandemic Recovery Funding for Philadelphia Organizations and Fellowships for Artists

Sep 1, 2021
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Larry W. Cook, Untitled.
National Media Spotlight on Philadelphia’s Cultural Scene
Nels Cline in performance at Royce Hall, Los Angeles. Photo by Phinn Sriployrung.

Guitarist Nels Cline on Musical Lineage
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Walking with Trane, Urban Bush Women. Photo by Gennia Cui.
Questions of Practice: Choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar on Art and Social Justice
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Sonia Sanchez. Photo by Erika Vonie.
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Pew Fellows Candice Iloh and Armando Veve. Photos by Neal Santos.

Fellow to Fellow: Candice Iloh and Armando Veve Find Inspiration in Each Other’s Mediums
Interview Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Enrique Bostelmann, Portrait of Cora Flores, 1980, part of Mirages series.

Projects in Process: Discoveries in the Archives with Berman Museum and Japan America Society
Essay Legacy & Archives
Yolanda Wisher, 2022 Philadelphia's Cultural Treasures fellow and 2015 Pew Fellow. Photo by Mark Palacio.
Four Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures Fellows on Care and Community Impact
EgoPo Classic Theater, rehearsal for Ramayana with Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Kalanari Theatre Movement, 2023, Java, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of EgoPo. 

Projects in Process: Wilma Theater and EgoPo on Creative Collaborations
Essay Co-Authorship & Collaboration