Expect Tons of “Performances in Public Spaces” This Year- Mayor Nutter and OACCE Announce Grantees

Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) announced the first grantees for the Performances in Public Spaces program. The program provides grant money to artists and art organizations to cover all costs associated with presenting performances in select parks and plazas across the city.

All the grantee’s performances will take place between April 1 and November 1, 2015. The initiative is funded by the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia and a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a total of $60,000.

OACCE received applications from 79 artists and performing arts groups for a total of 184 performances. The review panel selected 23 grantees for a total of 24 performances.  The grants will be used to cover costs associated with artist fees, marketing materials, production and any other administrative costs incurred by the artist or organization related to a specific performance or a performance series.

Rock to the Future, a nonprofit which provides free music education to underserved Philadelphia youth, will partner with Clark Park for its Performances in Public Spaces grant.

“With this grant, RTTF will be partnering with the Clark Park Arts and Music Festival on September 19th (a free community music festival running for over 40 years). Through this grant and our partnership, Rock to the Future will be providing free music education opportunities for all youth through our make your own instrument station and instrument zoo at Clark Park,” said Jessica Craft, executive director of Rock to the Future, in an e-mail.

“In addition, we’ll be able to secure top-notch local performers and support our local musicians and artists, who so frequently are asked to perform for free. Rock to the Future’s own student house band will be performing also. Other details are still being discussed (such as other nonprofit and creative partners) but we’re excited at the opportunity to bring free music education to West Philadelphia’s youth at Clark Park,” she added

The full list of grantees include:

• Ars Nova Workshop at Bartram’s Garden;
• Bagpipes for All Occasions at Marconi Plaza;
• Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia at FDR Park;
• Germantown Artists Roundtable at Vernon Park;
• INVISIBLE RIVER at Spruce Street Harbor Park;
• Jazz Bridge at Hawthorne Park;
• Mad Beatz Music at Fairhill Square Park;
• Rock to the Future at Clark Park;
• SEAMAAC at Hawthorne Park;
• Shakespeare in Clark Park at Clark Park;
• Sister Cities Girlchoir at Race Street Pier;
• Tangle Movement Arts at Clark Park;
• Theatre in the X at Malcolm X Park;
• Tomorrows Girls/Four Women at Vernon Park;
• The Clay Studio at Frankford Pause;
• Harry Walthers Band  at Gorgas Park;
• Images of the Motherland Interactive Theatre at Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center;
• Pasion y Arte Flamenco Company at The Porch at 30^th Street Station;
• Philadelphia Folksong Society at Saunders Park;
• Philadelphia School of Circus Arts at Paine’s Park;
• Power Street Theatre Company at Frankford Pause;
• Tonantzin Coatlicue Aztec Dance at Hunting Park, Campbell Square; and
• Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania at Pearl Street at the Asian Arts Initiative.

Image via Rock to the Future