Earlier today I was able to listen to Philadelphia's art & culture leaders talk about...well just that, "the cultural life of Philadelphia". It was an interesting group of leaders including the National Constitution Center, Taller Puertorriqueño, the African-American Museum in Philadelphia and more. The main goal of the PPRA hosted event was to find out what we can do to make the city an arts & culture destination; a unified place for arts & culture.
So is Philly an arts & culture destination? It sure is! According to a Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (PCA) report, officially unveiled by Mayor Nutter last December, from 2006 to 2008 Philadelphia’s creative sector performance increased by 7% and measured at 1.7, which is 70% stronger than the national baseline score of 1.0. In fact, Philadelphia’s CVI growth rate is in the top 5 in the entire country. Another PCA report states, "African-Americans and Hispanics report the highest level of cultural activity, a compelling finding as virtually all population growth through 2020 in the region will come from non-white residents."
So what's wrong? The consensus was that Philadelphia and its citizens need to grab a unified message and spread it to our network. Ambassadors are a city's best friend. When you can get a city as excited about arts & culture the way they are about sports, then you have got yourself a grateful city. On a similar note, let's hope the upcoming PIFA festival can bring this city together.
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