Thank you, Philly.
It had been incredible three plus year effort for Philly Culture United. The arts and culture community in Philadelphia cannot be overlooked, and we have been proud to stand in support of this creative community since 2020. To our visionary founder Aalyah Duncan alongside countless other partners, we are immensely grateful for you’re stewardship and passion to support this vital lifeline of culture, impact and revenue across our city.
This is not goodbye for PCU, simply a see you soon — as we continue to advocate for the dire need for support of our pivotal sector and all of the remarkable organizations, leaders, volunteers, officials, and most of all creative individuals who make Philadelphia so unique every day.
Uniting for the arts.
Uniting for the culture.
Uniting for Philadelphia.
From a live fundraising event to a viral video campaign, Philly Culture United has been empowered by the support of our partners, community members, collaborators, and advocates to make an impact on the future of Philadelphia’s incredible arts, culture, and entertainment sectors.
PHILADELPHIA ARTS PRIORITIES PLATFORM
PHILADELPHIA ARTS PRIORITIES PLATFORM
INTRODUCING THE PHILADELPHIA ARTS PRIORITIES PLATFORM.
In 2023, the City of Philadelphia will elect its 100th Mayor. The future Mayor must understand that the City of Philadelphia’s future is directly linked to having a prospering arts, culture, and creative economy.
Three of Philadelphia’s most active and representative arts and culture advocates: the Arts and Culture Task Force, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and Philly Culture United, have collaborated to develop five (5) priorities described in this Philadelphia Arts Priorities Platform.
Our Impact
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$2 Million
Restored to Philadelphia Cultural Fund in FY2021 budget
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$7 Million
restored to FY2022 funding
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3,000+
petition signatures
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100+
advocacy videos shared by supporters
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50
Microgrants funded for BIPOC creatives
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1
key partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
What is Philly Culture United (PCU)?
Philly Culture United (PCU) was created in response to the City of Philadelphia’s 2021 budget proposal, which planned to eliminate the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) and completely defund the 27-year-old Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF). Multiple campaigns with partners resulted in the re-institution of partial funding to the Cultural Fund, in addition to the creation of microgrants for artists and creators.
Today, PCU continues to advocate for the support and prioritization of Philadelphia’s thriving arts and culture economy, which is essential to the fabric of the city. We strive to be an amplifier of the great work happening by community organizations, nonprofits and cultural groups on the ground in our communities every day. As our industry is tasked with rebuilding after being leveled by a global pandemic, we will continue to showcase organizations and groups that are making an impact around the region.
Our collective voices can continue to call on our elected leaders to show up and provide relief to our struggling arts and culture economy. Click here to use a recommended guide to contacting your elected official, provided by our partners at the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Finally, stay in the loop by joining our mailing list here.
Please note: While we are dedicated to supporting artists, creatives, gig workers, and entertainment industry members, Philly Culture United is not a 501(c)(3) organization, and therefore cannot accept donations directly. If you are interested in a financial donation, we encourage you to explore our Philadelphia Resources section below for a list of organizations that may be able to accept monetary support.
Our Past Work In Review
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Description text goes hereThe Illuminate the Arts Grants are a means to help sustain and stimulate the COVID-19 recovery of the arts and culture community of Philadelphia. It is a total of $1M to be distributed to Philadelphia’s individual artists, small and mid-size arts organizations, and small creative enterprises. The grant seeks to financially uplift Philadelphia’s creative sector and support disadvantaged communities, particularly Philadelphia’s Black and Brown communities, that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Created by City Councilmembers Isaiah Thomas and Katherine Gilmore Richardson, the funds for the Illuminate the Arts Grants came from the City Council’s New Normal Budget Act as an investment to address racial disparities in the City of Philadelphia. The Illuminate the Arts Grants will be distributed by the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) with support from the Arts and Culture Task Force (ACTF) to provide relief to the arts community quickly and efficiently.
Grant Applications closed May 28, 2021
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Description text goes hereAs 2020 comes to close, we must be vocal about the essential nature of arts and culture and its importance to the fabric of our city. Knowing this, we have partnered with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance to create #LightsON – a campaign to illuminate the impact of arts and culture in our community.
Although we know difficult decisions still lie ahead, we must remind City Council of the incredible life-changing and life-affirming social impact the arts and culture sector has for us all. Make your voice heard by emailing your City Council members to ask them to stand with arts and culture, and to support our sector in creating solutions for the many challenges Philadelphia continues to face. Click below to take action! #LightsON
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Thank You Philly Culture United Live
Special thanks to all of our partners, sponsors, performers, guest speakers, and hosts, who were involved for this incredible virtual event. We’re truly grateful for the outpouring of support and especially to everyone who donated to help. All of the donations helped to provide microgrants to black artists and creators, and memberships to RecPhilly.
Donations have been received and processed by our partner 30ampCircuit (the organization that brought us Love From Philly) and will be distributed to the selected microgrant applicants.
2020: #PhillyCultureUnited - Supporting Philadelphians Video
2020: Philly Culture United LIVE, A Virtual Fundraiser Stream
Philadelphia Resources
The Greater Philadelphia region is home to countless organizations, non-profits, and community groups who provide resources, opportunities and programs within the arts, culture and entertainment sectors. We have compiled a non-exhaustive list below as a starting point for those interested in supporting these organizations, or for those seeking these resources directly.
If you are an organization in the arts and culture community and would like to be listed here, please send a direct message to @phillycultureunited on Instagram.