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Philadelphia, PA- Did you know the local cultural sector provides over 14,000 employment positions, is served by 17,000 volunteers, and produces 56,000 events a year?
Or that 1 in 4 nonprofit cultural organizations operated with deficits greater than 10%?
These findings, and many more, come from the Cultural Alliance's recent report, Portfolio. This landmark study is based on detailed information from 218 cultural organizations that participated in the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project (www.pacdp.org), a statewide project that gathers consistent and reliable data on the cultural sector.
The President of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Peggy Amsterdam, will discuss the findings from the report in a series of free meetings throughout the region in November.
"What we found in this study were incredible levels of community engagement with the arts, broad accessibility, and a sector that produces tens of thousands of public activities on extremely tight budgets," said Peggy Amsterdam, President of the Cultural Alliance. "But we also identified many organizations that were struggling and could benefit from expanded resources and more diverse funding. With these meetings, we hope that the findings from the report will be a catalyst for further discussion, so we can make the case for the support of the arts at every level. "
The complete report can be read and downloaded at www.philaculture.org/portfolio. Printed copies of the report are also available by contacting the Cultural Alliance.
“The Portfolio confirms how integral the arts are to the Philadelphia community, both socially and economically,” said Marian Godfrey, managing director of Culture and Civic Initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “The report will be a valuable tool in helping arts organizations better tell the story of the cultural sector’s impact, assets and needs, while providing funders and opinion leaders with reliable data that previously did not exist.”
To register to attend these free meetings, send an email with your name, title, organization, phone number and which event you plan to attend to portfolio@philaculture.org. For more information, contact Tim Weeks at the Cultural Alliance at 215-557-7811, extension 27.
Public Meetings:
November 6, 2006 - 2:00 p.m.
The People’s Light and Theatre Company
39 Conestoga Road
Malvern, PA 19355
November 16, 2006 - 8:30 a.m.
Hedgerow Theatre
64 Rose Valley Road
Rose Valley, PA 19063
November 21, 2006 - 3:00 p.m.
Mainline Arts Center
Old Buck Road and Lancaster Avenue,
Haverford, PA 19041
November 27, 2006 - 2:00 p.m.
Mercer Museum - Elkins Gallery
84 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
The Portfolio was made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts and William Penn Foundation.
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