Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Future: Forward - Signals of Change in Immigration

This year, the Cultural Alliance is launching Future: Forward, a new initiative to use strategic foresight in thinking about how our members and sector can prepare for the future in the next ten years and beyond.

On February 25, we'll host "Rehearsing the Future," where we will present scenarios of what the future could be for arts and culture in Greater Philadelphia, and ask for your feedback. In preparation for that event, our staff is  scanning the news for signs of change, not just in arts and culture, but around key themes outside of our sector, such as technology, the economy, politics, demographics, employment trends and more.  

From now until "Rehearsing the Future," we’ll be sharing these future signals with you through our blogFacebookTwitter and CultureWire newsletter, and we encourage you to share your thoughts with us.

Signals of Future Change - Immigration: 

Here are some signals of change we've collected to think about how changes in immigration patterns and policies will impact the future of arts and culture.

Immigrant entrepreneurs are driving growth in Greater Philadelphia.  How can the arts and culture sector be a source of community and support for immigrant populations?

The U.S. has increased acceptance of Syrian immigrants. Philadelphia has many diverse communities of cultural and heritage artists. How will this and other immigration policy changes affect the makeup of the city and its artistic communities?

Many are beginning to ask whether the current immigration crisis represents a temporary peak or long-term trend. What role would Philadelphia play in aiding a long-term crisis? What about the arts? If the arts need to address a myriad of social problems, this should be included.

The artist Banksy sent materials from his latest work to be used to build a refugee shelter. What are other "by-products" of art that can be reused/recycled for social good?

The influx of immigrants in South Korea presents an opportunity for increased socio-political change. How will the influx of immigrants in the EU and US affect politics on national but also local levels?

PEW predicts that future immigration will change the face of the US by 2065. How will the rise of new cultures affect how arts and culture is produced and presented?

 

 

This year, the Cultural Alliance is launching Future: Forward, a new initiative to use strategic foresight in thinking about how our members and sector can prepare for the future in the next ten years and beyond. Here are some signals of change we've collected to think about how future immigration might impact arts & culture.