Philadelphia has a long-standing history as a juggernaut of arts and entertainment. Its neighboring status to the national epicenter of the arts, New York City, has always attracted talents of all trades to the city.
Before Danielle Allen was Vice President of Education and Community at The Philadelphia Orchestra, she grew up in a family of artists in Philadelphia. Her single mother, dissatisfied with public school’s comprehensive education system, placed her in a Catholic school where arts resources were a part of the tuition.
“My arts education was more informal, but to me, equally as valuable,” Allen said. “I do think that the best artists, the artists that I enjoy the most – regardless of their discipline – are able to marry the formal training with the informal.”
Her background as a Philadelphia native immersed in the city’s arts and culture inspired her work with the families and community programs at Ensemble Arts Philly.
Organizations across the city are devoted to providing arts education and engagement to Philadelphia children, with programs in place to support underprivileged youth. Ensemble Philly Arts, Philly Children’s Theatre, Music Theatre Philly, and the Walnut Street Theatre are among those organizations helping the youth of the city interact with the arts.
Many of these programs provide schools with the funds, supplies, and sometimes teachers necessary to create an arts department at Philadelphia public schools.
“We bring theater to audiences, and we bring educational theater to audiences,” Brian Kurtas, Associate Artistic Director at the Walnut Street Theatre said. “We also have residencies where we’ll go into schools and provide teaching artists, because there may be a school that doesn’t even have an arts teacher … so that when we leave, they can have a self-sustaining, running theater program or music program.”
In 2017, the School District of Philadelphia revealed a framework to redesign the arts education of the city. The plan included changing the content of arts classes, developing school-based arts teams, increasing access to arts classes for students and arts college and career pathways for high school students, integrating arts activities into non-arts subjects, and aligning support programs based on need.
Dr. William R. Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia at the time of the redesign, said “[students] thrive when schools provide creative outlets for them including art, music, dance, theater and media arts. Exposure to arts education leads to creative, civically-minded students who are more likely to graduate and aspire to college.”
Arts education does not just teach students the workings of an artistic medium. A Brookings study found that arts education increases school engagement, and builds empathy and compassion.
Often the first targeted by budget cuts, arts education is at a fickle and tenuous spot in K-12 education. The biggest supporters for the youth in the arts are those in the arts industry who know how difficult it is to receive a well-rounded arts education in public schools.
While it might be too tall a task for some to give Philadelphia schools resources for fully developed arts programs, children’s theater and theater for children are more reasonable goals for some organizations.
Philly Children’s Theatre is an interactive touring company that travels to neighborhoods and organizations throughout Philadelphia to put on “pay-what-you-can”, family-friendly shows for children of all ages. Artistic director and founder Sarah Gordin said the productions are meant to inspire children to get involved in the arts in whatever way possible.
“[t]here is something so special about seeing the arts in front of you, live, and not on a screen,” Gordin said. “The state of live performance is so important and hopefully children will see live performance as children and will grow up to continue to go and seek out these experiences.”
Out-of-school programs for the arts can be extremely cost-prohibitive, a feat many of these organizations are actively working to tackle. According to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Greater Philadelphia area’s nonprofit arts and culture industry had an economic impact of $3.3 billion from 2022 to 2023, but patrons and owners are still struggling to adapt to a post-Covid and highly competitive industry.
The Philadelphia Cultural Fund provides “general operating support to Philadelphia-based arts and culture organizations,” yearly. Eligible organizations across Philadelphia’s ten districts can receive thousands of dollars in fiscal support.
Nonprofit support of the arts is invaluable to the Philadelphia arts and culture scene. Philanthropic donations from those involved in or engaged in the arts help support organizations not only putting on their productions but also providing that same support to children in the city.
Brian Kurtas said that the obligation of a non-profit like the Walnut Street Theatre is “always looking for opportunities to not just entertain our community, but to help them grow and be the best humans that they can be.”
“Our involvement in the community, our involvement in the bettering of young people’s lives, is just as important to us as the quality of our main stage productions,” Kurtas said.
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