Philadelphia’s arts sector is vibrant but needs help, survey shows

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

A new report says Philadelphia has a vibrant arts and culture scene, but one that is fragmented and hampered by a lack of access to resources.

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance released survey findings showing that the arts in the city are not adequately supported.

Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office of arts and culture, will soon release a comprehensive cultural plan, determining how the city can support its arts sector. The plan is expected to be released this spring.

The report released by the alliance, Cultural Dynamics, outlines several key areas the cultural plan should address.

Based on surveys with residents and stakeholders, the Cultural Alliance shows people believe Philadelphia has a strong arts foundation, but it is under-recognized by the city at large and hampered by “siloed systems.”

Artists and cultural workers face low wages and unreliable gig work, space and funding are scarce, and artists’ access to resources is inequitable.

“Cultural Dynamics will be an important resource for Creative Philadelphia as we plan to deliver the City’s first comprehensive Cultural Plan,” said Val Gay, Philadelphia’s Chief Cultural Officer, in a statement.

The Cultural Dynamics research initiative is a partnership with GPCA, PA Humanities, Drexel University’s Marie Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and the Creative Philadelphia office.

The Cultural Dynamics survey was born of the Cultural Dynamics summit in 2024, when arts and culture leaders met to discuss the role of the arts in American civic life. The survey is the result of four community conversation sessions held in different parts of Philadelphia, where more than 500 people discussed the current state of the arts in the city.

Participants were asked to respond to questions like: What aspects of being part of the Philly creative community strengthen your work? What could we collectively do better to support your cultural activity and participation? If you could wave a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change to strengthen Philly’s arts experience?

“We set out to understand the challenges they confront every day,” said GPCA president and CEO Patricia Aden Wilson, “as well as the breadth of assets, creativity and lived expertise that exists in every neighborhood across our city.”

As a work of advocacy, the alliance report boiled down the feedback into three calls to action: unify, amplify and invest. It called for building a shared infrastructure across neighborhoods and disciplines, increasing visibility of the arts and committing long-term and equitable resources to the culture sector.

“Cultural Dynamics shows what’s possible when we start with listening,” said Laurie Zierer, executive director of PA Humanities. “By centering public dialogue and lived experience, this process ensured that voices from across Philadelphia’s cultural community helped shape the foundation for the city’s first cultural plan.”

The GPCA and its partners will host a live webinar Feb. 17 to further explain the survey.