First Person Arts

Projects

  • Special Event Publicity - 08, 07, 06 & 05 Festivals
  • Design - firstpersonarts.org
FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL Announces Line-up Seventh Annual Festival explores real-life stories through memoir and documentary art, November 11– 16

PHILADELPHIA – First Person Arts announces the seventh annual First Person Festival of memoir and documentary art – the only festival dedicated to presenting works of art based on real-life experiences – held in Philadelphia from November 11 – 16, 2008. With its annual Festival, First Person Arts takes the lead as a presenter of first person stories in all forms, showcasing works by local and nationally renowned artists and nurturing the talents of emerging artists.

The multidisciplinary Festival features memoir readings and author discussions, documentary film screenings, performance art, experiential tours, visual arts exhibitions, music, competitions, artist receptions and more. First Person Arts Founder and Executive Director Vicki Solot says, “More than ever before, this, our seventh festival, expresses our vision of a creative community – one that is built on the diversity and richness of our experiences and knit together through the stories we share.”

First Person Arts’ original programming for emerging artists will take center stage at the Festival with a bonus First Person Salon series event, the highly anticipated Grand Slam Championship of the StorySlams and a presentation by winners of the nationwide First Person Impressions competition. Festival topics range from competitive eating and sports, to family histories and the heated debate over immigration, to Philadelphia’s music legends and the next generation of young rockers, creating an eclectic assemblage of personal stories. From intimate dinners with renowned chefs to the gripes of everyday Philadelphians in the Complaint Choir, the 2008 First Person Festival brings a wide variety of memoir and documentary artists and experiences to Philadelphia.
 
All Festival events will be held at the Painted Bride Art Center, located at 230 Vine Street in Philadelphia’s historic Old City neighborhood (with the exception of Festival preview events and tours). Tickets and a full schedule of Festival events are available online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055. Many events are free and ticket prices range from $10 to $15, with special events priced individually. Ticket packages and all-Festival passes are also available.

About First Person Arts

Founded in 2000, First Person Arts transforms the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experience. First Person Arts believes that everyone has a story to tell, and that sharing our stories celebrates our diversity and forges the bonds of community that bring us together. First Person Arts supports the development of memoir and documentary work by artists from all walks of life and creates opportunities for it to be seen and appreciated by many. For more information, visit www.firstpersonarts.org.

Press

"Philadelphia is getting its first "Complaint Choir" ... There's no doubt that Philadelphians have plenty to gripe about: taxes, traffic, dirty streets, and sports teams that haven't clinched a championship in a generation." Read the full Inquirer story online here: Bellyaching in sweet harmony: City's Complaint Choir convenes, philly.com.
- Philadelphia Inquirer
CBS 3's Nicole Brewer recently visited the First Person Arts offices to talk about First Person's programming including the Complaint Choir, First Person Salon and StorySlams series. Watch the video online here: Bare That Beautiful Soul: First Person Arts, cbs3.com.
- CBS 3
Recently, digphillyTV on NBC 10, a show that highlights cool places and activities in the Delaware Valley, sent a camera crew to check out First Person Arts StorySlams series. Watch the video online here: digphilly.com
- digphillyTV, NBC 10

“The concept of the salon, a casual, intimate gathering of artists to share their work and ideas, carries with it a whiff of the old-fashioned, of bewigged 18th-century Frenchmen gathered around a harpsichord arguing philosophy. But the idea has come back into vogue of late, with [First Person Salons], a series…intending to foster a sense of community between artists.”

- Philadelphia Metro
Check out the Philadelphia Weekly feature on the 2007 Festival here: "More than meets the 'I' - The First Person Arts Festival features storytelling with a twist."
- Philadelphia Weekly
Read the Philadelphia Inquirer's feature on the 2007 First Person Festival here: "A festival with focus on people's memories: Real life as art will be explored over five days."
- Philadelphia Inquirer
Read First Person Arts President Vicki Solot's interview with Philly Creative Guide here: Creative Personality
- Philly Creative Guide

"Before the night is out, we'll hear tales we only wish we could repeat... Truth knows no bounds, but this is a family newspaper." Read the full Inquirer feature on StorySlams here.

- Philadelphia Inquirer
"There’s nothing better than hearing an outlandish story — especially when it’s true... Relaying a tale with energetic detail is an art and it’s a talent that should be shared — because a distinctive story is easily tucked in the corner of people’s minds, but an articulate narrator is what makes the occurrence timeless." Read the full South Philly Review feature here.
- South Philly Review