Press Kit

• April 10, 2017
  Storytelling Shows Tackle Today’s Most Pressing Issues Through Local Voices and Artistic Response
• January 19, 2017
  New Broadcast and Live Event Series Examines Current Events Through Personal Narrative
• January 6, 2017
  The Anti-Valentine’s Day StorySlam Returns for its Seventh Year
• August 25, 2016
  The 15th Anniversary First Person Arts Festival Announces Its Full Schedule
• June 14, 2016
  COLLABORATIVE LOCAL STORYTELLING VENTURE YIELDS EVENTS, RADIO SERIES AND PODCASTS

2017

• November 9, 2017 | PGN News | First Person Arts has a ‘ball’ with dance show
• November 2, 2017 | Metro | 7 shows you can’t miss at the 2017 First Person Arts Festival
• May 25, 2017 | Philly Weekly | Black, Trans and Gifted: South Philly’s WORDZ the Poet Emcee has a lot to say
• May 17, 2017 | Broad Street Review | From the radio to the stage: Commonspace LIVE comes to FringeArts
• May 16, 2017 | Generocity | Commonspace LIVE is tackling gentrification, masculinity and ‘battle scars’
• May 15, 2017 | Metro | Commonspace LIVE is where art and journalism collide
• February 25, 2017 | The Philadelphia Tribune | New WHYY series invites listeners to share their stories
• February 24, 2017 | Generocity | Listen to these personal stories about immigration, being a Black man and more
• February 21, 2017 | Broad Street Review | ‘Commonspace’ combines news and narrative at WHYY and First Person Arts
• February 7, 2017 | Philadelphia Magazine | 10 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas in Philly: And none of them involve a candlelit dinner
• February 5, 2017 | Broad Street Review | Philly shows for Valentine’s Day lovers and haters
• January 26, 2017 | Philly Voice | First Person Arts and WHYY launch new podcast

2016

• November 20, 2016 | Broad Street Review | First Person Arts presents Nimisha Ladva’s ‘Uninvited Girl: An Immigrant Story’: Undocumented, unafraid
• November 11, 2016 | philly.com | Franklin Square gets lit and 17 other ways to spend your weekend, Nov. 11-13
• Nov. 10, 2016 | GPhilly | LGBTQ Event of the Week: DTF: Darryl and Timaree Fun Hour
• November 1, 2016 | Metro | The First Person Arts Festival returns for 2016
• October 18, 2016 | WPVI | 6abc Loves the Arts: First Person Arts Festival
• August 24, 2016 | The Philadelphia Tribune | Chris Lundy energizes FPA’s StorySlams
• August 22, 2016 | Crain’s New York | Dancer-actress Charlotte Bydwell takes her one-woman show to the streets of New York City
• June 15, 2016 | Current | WHYY partners with nonprofit on storytelling project
• June 2, 2016 | Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine Blog | From Scrubs to Stage, Temple Resident Finds Meaning in Telling Stories
• June 1, 2016 | WHYY’s NewsWorks | The heights of a teenage crush — and a hard landing
• May 31, 2016 | Philly Voice | First Person Arts and Da Vinci Art Alliance team up for new workshop
• May 11, 2016 | Metro | Night Market, Hip hop yoga and more to do this weekend
• May 11, 2016 | WHYY’s NewsWorks | Weekly Entertainment Guide – Art in the Open
• April 28, 2016 | Philly Voice | Attend the First Person Arts Grand Slam at World Cafe Live: Who will win Season 16’s ‘Best Storyteller in Philadelphia’ title?
• April 6, 2016 | Philadelphia Inquirer | ‘Empire’s’ Bryshere Gray talks to Philly students about mental health
• February 11, 2016 | Jewish Exponent | For StorySlam Event, the Humor Is Out There
• February 11, 2016 | NewsWorks | Weekly Entertainment Guide – All You Need is Love
• February 10, 2016 | Philadelphia Weekly | Love advice from Ex-Files StorySlam host Robin Gelfenbien
• February 10, 2016 | philly.com | From sweetheart skating to Netflix and chill: 10 ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day
• February 8, 2016 | Geekadelphia | Win Tickets to First Person Arts Ex-Files Anti-Valentine’s Day StorySlam! [Giveaway]
• February 3, 2016 | NewsWorks | For this waiter, revenge is best served in a bottle
• January 28, 2016 | Philth | LIVE STORYTELLING IN PHILLY
• January 20, 2016 | uwishunu | First Person Arts 16th StorySlam Season Continues Through Spring
• January 6, 2016 | NewsWorks | Retracing the route of his grandfather’s refugee story

2015

• December 2, 2015 | NewsWorks | On becoming American: ‘I am an illegal alien, and I am turning myself in.’
• December 1, 2015 | Temple News | Exploring racial, social issues with art
• November 14, 2015 | GPhilly | First Person Arts Donates Tickets to LGBTQ Youth
• November 13, 2015 | Philebrity | This Weekend: Can’t You Hear The Thunder?
• November 13, 2015 | WHYY’s NewsWorks | ‘Outcry!’ responds to deaths of African-Americans at hands of police
• November 12, 2015 | Geekadelphia | Geekend Picks: Rothman Institute Ice Rink, Bacon and Beer Festival, YA Lit Extravaganza, and More!
• November 11, 2015 | Philebrity | This Evening: The Public Image Belongs To Me
• November 10, 2015 | Weekender | Heading to Philadelphia? Here are 10 things to do in the city of brotherly love this weekend
• November 10, 2015 | WURD | Interview with Freeway
• November 10, 2015 | Philly Gay Calendar | THE FIVE: Bad Kids, Boxers and Bearlesque
• November 9, 2015 | Broad Street Review | First Person Arts Festival features African American Museum’s “Outcry!”
• November 9, 2015 | Philly Mag Ticket | 19 Things to Do in Philly This Week
• November 6, 2015 | Philly Mag Ticket | 19 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend
• November 5, 2015 | Philadelphia Gay News | First Person Arts performers get personal
• November 4, 2015 | Jewish Exponent | First Person Arts Festival Adds Jewish Flair to Spoken Word
• November 4, 2015 | Phawker | PHENOMENON: The Truth Is Out There
• November 4, 2015 | WHYY’s NewsWorks | A first-person story 20 years in the making
• November 4, 2015 | Philadelphia Magazine | 9 Questions With the Phenomenal Ursula Rucker
• November 4, 2015 | WHYY’s NewsWorks | Weekly Entertainment Guide – Poetry in Beauty
• November 3, 2015 | uwishunu | Two Theatrical Festivals Hitting Philly Stages This Week: First Person Arts Festival And Philadelphia Improv Festival
• November 2, 2015 | Philly.com | What to see at the First Person Arts Festival
• November 2, 2015 | Philly Mag Ticket | 17 Things to Do in Philly This Week
• November 1, 2015 | Radio 104.5 | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | Mix 106.1 | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | Q102 | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | WJJZ | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | Power 99 | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | WDAS | 11-1 Insight First Person Arts
• November 1, 2015 | Billy Penn | 15th First Person Arts Grand Slam
• October 31, 2015 | Philadelphia Tribune | First Person Arts festival puts storytelling on diverse stages
• October 29, 2015 | uwishunu | The 14th Annual First Person Arts Festival Of Storytelling And Performance Arrives November 4-15
• October 28, 2015 | Philly Weekly | A stage for our stories: First Person Arts & the art of storytelling
• October 28, 2015 | Al Dia | Speaking out about being a gay Latina ‘Chicanarrican’
• October 27, 2015 | GPhilly | First Person Arts Has Found a Very Bad Boy In David Crabb
• October 19, 2015 | philly.com | Short story: Ancient craft a hot new trend
• October 16, 2016 | Asbury Park Press | ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ hits the books
• uwishunu | Top Fall Festivals in Philadelphia
• October 10, 2015 | Philadelphia Sunday Sun | Powerful African American voices at the 14th Annual First Person Arts Festival, Nov. 4-15
• September 22, 2015 | WDAS | Celebrating Patty Jackson’s Birthday At First Person Arts Festival Kickoff!
• September 22, 2015 | Philly Weekly | Tues., Sept. 22 to do: First Person Arts StorySlam & more
• September 15, 2015 | Philly Weekly | Festivals, happenings & more: 50 things to do in Philly this fall
• September 15, 2015 | Geekadelphia | First Person Arts Festival Returns, Urging All to Share Life
• September 14, 2015 | GPhilly | Philly’s First Person Arts Festival Highlights LGBT Stories
• September 10, 2015 | Philly Mag Ticket | First Person Arts Festival Announces Full Lineup
• July 31, 2015 | Philly.com | Tonight on stage: Black men in positive spotlight
• July 31, 2015 | Philly.com | This week in Philly: July 27-Aug. 2
• July 28, 2015 | Philly Voice | Black Thought joins ‘Engaging Males of Color’ speaker series
• July 28, 2015 | WURD | Dr. Arthur Evans Interview on MOJO
• July 27, 2015 | Generocity | First Person Arts and DBHIDS are teaming up to have men of color tell their powerful stories
• July 24, 2015 | Philly 360• | “Must-Hit: Beyond Expectations – Engaging Men Of Color Featuring Black Thought, Rich Medina, Bernard Hopkins & More – Friday, July 31
• July 23, 2015 | Philly Gay News | News Briefing July 24-30, 2015
• July 8, 2015 | NewsWorks | When Dad says, ‘Oops, don’t watch that video,’ what can you do but watch?
• June 3, 2016 | NewsWorks | A childhood game ends with smashing results
• May 6, 2015 | Newsworks | “For musicians, belief in art and the gift of song is the coin of the realm”
• April 1, 2015 | NewsWorks | When ‘Star Wars’ as a religious experience goes to extremes
• March 4, 2015 | NewsWorks | Discovering in 7th grade what life is all about
• February 4, 2015 | NewsWorks | If you see a bear in the woods, don’t do what this guy did
• January 7, 2015 | NewsWorks | Forsaking one promise about dead bodies to honor another

2014

• December 4, 2014 | Philadelphia City Paper | “Swapping storytelling stories with First Person Arts’ VIP raconteurs”
• November 19, 2014 | Temple News | “Festival celebrates the individual voice”
• November 14, 2014 | Philadelphia Tribune | “Journalist Lu Ann Cahn talks cancer battle”
• November 14, 2014 | NewsWorks | “Ira Glass brings ‘Reinventing Radio’ show to Kimmel”
• November 14, 2014 | Philadelphia Tribune | “Philip Bailey talks about life and Earth, Wind & Fire”
• November 7, 2014 | Power 99FM | “11-9 Insight First Person Arts Festival”
• November 11, 2014 | WDAS | First Person Arts Festival (Video interview with Executive Director Jamie J. Brunson)
• November 7, 2014 | philly.com | “Gay To Do: Wanda Sykes, First Person Arts Festival & more”
• November 6, 2014 | Phawker.com | “THE NAKED TRUTH: Sexytime Q&A With Stripped Stories Hostesses Margot Leitman & Giula Rozzi”
• November 6, 2014 | Daily News | “Ruby waxes funny – and smart – the on mental challenges of modern life”
• November 6, 2014 | WURD | Interview with Philip Bailey
• November 5, 2014 | City Paper | “First Person Arts 13th Season Grand Slam”
• November 4, 2014 | Philly 360• | “The 13th Annual First Person Arts Festival Returns To Philadelphia – November 4 – 15”
• November 2, 2014 | KYW | “Festival Of Story Telling Kicks Off This Week In Philadelphia”
• October 31, 2014 | philly.com | “Tell us a story: First Person Arts Festival returns”
• October 29, 2014 | Al Dia | “First Person Arts gets ready for its 13th annual festival”
• October 31, 2014 | uwishunu.com | “A Guide To The 13th Annual First Person Arts Festival, Returning November 4-15 With Storytelling, Panels And A Food Event With Chefs Marcus Samuelsson And Jennifer Carroll”
• October 31, 2014 | Philadelphia Tribune | “Chef Samuelsson: Cooking is liberating”
• October 30, 2014 | WURD | Interview with Chef Marcus Samuelsson
• October 29, 2014 | WURD | Interview with Obie Award-winning playwright Dael Orlandersmith
• October 21, 2014 | Foobooz | “Jen Carroll Cooking With Marcus Samuelsson”
• October 21, 2014 | philly.com | “Jennifer Carroll coming home to cook with Marcus Samuelsson”
• May 20, 2014 | Story Club Magazine | “First Person Arts Podcast: Who’s Watching the Parents | Jason Pittman”
• May 17, 2014 | Philadelphia City Paper | “Congrats to First Person Arts’ Grand Slam winner, Steve Clark”
• May 16, 2014 | Philadelphia City Paper | “First Person Arts Grand Slam”
• May 16, 2014 | Philadelphia Magazine | “11 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend: Italian Market Festival, Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and More”
• May 15, 2014 | WHYY’s Newsworks | “Weekly Entertainment Guide – Art in the Open, ‘The Real Thing,’ & ‘How to Succeed…'”
• May 15, 2014 | uwishunu | First Person Arts’ Season  Finale Crowns The Top Storyteller In Town At Underground Arts This Friday, May 16
• May 8, 2014 | Geekadelphia | “First Person Arts’ Grand Slam Returns, Concludes Seventh Season”
• April 10, 2014 | Broad Street Review | “First Person Arts heads to Woodmere to celebrate women”
• April 10, 2014 | Philly.Com | “Like Bob Saget? Thank Stephen Starr”
• April 9, 2014 | uwishunu | “First Person Arts Brings Comedian Kevin Allison’s Storytelling Show RISK! To Underground Arts, Friday, April 11″
• April 8, 2014 | G Philly Magazine | “6 Gay Things to Do in Philly This Week: OurNightOut, Quince’s Latest, Young Friends for Brian Sims and More”
• April 7, 2014 | Philadelphia Magazine | “5 Things to Do in Philly This Week: Philly Tech Week Picks, Cinedelphia Film Festival Debuts, and More

2013

• November 21, 2013 | City Paper | “Icepack Illustrated: Gamble, Huff, Mac, Cherie and Cat Power’s pup”
• November 13, 2013 | WURD | Interview with First Person Arts Festival Artist, Ana Castillo
• November 2013 | WURD | Interview with First Person Arts Festival Artist, Raphael Xavier
• November 2013 | WURD | Interview with First Person Arts Festival Artist, Dr. Yaba Blay
• November 9, 2013 | Philadelphia Inquirer | “First Person Arts Festival: Stories of us all”
• November 7, 2013 | Chestnut Hill Local | “End of 30-year marriage provides the spark – City’s ‘Best Storyteller’ competing to retain crown”
• November 7, 2013 | Chestnut Hill Local | “$10 million lottery victory kept secret – Acclaimed Mt. Airy storyteller hosts first StorySlam’”
• October 31, 2013 | Montgomery News | “12th Annual First Person Arts Festival coming Nov. 6 to 16”
• October 30, 2013 | Al Dia | “Ana Castillo: Voz de la experiencia chicana”
• October 20, 2013 | The Philadelphia Sunday Sun | “Renowned scholar and activist Angela Davis added to the First Person Arts Festival, Nov. 14”
• October 11, 2013 | uwishunu | “Save The Date: The First Person Arts Festival Returns November 6-16, Featuring More Live Performances In Storytelling, Dance And Theater”