Collective Futures

is a city-wide celebration of Philadelphia’s vibrant network of artist-run spaces, DIY venues, and community-driven art initiatives. Taking place over six weeks in fall 2026, the festival will showcase the creative power of collectivity through exhibitions, workshops, performances, and public programs that engage both local and national audiences.

Bringing together more than 25 independent spaces and organizations, Collective Futures highlights the vital role of grassroots initiatives in shaping civic dialogue, cultural innovation, and community resilience. With a focus on supporting underrepresented artists and amplifying local voices, the festival will activate neighborhoods across the city—including Kensington, North Chinatown, West Philly, Fishtown, and Old City—creating accessible, neighborhood-based cultural experiences.

Coinciding with the celebrations surrounding America’s 250th birthday, Collective Futures situates Philadelphia’s artist-run ecosystem within a broader national conversation about democracy, creativity, and collective care.

At its core, the project is a multifaceted exploration of collective practices, storytelling, and the intersections of art, community, and infrastructure. Rooted in collaboration and experimentation, it seeks to amplify diverse perspectives while fostering connections between local and national networks. Through exhibitions, publications, and public programs, Collective Futures investigates the inner workings, histories, and creative processes of collectives—centering storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation and expression. Using oral histories, printmaking, and site-specific artworks, the festival will illuminate the interplay between artists, communities, and their environments.

By combining critical reflection with artistic production, Collective Futures aims to create a blueprint for equitable and sustainable collaboration—reimagining how art can mobilize resources, deepen connections, and envision transformative futures.

Collective Futures

is:

Installation and Workshop

The Bio Materials Working Group

The Biomaterials Working Group (BWG), is an art and research collective. We share an interest in exploring sustainable alternatives to plastics and toxic materials conventionally used in studio art practices, as well as a broad curiosity about the transformative potential of everyday materials used in unconventional ways.

Our various previous avenues of exploration include: algae-based bioplastics, eggshell concrete, fermentation, natural pigments, kombucha leather, saltwater radio antennae, and more.

Installation:

The Biomaterials Working Group proposes to create an installation at Icebox featuring the collective’s work made about the Metal Bank Superfund site in North Philly, following an installation and walking tour of the site to be hosted by RAIR in Spring 2026.

This installation will include textile sculptures, printed with plant-based dyes on reclaimed fabric with a pattern representing a conceptual map of the superfund site, and a short-range radio broadcast based on research into the site’s history and present.

Public Workshop:

To accompany this installation, the group will also host a free public workshop on plant-based pigments and dyes, at a location TBD. In this workshop, we will connect foraged materials, salvaged fabric, and sustainable art practices as acts of collective engagement with our surroundings and environment.

This workshop’s format will follow previous pedagogical projects such as the Pomological apple leather workshop, and a print workshop hosted by Fabric Workshop and Museum.