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:

The World To Come

People's Music Supply

October 1 — November 1, 2026

We are presenting a series of workshops which tap into the unique musical form of Creative Music (a genre rooted in Philadelphia history through John Coltrane and Sun Ra). The workshops would culminate in a large performance by participants in the workshop followed by a collective performance pulled from the 26 members of the People’s Music Supply.

This builds off our extensive past experience in organizing performances of improvised dance and music, as well as educational workshops. We have presented internationally acclaimed musicians (William Parker, Qiujiang Levi Lu, Bilanna Voutchkova, Joe Morris) and have run multiple sold out workshops in the course of our two year history.

The workshops would focus on three distinct but resonant areas of current practice among members. People could participate in 1 or all 3.

A) Improvising dance to music, and music to dance (open to dancers additionally)

B) Free Improvising across genre with other musicians
C) Utilizing ekphrastic interpretation as the jumping off point to merging art, improvisation, and composition. (open to artists additionally)