Philly Creative Community Hosts Virtual Fundraiser for Black Artists + Gig Workers
Philly Creative Community Hosts Virtual Fundraiser for Black Artists + Gig Workers
Artists, performers, music industry legends, arts and entertainment organizations, and cultural leaders will come together on October 1, 2020, from 6 – 10 p.m. for Philly Culture United LIVE – a virtual fundraiser to support Black artists and gig workers in Philadelphia. The evening will be hosted by Live Life Nice founder Christian Crosby, REC Philly co-founder William Toms, and Shft.World founder Delilah Dee, and will feature performances from Philadelphia artists including Rich Medina, Ursula Rucker, DJ Aktive, Ali Awan, Son Little, Chill Moody, Seraiah Nicole, Shawn Smith, McKie and Res, and Reef the Lost Cauze.
Philly Culture United Live is a collaborative project made possible by REC Philly, Our People Entertainment, Alist & Co., We The People Stage, 30amp, RedBull, Captured Creative Agency, MidAtlantic FX, Visit Philadelphia, Live Nation Philadelphia, and Nugs.tv. The event will highlight the immediate need to support Philadelphia’s rich creative economy, which despite driving $3.4 billion of economic impact and creating more than 37,000 full-time jobs, now faces major funding cuts per the 2021 City budget.
“This event is important to REC because our mission has always been to create an ecosystem for our city’s creative talent to thrive economically. That mission is especially important to uphold in this time when our local government is divesting from the arts and culture sector, showing a clear misunderstanding or undervaluing of the positive impact created by these artists and cultural organizations,” states REC Philly co-founder William Toms. Sharing the same sentiment, Our People Entertainment co-founder Will Horrocks states, “Black artists and entertainment industry professionals are our family, and they are hurting right now during this time both financially and socially. We are passionate about this project in helping bring aid to those individuals because they will be a driving force in bringing a sense of community and culture back to the city of Philadelphia. We all could use that right now.”
The virtual event will also feature some of the city’s most prolific members of the creative ecosystem, including legendary songwriter and producer Kenny Gamble of Gamble and Huff, radio host Wendy Rollins, DJ Diamond Kuts, Kindred the Family Soul, jazz musician Gerald Veasley, producer duo Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias, singer and songwriter Laurin Talese, rapper and producer Ivy Sole, performing artist Brianna Cash, and singer, songwriter and drummer Eric Slick.
During and after the livestream, viewers will be able to contribute to the micro-grants, which will be distributed to Black artists, creatives, and music gig workers. Additionally, REC Philly will be providing free memberships to their 10,000 sq ft creative facility at 9th & Market. The micro-grants funded through Philly Culture United LIVE will work to fill the funding gap felt most deeply by Black artists and gig workers citywide, and will be facilitated by 30AMP Circuit, a 501(c)(3)non-profit created specifically to promote health and wellness for music industry professionals. The livestream will be broadcasted on Philly Culture United’s website: www.phillycultureunited.com
