Philadelphia Folklore Project

The Philadelphia Folklore Project (PFP) is a non-profit organization advocating for and providing documentation, presentation, education, and collaborative research to folk and traditional arts across the Philadelphia region in service of social change. Founded in 1987 by folklorist Debora Kodish, PFP offers workshops and assistance to local artists and communities through organizing concerts, events, and exhibitions. Their driving philosophy is that "diversity and equity are central elements of thriving communities." One of a handful of independent folk and traditional arts nonprofits nationwide, the organization is widely regarded as a powerful instrument for socially conscious and anti-racist activism and serves as a model for sustaining living cultural heritage in the fields of applied folklore, ethnomusicology, and anthropology. It seeks to foster growth in communities through access to grant funding and artistic venues, but also material and social infrastructure in defense against gentrification and through cultivating positive inter-communal relationships.

PFP conducts field research into community-based arts, history, and culture, and maintains one of the largest archives on regional folklore in the city of Philadelphia, holding over 75,000 items and documents. The archive contains primary ethnographic sources and materials documenting community folklife, arts, culture, as well as the experiences and expressions of people in the Philadelphia region. Their archive also preserves PFP's administrative history, and materials from their exhibits, programs, documentary projects, and other initiatives. Provided by Wikipedia