Some Excellent Ideas (With More to Come)

"The cultural sector must not focus on catching the latest wave, technological or traditional, but [instead must] build the tools of adaptability to change when change is needed. … Cultural institutions need adaptability for longevity. … One persistent problem is how slow institutions are to adapt to new changes. … To ride the wave, you have to adapt to new times. …inventing new methods and focusing on adaptability will help the sector develop."

So argues @hourofhistory in The Art of Riding a Wave: Reinventing Cultural Institutions.

Yes, yes! We agree wholeheartedly.

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(Source)

@hourofhistory continues: “Rather than aim to build cultural institutions that will stand for the next one-hundred years, Philadelphia should look to the development of cultural institutions that have the adaptability to change with each new system of growth.”

OK, good. So what might that future look like?

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Here are just a few of the many wonderful ideas from the students of History5151 and MLA5220:

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A Tour Through the Past

@engledd learned from Ismael Jimenez, a high school a student that “there is a need for affordable walking tours. Research turned up lots of for profit tours, mostly for individuals and at a cost of $19 to $150 per person. Some of these also offered group tours for schools, still at a cost. Many schools can’t afford them. Besides the cost, the vast majority of them fit only a few narratives: the typical one about colonial Philly and independence, the yellow fever, and a few miscellaneous others. This leaves the city’s later history untold … a sector-wide problem. Are there any Philly nonprofits that might be willing to develop a walking tour?

Gaps in the Philadelphia History System

@tmaust went looking for significant gaps in the history system and found two: recent history and neighborhood-level history. “The History Truck model meets much of the needs I see,” but isn’t a brick-and-mortar destination. Inspired by @cheider, @tmaust looked at combination institutions, those offering culture and social services (like Progressive Era settlement houses), those institutions that are both stewards of the past while they also address needs of the present. Consider what Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site has done around issues of mass incarceration. Could this class of orgs need some special cultivation? What other organizations in the Philadelphia are intrinsically linked to social advocacy? Could this genre be ready to make a leap into the cultural ecology?

(Source)

Letter of Intent: Preserving the Memory of Pennhurst

@dduquette noted that the Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance developed a six-year plan in 2015 for the renovation of the former Superintendent’s mansion and its repurposing as a museum and interpretive center. The purpose: a museum and interpretive center to educate visitors from around the world on the history of intellectual and developmental disability with a special focus on that history’s place at Pennhurst. How far have they gotten since 2015? How would resources from @phillyhistory be allocated?

Art-Reach and the Possibilities of Accessibility

@charliehersh points out that the distribution of cultural organizations in Philadelphia creates a culture in which marginalized groups, such as people of color and low-income families, are barred both physically and philosophically from participating in the cultural sector. Admission and transportation costs, not to mention lack of accessible entrances and programs, can make it impossible to visit institutions, and the white-centric and colonialist history of historical institutions can make it difficult for POC to feel comfortable being in those spaces. Consider addressing this by supporting Art Reach, which has an excellent record. Last year, they served over 160,000 people through a variety of access programs and special events.

Which approaches, what projects do you consider most important?

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^{100% of the SBD rewards from this #explore1918 post will support the Philadelphia History Initiative @phillyhistory. This crypto-experiment conducted by graduate courses at Temple University's Center for Public History and MLA Program, is exploring history and empowering education. Click here to learn more.}

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