ACTIONS & EVENTS
ACTIONS

Actions were key moments of public interaction and visibility of ongoing participatory processes held at the Playgrounds for Useful Knowledge temporary hub at 632 Jackson Street.

ACTION 1: SHARING KNOWLEDGE

Saturday, June 27, 2015
Rain date: Sunday, June 28
5 – 8 p.m.
632 Jackson Street (map)

Action 1 was the first public gathering of the Playgrounds for Useful Knowledge. A storytelling session over light dinner was led by Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra) in collaboration with Philadelphia-based actors and performers. Community members and representatives of local organization were invited to share their knowledge, experiences and vision of the area through the exchange and performance of stories and personal narratives. Committees were  be formed to address urgent local issues emerging from these conversations.

Click here to see photos and video from this event.

ACTION 2: A SPACE FOR URBAN REAPPROPRIATION

Saturday, July 18, 2015
Rain date: Sunday, July 19
Noon – 3 p.m.
632 Jackson Street (map)

Action 2 transformed the Playground for Useful Knowledge into a public interactive environment where neighbors presented their aspirations for the urban development of the area. Led by neighborhood committees and Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra), participants shared new practices, skills, and transferable knowledge through interactive games and performance under the guidance of Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed. The event brought forth alternative ways to address social and urban issues prevalent in South Philadelphia

Click here to see photos and video from this event.

ACTION 3: MIFFLIN SQUARE ALLIANCE FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 19, 2015
Rain date: Sunday, September 20
4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Mifflin Square, 6th Street between Wolf and Ritner (map)

The Mifflin Square Alliance Festival was a community-organized celebration, inspired by a growing alliance of South Philly’s diverse cultures, featuring performances, exhibitions, and knowledge shares by all of Playgrounds‘ community partners.

Events included:
* Live music, talk shows, dance, and storytelling on the PowerHouse Performance Stage
* Fun and creative hands-on activities for kids
* Tips from Trash Academy on keeping the neighborhood clean
* Workshops for idea-sharing with local community organizations
* A wildly successful South Philly Food Contest

Click here to see photos and video from this event.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops were hands-on classes on useful skills with visiting artists, gardeners and ecologists that took place on a regular basis at the Playground from June through September 2015.

Workshop 1: Urban Ecology / Gardening Workshops

Saturdays, June 20, July 25, and August 29
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
632 Jackson Street (map)

Attendees learned about wild gardening and urban ecology as they explored the Playground and its context within the city in terms of the site’s geology, wildlife, hydrology, and history. In this sequence of four two-hour workshops, we used all of our senses to experience and examine the unique feeling of place on this South Philadelphia site and reconsider urban gardens. The workshop was led by Scott Quitel from the LandHealth Institute.
No RSVP was necessary.

Workshop 2: Free Youth Art Classes

Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 22 through August 27
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
632 Jackson Street (map)

Youths ages 10 to 15 came to the Playground to explore, create artwork, and engage with visiting artists in these FREE workshops led by Margaret Kearney of Mural Arts’ Restored Spaces Initiative.
No RSVP was necessary.

Major support for Playgrounds for Useful Knowledge has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.