About the Festival
Festival Mission
Our mission is to commission, develop, and present a wide range of high-quality contemporary performance.
Through this, we hope to:
•  Support artists (Philadelphia-based, regional, national, international) who create this work.
•  Challenge, stimulate, entertain and educate the diverse audiences who see this work.
•  Provide opportunities for - and invest in - local artists in a way that leads to the continued growth and health of the local and
regional performing arts community.
•  Engage fully in the global dialogue about contemporary performance.
Live Arts
The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival features performances by acclaimed contemporary dance and theater companies who are selected and invited to the Festival by our producing director. While some Live Arts artists are based in Philadelphia, many come from other parts of the U.S., and from around the world.
Philly Fringe
The Philly Fringe is our "unfiltered" festival, where new and established artists of all kinds may choose to present their own work, free of a selection process. Most Philly Fringe artists live and work in Philadelphia.