First Person Arts Festival returns for 12 days of storytelling and the arts Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 15. The festival calendar includes everything from workshops to dinners, all set around the theme of having everyday people share their stories with others.
Highlights include the 15th First Person Arts Grand Slam, going down Thursday, Nov. 5. Winners of this season's Story Slams will compete for the title of "Best Storyteller" with a prize of free FPA Slam admission for life and $250. Five-time Moth StorySLAM winner Margot Leitman will host.
Philly's first poet laureate Sonia Sanchez will be joined by a multicultural group of authors and activists for "Women's Voices On the Revolution." Kathy Engel, Chair of the Department of Art and Public Policy at Tisch School of the Arts, and award-winning poet Hila Ratzabi will share their stories of being contemporary women on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The same night, the voices behind "Welcome to Night Vale," the wildly popular podcast which tells a fictional story about a small town, will discuss their new novel. Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor will be interviewed by podcast star Cecil Baldwin and a book signing will conclude the event.
BEyond Expectations: Engaging Males of Color, the second installment of First Person Arts' partnership with the city of Philadelphia, will take place Saturday, Nov. 14. Well-known artists and everyday men will share their stories on stage with live music, directed by Ozzie Jones.
View the complete festival schedule here.