-Courtesy of The Kimmel Cultural Campus
The Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra announce 2021-22 season-long community partnership with Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc. (Taller) — a community-based cultural organization, known as El Corazón Cultural del Barrio (The Cultural Heart of Latino Philadelphia). Taller serves to preserve, develop, and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture, grounded in the conviction that embracing one’s cultural heritage is central to community empowerment. With a shared dedication to shaping young minds through arts education, both the Kimmel Cultural Campus and Taller will identify opportunities to join forces throughout the year.
“Taller Puertorriqueño is a gem of our community, focusing on arts and culture education, programming that speaks to the Latin American Diaspora, and building bridges within Philadelphia,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. “We are honored to partner with a fellow non-profit organization that reflects so many of our values and recognizes that the arts play a powerful role in connecting us all.”
“Taller feels proud and honored to join the Kimmel Cultural Campus in this season long collaborative partnership to further promote both our organization’s missions,” said Carmen Febo San Miguel, Executive Director of Taller Puertorriqueño. “Through art, Taller breathes, embodies, and responds to the issues that impact us all. Art is a tool to combat prejudice, and to preserve and keep our culture alive and relevant. And art can build bridges to connect communities in challenging times, when the forces that divide us seem stronger than the ones that bring us together. Today, this partnership, and hopefully, others inspired by it, are more important than ever. It celebrates our humanities, it celebrates cooperation and understanding, and it celebrates our community’s strengths while introducing those not familiar, to Taller’s work.”
As the first project in the year-long partnership, the Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra are participating in Taller Puertorriqueño’s holiday outreach drive – encouraging its audiences to attend holiday performances bearing gifts, to benefit Taller’s annual Three Kings Celebration on January 6, 2022. All donations will be distributed to local children, ages infant through 18, alongside live music and a parade, both happening at Taller. Labeled donation boxes will be in the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ venues, including Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Merriam Theater, beginning Wednesday, December 1, 2021, through January 4, 2022. Full list of donation items below.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra are further supporting the work of Taller Puertorriqueño with a donation of $10,000 and tickets to Campus events for Taller staff, artists, students, and partners. Additional partnership activations include: Taller student artwork on display at the Campus’ Academy of Music; facilitation of cast appearances and master classes; and a show-related field trip for Taller students, including a pre-visit educational guide.
Below is a list of donations needed to support the Taller Puertorriqueño holiday drive:
Science games (including STEM toys)
Sensory-specific games
Sports items (excluding balls)
Art materials
Educational & fun baby toys
Musical toys
Gift cards (including Apple Music, Target, Game Stop)
Headsets & Earbuds
NOTE: Toy guns will not be accepted.
Taller Puertorriqueño was also the site of a recent Our City, Your Orchestra episode from The Philadelphia Orchestra. To view the episode, visit philorch.org/ocyo
Safe & Clean Commitment + Flexible Ticket Policy
The Kimmel Cultural Campus is proudly certified by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council – the gold standard for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention programs. We will always put the safety of our guests, artists, and staff first, and we have worked closely with partners, producers, artists, guests and other performing arts centers around the nation to develop the most comprehensive plan to safely reopen our doors. We are committing to a healthy and clean environment with increased disinfection, enhanced ventilation, and will enforce recommended health authority guidelines, including masks and proof of vaccination. For more information on our Safe & Clean Commitment, please visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Masks are required to be worn at all times when on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, except when actively consuming food or beverage in designated locations. Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted. All attendees for public events must show proof of full vaccination at the time of entry, with valid photo ID and copy of vaccination card (physical or photo). Proof of negative COVID-19 tests will not be accepted, with the exception of children under the age of 12; children under 12 will be required to show a negative PCR test or negative rapid result. While rapid tests (taken within 48 hours of event) are accepted, and PCR tests are preferred (taken within 72 hours of event). Official lab results are required, and home tests will not be accepted. Our position on vaccine mandates for children under the age of 12 may change as the larger population gets vaccinated. This policy is subject to change based upon guidance from the CDC and local health authorities.
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