Philadelphia: City of Festivals

The Need.

DiasporaDNA aims to better amplify the civic importance, neighborhood vitality and citywide economic impact of festival programming. Festivals preserve cultural memory and highlight local history through a network of talents, tour guides, vendors, food trucks, and neighbor nostalgia. We focus on festivals as a form of diaspora storytelling as a vital support network for independent creatives.

The Approach.

Diaspora DNA is uniquely suited to fill a gap in festival support and create a dynamic network that serves to mentor, guide and convene audiences, sponsors, press, patrons and producers around our cultural ecosystem.

DiasporaDNA will kinkeep the common threads of our festivals in diasporas by recording audiences oral histories of memorable fairs, block parties, concerts, music, talent, vending, fashion and an array of magical moments that occur in cultural event space.

The Goals.

• To build a support network for existing festival producers to inspirING the next generation of independent creative producers to mentor and support those develop their event concepts into festival formats.

• To create curriculum: Philly Festival Toolkit, to teach elements of Creative festival programming, budgeting, talent, licenses, AV, marketing, outreach, partnership and more

• To produce daylong Think Tank convening to support independent and aspiring creatives towards best practice.in festivals and public events.

• To offer mentoring with our national network of creative leaders, supporting individuals and collectives with a unique story to tell.

DiasporaDNA Founding Family had a life immersed in Festivals. We do this to honor their legacy and build up cultural producers throughout our diasporas.

• Monica grew up in Brooklyn Heights, NYC next to the Brooklyn Bridge, watching protests and parades, attending festivals, street fairs and concerts

• She came of age as a young lady in Philadelphia, attending Temple University and LaSalle University and living in North Philly, South Philly, Germantown, and NE Philly. She appreciating the power of story expressed through parades qnd celebrations she attended in Philly, including Unity Day, Greek Picnic, Roots Picnic, Penns Landing Multicultural Festivals, Susquehanna Day, Juneteenth Festival, Thanksgiving Parade. She loves Festivals like, she loves cooked food!

• Father Elvin Montgomery Jr. is a son of New Orleans who grew up near the Fairgrounds and Gentilly Terrace in NOLA attending Mardi Gras parades, Zulu Balls, OGG festivals and cotillions with his family.

• Mother Sandra Brannon Montgomery, is a daughter of NW Washington DC, who grew up in Petworth, and attended protests and celebrations in America's backyard including the March on Washington on the National Mall.