The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe supports artists, and brings the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to our city, amplifying the vibrancy of Philadelphia as a renowned cultural center and an unparalleled place to live, work, and visit. Founded in 1997, we serve local, national, and international artists of all disciplines and levels of achievement through the platforms of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, the Philly Fringe, and the LAB program.

"I love the spontaneity and uniqueness of the art and entertainment that is offered. You can’t have any more fun anywhere else!"
— Deborah Oliver, Festival supporter and attendee

"It’s my favorite three weeks in Philadelphia!"
— Alec Rubin, Festival attendee

"The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival is the best international Festival in the country"
— Dan Rothenberg, Artistic Director and Founder, Pig Iron Theatre Company

The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival is a curated festival of the world’s most cutting-edge, high-quality performing arts groups who are invited by the Festival’s Producing Director Nick Stuccio. Live Arts presentations elevate Philadelphia as a performing arts destination through offering audiences artistic experiences that are both entertaining and intellectually challenging. The Live Arts Festival is often the only opportunity the region’s audiences will have to see these works without traveling internationally. In 2012, approximately 14 Live Arts shows will be presented.

"For me, Fringe equals risk, as a creator and a watcher. So much of the work in both the Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe has this kind of once-in-a-lifetime feel to it"
— Adrienne Mackey, LAB Fellow and Co-Artistic Director of Swim Pony

The Philly Fringe is an unfiltered festival, where a platform is provided for new and established artists to present their work free of a selection process. For some it’s a once-a-year, or once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a show; for professional companies, it can be an opportunity to try something new. The Philly Fringe seeks create a cityscape filled with theater, dance, music, and everything in between for audiences to enjoy; encourage artists to give expression to and develop their talents and artistic visions in total artistic freedom without any curatorial barriers in bringing that work to an audience; to help artists become successful independent producers; and ensure the growth and continued health of the local and regional performing arts community. In 2011, over 200 Philly Fringe shows will be self-produced by thousands of artists throughout the region.

The 16th-annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe will take place from September 7 - 22, 2012.

"The Live Arts Festival brings phenomenal programming to Philadelphia, giving us the opportunity to witness some of the most interesting work in the world. It’s an incredible time to be an artist – watching work produced by and within your community alongside international groundbreaking pieces. Often, the Live Arts Festival is the first place I’m able to see new work from my favorite artists. I'm very grateful for Live Arts’ increasing investment in audience development, performance-lectures, and artistic and production residencies. As a LAB fellow, I am now being directly introduced to many brilliant and experienced mentors who have a connection to our city through Live Arts"
— Greg Holt, LAB Fellow and member of the Green Chair Dance Company

In 2010 the Live Arts Brewery (LAB) was founded. A laboratory for research and development, the LAB operates year-round to support artistic research, experimentation, and exploration of contemporary theater, dance, and cross-genre live performance work. Through the LAB program, at least five artists are selected annually to engage in a nine-month residency Fellowship during which the artists may develop new works, interact and collaborate with fellow artists, and engage in critical dialogue and thought about new ideas in contemporary live performance. Each LAB Fellow is given use of Live Arts’ state-of-the-art studio facility in Northern Liberties for a minimum of six weeks time during their Fellowship year. In addition, a curriculum designed to underscore artistic creative processes is explored, including organized peer meetings, work-in-progress showings, critiques by visiting artists, at least one presentation in the Live Arts Second Thursday Series, and opportunities for LAB Fellows to mentor students from local universities. In addition to free studio time and the ongoing curriculum, thanks to the support of the Independence Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and PNC Arts Alive, LAB Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000.

Click here for full details on the LAB Program and its Fellows.