Free Shakespeare in Clark Park performances have just ended, and now it’s time for some free movies. Movies in Clark Park, an annual program by University City District (UCD), kicks off Friday, Aug. 4, with a free screening of the classic E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Film screenings will be held every Friday (weather permitting), through Sept. 1., beginning at 8 p.m. Please bring your chairs or blankets!

In addition to movie screenings, there will be food and dessert offerings from a rotating list of vendors and some extra activities from local businesses and organizations. Here are more details on the scheduled screenings and extra activities (courtesy of UCD):  Continue Reading

Demolition of the Alexander Wilson School at 46th and Woodland is well underway, and the University of the Sciences expects to have a new residence hall and courtyard complex there by the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

The Wilson school was one of more than two dozen public schools closed in recent years. The USciences bought the building and land in the fall of 2014 for a reported $2 million. The university unveiled plans in the spring of 2016 for a 4- to 5-story dormitory over ground-floor retail and an open courtyard along Woodland Avenue (see rendering).

Photos West Philly Local

The sixth BlackStar Film Festival, the annual showcase of independent black filmmakers, will take place from Thursday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 6th at venues around West Philly.

This year’s venues include the Institute of Contemporary Art, World Cafe Life, Lightbox Film Center, and Pearlstein Gallery of Drexel University as well as Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s.

The event celebrates storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and global indigenous communities through work by black filmmakers.

In addition to feature documentaries and narratives, there will be several sessions featuring short films at the festival. On the opening day (Thursday, Aug. 3) at 3:50 p.m., the Shorts Program will include black enuf*, an “animated documentary exploring racial identity,” according to its website.  Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, an award-winning program of University City District that connects unemployed West Philly residents with local employers, is recruiting for the next cohort of trainees.

The program will be accepting applications through Aug. 18 for Patrol Officer positions with Allied Universal. Allied Universal is the largest provider of security services in North America and is recognized as the premier service provider in every market it serves. This is the 10th cohort the Skills Initiative has built with Allied Universal, and is the continuation of a six-year partnership.  Continue Reading

The Shakespeare in Clark Park production of Coriolanus opened last night to a big crowd in The Bowl near 43rd and Chester. The play follows the demise and vengeful crusade of Roman military leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. The amazon all-female cast carries the work, and a pack of riotous citizens of Rome made up with Philadelphia residents keeps the play lively (see more photos below).

Coriolanus continues through the weekend, concluding Sunday. Shows run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The rain location is the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.  Continue Reading

On Thursday, July 27, community members will gather for a remembrance event for West Philly community activist and green space advocate Winnie Harris. They will walk in her name and will pass out leaflets to “bring her killers to justice.” The event is organized by the Philadelphia Police 16th District and begins at 6 p.m. at 300 Holly St. See the flyer below for more details and if you want to participate in this event.

Almost six months have passed since Harris, 65, was found shot to death in her home on the 300 block of North Holly Street in West Powelton where she had lived for 40 years. In May, police released a flyer asking for the public’s assistance to identify two persons of interest in the investigation of the killing, which happened on February 3rd, 2017, but so far no arrests have been made.  Continue Reading