By Lillian Dunn, SPACES Artist Residency

The SPACES Artist in Residence program at The Village of Arts and Humanities in North Philadelphia has opened its Call for Artists for SPACES Cycle 2, to begin in June 2015.  Building on the discoveries of the first cycle, the residency period has been extended to 6 months. Cycle 2 SPACES Visiting Artists will live at The Village of Arts and Humanities in a creatively renovated row home, and lead a core team of community members to co-design and execute a transformative artistic project that addresses issues of social equity in our community.

The film above offers a glimpse into the discoveries of Cycle 1, and the unique relationship that SPACES creates between visiting and neighborhood artists. King Britt, an international producer and DJ born in Philadelphia, returned to his roots to be one of SPACES very first artists in residence. King sought to counteract negative media portrayals of North Philadelphia by founding a record label and recording a full-length album with neighborhood songwriters. Five months after his residency launched in June, the record label is called Playback Musik, with the stated goals of “fearless experimentation and community pride.”

“It’s been so amazing, and a very humbling experience,” King says. “I learned how everyone doesn’t have access like we assume. When given the access, the keys, you can see the future.”

To apply to Cycle 2 of SPACES, visit the application page to read the full application brief and e-mail Program Manager Lillian Dunn at [email protected] for more information.