If there was ever a format to showcase the power of storytelling on a stage, it’s with First Person Arts. Founded in 2001 by Vicki Solot, this creative organization was firstly meant to be called Blue Sky as a response to the burgeoning interest in memoir and documentary art forms.
However, after 9/11, Solot responded to the tragedy by coming up with The First Person Arts Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art, and in 2006 Blue Sky became First Person Arts and has since showcased the work of hundreds of artists nationwide. It has also become Philadelphia’s premier nonprofit storytelling organization.
Since its inception, FPA has put on numerous events including what they are perhaps more famous for, their Story Slams. These specific nights usually have a theme and when members of the community come in, they’re asked if they have a true personal story around 5 minutes or less to go along with the theme. People either do, or they go there to listen.
For the 2024-25 season, September will hold the theme of “SexFiles”, October is “Ghosted”, November is “Online Dating”, December is “Home for the Holidays”, January is “The Morning After”, February is “ExFiles,” March is “Second Chances”, April is “What If?”, May is “NSFW”, and June is the “Grand Slam.”
Since the slams started over a decade ago in 2007, First Person Arts has hosted over 250 iterations with approximately 11 new stories every time—that comes out to be thousands of stories just from community members over the years.
During the pandemic, First Person Arts also put together “Covid Stories” as an enveloping creative model offering everyone a chance to tell their story while self-isolating. But their signature is the “Ex Files” Slam which takes place every Valentine’s Day and invites people to tell stories about their romantic pasts.
“That’s where we ask people to step out of their comfort zone. Here’s a story from someone you may not know or may have traveled a different route than you,” explains Executive Director Jamie Brunson in a past statement to Metro. “All of our storytelling is intended to foster appreciation among people for our unique and shared experiences.”
Throughout those story slams, there is always a winner chosen by judges and those winners receive $100 and then go and compete in the “Grand Slam.” Additionally, the entire audience rates each performance, and the storyteller with the highest audience score at the end of the StorySlam season wins a spot at the Grand Slam as well. There, locals will vie for the title of “Best Storyteller in Philadelphia” and free StorySlam admission for life.
More information on the First Person Arts Festival can be found online, but people can also link up with the organization through their podcasts (one which comes out twice monthly and another that comes out four times a year) or through any of their various activations that happen annually.
“We don’t perform brain surgery, but the arts help people and continue to help people who are frightened, who don’t know what’s going on or don’t know what the future holds. We know we can make a difference in someone’s life,” finished Brunson. “We are Philly, we love Philly and we just want the community and the region to know we love them and we’re here. Come out if you can, listen if you can’t, and stay strong.”
For more information, visit firstpersonarts.org
