Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about love.
First Person Arts is inviting Philadelphians to come tell the tale of their own breakup experience with their annual ExFiles event. This particular showcase is the signature piece of their Story Slam series, which FPA has been hosting for years.
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 it. People either do, or they go there to listen. Since the Slams started over a decade ago in 2007, First Person Arts has hosted hundreds of competitions with approximately 11 new stories every time—that comes out to be thousands of stories just from community members over the years alone.
The ExFiles event specifically will follow the same formula as most StorySlams.
Throughout the 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.
“Valentine’s Day isn’t just for the lovers anymore. It’s an opportunity to celebrate love in all its forms,” said Executive Director Jamie J Brunson in a statement. “We here at First Person Arts believe that everyone has a story to tell, but more importantly, that it is our shared experiences that truly bring us together. I couldn’t think of a better event to get a group of friends and commiserate over the trials and tribulations of love lost.”
Brunson acts as the artistic director and producer of all of the programming of their story slams, film work and videos. She also handles all the fundraising and the operations of the business on top of being on their board. During her time with FPA, Brunson also created Applied Storytelling in 2012, another program that hosts customized activities in specific neighborhoods.
First Person Arts however was first founded in 2001 by Vicki Solot. This creative organization was initially meant to be called Blue Sky as a response to the burgeoning interest in memoir and documentary art forms. 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. Since then, it has also become Philadelphia’s premier nonprofit storytelling organization.
This year, First Person Arts has also teamed up with Triple Bottom Brewing to bring you different beers and refreshments. Their ExFiles exclusive cocktail/mocktail “Love on the Rocks” is made with PA crafted whiskey, fresh pomegranate juice, fresh lemon juice, and ginger beer.
FPA’s ExFiles will take place at SideQuest Theater (2030 Sansom St.) For more information and tickets ($35,) visit firstpersonarts.networkforgood.com
