Culture and Community

Student Performing Culture and Community at Penn

Platt House and the PAC Shop are an advisory home to a vast array of dancers, designers, singers, stagecrew, costumers, choreographers, poets, instrumentalists, producers, comedians, technicians, and thespians.

In this large and complicated network of student-run performance groups, our artists navigate a broad range of contexts, opportunities, and challenges within their groups and within the broader student culture at Penn. We’re always looking for ways to interrogate these gaps and address the changing needs of our artists.

In coordination with our mission of campus engagement, our Arts Equity programming works towards constant development in our programming to serve the full performing arts community in all its different disciplines and forms, while pursuing equity, inclusion, and greater accessibility in their operations.

Anonymous Feedback Form

The Anonymous Feedback Form for Students is intended to provide an anonymous space for students to name issues, express concerns, and offer suggestions to help Platt House, the PAC Shop, and the student performing arts at Penn community become more equitable and just entities and spaces.

Black Arts Series

Platt House’s Black Arts Series is an initiative in support and celebration of Black creative expression, performance, and artivism on Penn’s campus. We seek visibility for creatives in current, incoming, and graduated classes to find, inspire, and collaborate with each other, and we aspire to amplify and sustain clubs like 4A and African Rhythms whose membership took a hit during the early COVID era of remote and socially distanced activities.

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Platt FY20 1b - CommunityTicketing Landing Page

Platt FY20 1b - CommunityTicketing About

Community Ticketing Program

The Community Ticketing Program, which serves students as well as local community partners, facilitates greater engagement with our performing arts groups by keeping ticket costs from being a financial barrier. Sign up for free ticket offers, or donate seats to your own performance.

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"Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds" by Adrienne Maree Brown

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“The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World” by Jamil Zaki

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Student Projects

Platt House retains an archive of student-driven community projects that inspire and shape our values as an organization. To contribute to these projects, please email us at platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu.

Performing Arts Peer Education & Review

Our newest initiative, Performing Arts Peer Education & Review (PAPER) is a dialogue and feedback system to help arts groups align their work with their values and intentions. We are looking for student reviewers interested in equity and representation in the arts to participate as Peer Reviewers for our upcoming launch! Apply to be a Peer Reviewer here.