Philly Story Fest 2024

Philly Story Fest 2024 was a three-night live storytelling event celebrating untold stories and underrepresented voices across journalism, art, and community. Building on the success of the 2023 debut, this year’s show expanded its reach and deepened its theme, Singing from the Shadows, a spotlight on powerful voices too often unheard.

“Some stories find their way to us for a reason.”

Challenges

1. Thematic Shift: The team needed to evolve the show’s concept to feel fresh while staying grounded in the intimacy and honesty that defined the original.
2. Deeper Community Representation: The new theme demanded a more intentional focus on storytellers from historically excluded or overlooked communities.
3. Sustaining Momentum: With the previous year setting a high bar, the team faced the pressure of growing the show without losing its editorial edge.

Solution

1. Refined Curation: Stories were selected to reflect the 2024 theme, featuring voices from neighborhoods, newsrooms, and cultural spaces often pushed to the margins.
2. Expanded Partnerships: To include more arts orgs (Streets Dept, Mural Arts, Philly Film Society).
3. Production Growth: Elevated the audience experience with a multi-night event, improved staging, and a wider promotional campaign to boost attendance and visibility.

Results

1. A packed house and standing ovation proved the event had grown in both scale and emotional impact from the year prior.
2. The show attracted new media attention, foundation interest, and opened doors for further storytelling work in Philadelphia.
3. Audiences described the experience as “honest,” “necessary,” and “unlike anything else during the year.”

Reflection

Each story transported the audience to the world of the storyteller. Philly Story Fest 2024 didn’t just repeat success, it amplified itself, proving that stories from the shadows are often the ones we most need to hear.