We are always looking for new ways to engage with our community, and last year, we branched out into classes for folks who want to know more about arts journalism. Since then, we've offered three webinars: one about arts PR and two about review-writing. They were a hit! So this November, we're offering another live session of our Zoom class on the basics of PR for artists and arts institutions.
HELP UP HELP YOU 2024: A PR webinar for artists from the editors at BSR is happening at 6:30pm ET on Thursday, November 21. Here's the link to RSVP. Tickets are a suggested donation of $25, but if you can't swing that, it's ok. When you click "Get Tickets" on the event page, you can choose the $25 donation, or the "Buy a PWYC ticket" option and enter your amount. Either way, hit Check Out to pay and secure your spot.
Yes, the webinar will be recorded, so you can watch live or watch later, but we definitely recommend joining us live, because the class will finish with a Q&A featuring Philly PR experts Jill Ivey and Frank Luzi. Bring your questions!
As always, our events are free for Friends of BSR (monthly donors starting at $5/month). So anyone who becomes a Friend between now and November 21 will get free access to the webinar, and any classes we offer for the next year. (If you're a Friend and did not yet receive our invitation to register, reply to this email and we'll get you set up.)
And if you want to meet BSR team members in person, I will be joining a discussion panel on art, politics, and journalism hosted by our friends at CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia in the Philadelphia Building. It's part of a whole day of open office hours at CultureWorks, and the panel is running from 12:30-2pm. It's free! RSVP here.
Ok. Onto this week's stories! We have a great batch of reviews spanning the Institute for Contemporary Art, Teatro Esperanza, the Philadelphia Film Festival, a little-known Tennessee Williams piece from EgoPo, the latest from Piffaro, and more. We've also got a new episode of our podcast up, featuring Morgan Bassichis, whose one-man show about historic queer comedian Frank Maya is in town for two nights only at the Wilma this weekend.
And you know this part. I'm going to keep saying it. Vote early at your satellite election office, vote by mail, or vote in person on November 5. Make your plan! As Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance president and CEO Patricia Wilson Aden said at last week's annual meetup, the Philly-area cultural community is a huge and historically active voting bloc. Let's live up to that in 2024.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief