12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Want to support small, queer-owned businesses this holiday season? Come get your shopping done at Queer Space Philly's Third Annual Holiday Market. This year's market will host 25+ local makers, crafters, and organizations. Items for sale include candles, clothing, baked goods, and original art.  There is a suggested donation of $5-$10 for entry, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. 15% of these donations will be donated to PCRF. The remaining donations will be used for QSP programming in 2025. Learn more about Queer Space Philly & the market.

Contact: marketing@albustanseed.org 

Palestinian Vocalist, Nibal Malshi Brings Her Signature Blend of Traditional and Contemporary Arabic Music to Philadelphia 

Featuring and Directed by Firas Zreik and an ensemble of talented local musicians 

Philadelphia, PA, November 6th, 2024 – Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is thrilled to announce an extraordinary evening of live music featuring acclaimed Palestinian vocalist and multidisciplinary artist, Nibal Malshi, in concert on December 6th, 2024, at 7:00 PM at The Rotunda, located at 4014 Walnut St. 

Known for her rich, expressive voice and dynamic artistry, Nibal Malshi will bring her signature blend of traditional and contemporary Arab music to Philadelphia. Accompanied by an ensemble of talented local musicians, including Gideon Forbes (woodwinds), Bashar Farran (bass), and Gilbert Mansour (percussion), the evening will be directed by the celebrated kanun player Firas Zreik. 

“As an artist, I see my work as more than just a profession; it’s a platform for positive change and a message of peace and humanity. My creative journey is not only about expressing myself through art & preserving the Arab music, but also using my voice and influence to connect people and make a meaningful impact on society.” - Nibal Malshi 

About Nibal Malshi: Nibal Malshi is a distinguished Palestinian artist, hailing from the city of Haifa in Palestine. 

From the tender age of 5, she embarked on a musical journey, dedicating her life to the art form 

and drawing inspiration from renowned Arab artists. Her performances, spanning both her 

homeland, Europe & the USA, include notable venues such as the Institute de monte Arab in 

Paris. Nibal's artistic journey extends internationally, with significant collaborations such as a month-long dance workshop in Ramallah & Beir Zeit partnered with Al- Qattan Foundation and KVS from Brussels, participation in Voice for Peace projects in Germany, and involvement in musicians' programs in London. Nibal has graced numerous events including the Arab American National Museum Grand Gala, Arab Cultural Center Gala in Houston TX, Arab America Summit in Washington DC, Rene Moawad Foundation DC,Palestine Foundation in LA, APWA Virginia and many others.In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Nibal was honored as an "Arab America Foundation 40 Under 40" award recipient in 2023. 

Tickets are pay-what-you-wish/suggested $20. Purchase HERE

About Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture: Rooted in Arab arts and language, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture offers artistic and educational programming that enriches understanding and celebrates diversity, while supporting the pursuit and affirmation of Arab American cultural identity and playing a constructive civic role within broader American society. 

This December, join songwriters Ali Dineen and Aly Halpert for a special evening of song and comfort in community. In the pocket of time between two avalanching political events, Ali and Aly will share songs for the heart, for resilience, and for all of us doing the work of birthing a different world. Aly will be accompanied by Multi-instrumentalist Rachel Chang.

Come on in, loosen, and hold on:

"Things are not as they seem/and you are not on your owncause nobody enters this world alone." - Ali Dineen

Doors @ 7pm, Concert @ 7:30pm$18-54 suggested donation, with NOTAFLOF (No one turned away for lack of funds)

Ali Dineen (she/they) is a songwriter, composer, visual artist and teacher. Born and raised and currently working in Queens, NY, she has performed at the Museum of Art and Design, the Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Folk Festival, among other wonderful venues. Ali worked as Musical Director for the Stop Shopping Choir for several years, including on their 2024 national Love Earth tour opening for Neil Young. Ali was awarded the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency in 2020, and is a 2025 NYSCA arts grant recipient. Ali works as the music director for local puppet troupe extraordinaire The Boxcutter Collective. They are currently working on a new music and theater piece about Joan of Arc.

Aly Halpert (she/her) is a queer Jewish musician, educator, and activist living on Lenni Lenape land in Philadelphia, PA, USA. A singer, pianist, and guitar player, Aly writes songs for building community and visioning different worlds. Aly leads music and prayer for Jewish community, including Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, Hadar's Rising Song Institute, Kol Tzedek Synagogue, and Let My People Sing. Her songs have been sung in national gatherings, song circles, and quiet moments of personal prayer, and have moved people all over the world. Her first full-band album Loosen was released in April 2022 with Rising Song Records. Aly believes deeply in the power of music to awaken us to the loss and hope we carry, expand our sense of possibility, and connect us to each other and our collective strength. 

Rachel Chang (she/her) is a Jewish musician, songleader, and educator, as well as a music therapist, living in Philadelphia, PA. Drawing from the many communities and identities that have shaped her, Rachel leads with expressive guitar, sensitive listening, and a deep intention to cultivate belonging. She is the director of A Queer Nigun Project, which uses nigunim as a collective healing practice for LGBTQIA+ people, for Jews of Color, and for incarcerated people in Jewish community, and she is the ritual director at LUNAR: The Asian Jewish Collective. As a queer and multiracial Chinese-American Jew, Rachel has spent years grappling with what it means to belong, to take up space, and to be heard in Jewish community, and she has found music to be an invaluable resource.

Doors @ 7pm, Concert @ 7:30pm$18-54 suggested donation, with NOTAFLOF (No one turned away for lack of funds). Advance tickets can be purchased HERE

During the month of December 2024, the Paul Robeson House & Museum, the West Philadelphia Arts Council, and The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation will host three information sessions to review the upcoming second round of West Philadelphia Creative Grants, as well as the inaugural artist residency opportunity at the Paul Robeson House & Museum.WednesdayDecember 4, 4–6 PM at Urban Art Gallery, 262 S 52nd StThursday, December 12, 12–1:30 PM at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut StWednesday, December 18, 8–9 PM, Online (Zoom)These information sessions will review the application processes for each opportunity and general strategies for developing competitive applications. Organizers will also be available to discuss application ideas and answer attendee questions. Food will be served at both in-person information sessions.All information sessions are free and open to all members of the West Philadelphia creative community. Registration is encouraged but not required to attend.RegisterThe Paul Robeson House & Museum will begin accepting applications for both opportunities on December 16, 2024, and continuing through January 17, 2025.Additional information about each opportunity will be shared on December 16, when the period for submitting applications begins.West Philadelphia Creative GrantsWest Philadelphia Creative Grants support art and creative practices within West Philadelphia. Individual artists and community and civic groups can apply for grants of up to $2,500 to support artistic projects or cultural activities that benefit the West Philadelphia community and for direct operating support for individual artists and organizations working in the West Philadelphia creative community.Eligibility RequirementsApplicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for West Philadelphia Creative Grants.Applicants must be at least 18 years oldApplicants must reside, work in, or have significant ties to the West Philadelphia community.Applicants must create work that fits within or responds to the histories or traditions of Black artists.Recent GranteesIn September 2024, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation and the Paul Robeson House & Museum announced the first round of West Philadelphia Creative Grant awards, providing $40,000 to support sixteen West Philadelphia artists and creative organizations.For a complete list of the sixteen inaugural awardees and their projects, please visit the Paul Robeson House & Museum website.Paul Robeson House & Museum Artist ResidencyThe Paul Robeson House & Museum will soon accept applications for its inaugural artist residency opportunity.West Philadelphia artists will be invited to apply to work in a newly renovated studio space on the 3rd floor of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance building, adjacent to the Paul Robeson House & Museum. During the residency, artists will engage with the history and legacy of Paul Robeson at the Paul Robeson House & Museum and connect with the West Philadelphia creative community through public programming.The inaugural residency will take place from March–June 2025. The artist-in-residence will receive a $10,000 stipend with an additional $5,000 available to support public programming during the residency.Eligibility RequirementsApplicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Paul Robeson House & Museum Artist Residency.Applicants must be at least 18 years old.Applicants must reside, work in, or have significant ties to the West Philadelphia community.Applicants must create work that fits within or responds to the histories or traditions of Black artists.About the West Philadelphia Arts CouncilThe West Philadelphia Arts Council was formed to establish ongoing dialogue about resources needed to support arts and culture in West Philadelphia and manage a sub-granting program supporting artists and arts activities in the community. A portion of a lead support grant from the William Penn Foundation supports honoraria for council members and administrative costs.Register

Poet-Tree En Motion Presents Cacao Ceremony, Shamanic Sound Journey, Movement Meditations and Poetry on Dec. 18 at The Rotunda

 WEST PHILADELPHIA – During this cold and dark time of year, we tend to go inward to slow down and hibernate. Yet every year, we are reborn energetically and spiritually during the winter solstice. As the sun’s energy begins to grow as the days grow longer, we grow. So it is at this time of year in darkness that we must prepare for the sun’s rebirth as well as our own.

Join the annual Poet-tree En Motion Winter Solstice celebration 6:30-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia. Doors open at 6 p.m. The free community event will prepare the spiritually minded and the curious with a heart-opening cacao ceremony, movement meditations, shamanic sound vibrations, and spoken-word poetry.

 Artistic director Gabrielle de Burke, aka Plum Dragoness, will open the space with grounding and centering movement meditations involving chi-gong and yogic arts. This will prepare the group spiritually before partaking in a cacao ceremony led by Isa Flora.

The cacao ceremony will allow participants to take time to align with their intentions that they want to bring with them into the winter solstice and winter season.  

 “As we enter winter we begin to settle deep into the darkness and go inward –allowing ourselves to dream, to grieve, to create, to be held by the earth,” Flora says. “Winter is the dark void where anything is possible and we are the sacred flame of creation.

“Cacao is an ancient plant medicine that connects us directly to spirit through the heart so we can receive clarity on whatever it is we are bringing into the ceremony,” she explains. “It is a sacred time to let yourself rest into trust and receive the wisdom of cacao’s spirit. This plant medicine spirit reminds us how we are never alone even when it feels like it the most. May we sit together to receive and share in sacred ceremony during the portal of winter solstice.”

Bring a journal, water bottle and comfortable clothes. Those on heart medications or SSRIs should be mindful of drinking cacao and talk with their doctor first.  

To participate in the cacao ceremony, register by messaging @IsaFlora on Facebook, @isabelcaroline on Instagram or isabelszel@gmail.com. The workshop will only provide enough for a maximum of 50 people. Participants should be present by no later than 6:30 p.m. The doors will close 6:45-7:45 p.m. during the ceremony.

After the cacao ceremony, Iron Gump, Brian Kong, and a musical guest will lead participants on a transformative shamanic sound journey, weaving together Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, native flutes, guitars and conscious breath work. Experience immersive vibrations, emotional balance and spiritual connection.

To close the event, Plum Dragoness will perform spoken-word poetry and chanting dedicated to the dragon spirit Lung Shen and the Year of the Dragon.

The Poet-tree En Motion is supported by grants from the University of Pennsylvania. Admission is free. Donations at the door will benefit the Lakota People’s Law Project. Tips are also welcome and encouraged for the individual artists.

For information about Poet-tree En Motion, email de Burke at plumdragoness@gmail.com. To be updated about the seasonal events, join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/116980678334215.

ABOUT POET-TREE EN MOTION:

Poet-tree En Motion works to inspire both artist and audience to connect and work together toward cultivating the arts community in Philadelphia, welcoming artists of all kinds to experience performances local to the neighborhood.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Gabrielle de Burke (artist Plum Dragoness)

Founder/Event Organizer Poet-tree En Motion

484-557-9605

plumdragoness@gmail.com

EVENT LISTINGS:

Poet-tree En Motion Winter Solstice Celebration 6:30-9pm Wednesday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.  Doors open at 6pm. The event is free to the community and will feature chi-gong, yogic arts, a cacao ceremony, a shamanic sound journey, and spoken-word poetry. Donations will benefit the Lakota Law People’s Project.

ARTIST BIOS:

PLUM DRAGONESS

Native to West Philadelphia, Plum Dragoness (aka Gabrielle de Burke) is a multi-talented thespian, dancer, martial artist, instructor, poetess, and writer who has been involved with performing arts since childhood. She is known for her poetic style, vocal performance, fire dance, flow arts, and choreographic flair throughout Philadelphia and abroad. Over the past 17 years, she has toured as a solo artist, founding member/core performer/assistant artistic director of Archedream for HumanKind among many others. She has independently released two albums of original work with the project Plum Dragoness & the Elements, known for its fusion of multimedia, live world-beat musical infusions, spoken-word vocals, and lyrical poetry. She has also helped bring together the all-female performance group trio The Femme-Mynistiques, who released their debut EP “Here She Comes…” in the summer of 2016. Since 2007, Plum Dragoness has been a resident performance artist, as well as host and organizer for the successful performing arts series Poet-tree En Motion. This has allowed her the opportunity to share her own creative performances (including collaborative projects she initiated) and work created by many unique artists within the West Philadelphia community and beyond. Her work as a healing arts practitioner and instructor continues to intersect with her work as an interdisciplinary performance artist through the incorporation of internal and martial arts forms in combination with dance, poetry, and theater presentation. She has been teaching in the Philadelphia area and abroad since 2000.

 Instagram: @plumdragoness @dragonspiritarts @authentic.eccentrics

ISAFLORA

IsaFlora is a Boricua Taino mixed creatrix whose lineage has held powerful healers and earth stewards. Isa has been holding sacred ceremony space with the intention of collective heart resonance and collective liberation.  She has been sitting with cacao in an intentional way for almost four years and has been studying in an apprenticeship over the last year. Isa also holds Free Flow Movement Journeys that help support people in building a deeper relationship to themselves through embodiment practices. Isa has been stewarding a medicinal plant garden called Maxkalaniyat Garden with her mama for the last six seasons. Isa is devoted to being a bridge and sharing in remembering who we are, the importance of our relationship with Mother Earth, and ways to come back to the heart and deep compassion with ourselves and each other.

 facebook -  Isa Flora

instagram - @isabelcaroline

IRON GUMP

Iron Gump is a sound and energy worker. Through his understanding of energy and movement, he utilizes sound and vibration to guide people into spaces where they can freely explore relaxation. Iron Gump has shared his sound journeys in Manhattan and Connecticut boardrooms and offices, Haitian refugee camps in Dominican Republic, a private Japanese arboretum in Maui, a boutique hotel on Maderas Beach, Nicaragua, and many other places between for the last eight years. Working alongside Remedy Partners Inc. and Quartet Health, he has led and set the tone for corporate retreats, office openings, informative talks and, more recently, for Mental Health Week. His practice is an inclusive experience for people from all walks of life. "In a world of Make-Believe, let us believe in what we make."

 IronGumpart.com 

Instagram: @irongump_art