Olney Culture Lab

Vision

At Olney Culture Lab, we believe that culture can be a catalyst for community development and social change.

Mission

Our mission is to celebrate cultural assets by designing and producing events and programs that showcase the multitude of diverse cultural expression found in the greater Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia. By strengthening networks in the community and creating strategic alignment of cultural assets and resources, we increase social capital and a sense of civic pride.

Our Story

Olney Culture Lab of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia (OCL) was founded in January 2014, after the conclusion of ArtsRising, the initiative that served as an incubator for what would become Olney Culture Lab.

The growth of Olney Culture Lab since 2014 has been a steady climb of an ever-increasing calendar of robust cultural events, programs and partnerships.

We produce the following on-going events & programs:

  • Olney Youth Arts Festival (every October since 2014-2019 & 2023 – ongoing)
  • Olney Choir Festival (2015-2019)
  • Jazz on the Green at Fisher Park (every spring/summer since 2016-2019 & 2022 – ongoing)
  • Second Friday Open Mic Night (monthly since 2014-2019 & 2023 – ongoing)
  • Global is Local Ethnic Food Tour (seasonally since 2018)

We also have collaborated with local stakeholders in the following projects:

  • Sounds of Summer Concert Series in the 9th District (2018-2019) with Councilwoman Cherelle Parker
  • The Olney Embrace Project (2020-2023) with various local partners & artists-in-residence

Ongoing projects & partnerships:

  • Tacony Creek Park (since 2018) with the Tookany-Tacony/Frankford Watershed Partnership
  • Rebuild – Olney Recreation Center (2019-2024) with PHMC
  • Percent for Art Program – Olney Recreation Center (2024-2025)
  • Lowell Playground Project (2018-2024) with The Trust for Public Land
  • Live @ Roots Community Garden (2023)
  • Revival StoryWalks at Tacony Creek Park (2022-ongoing)
  • St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Senior Wednesday Program (2023-ongoing)
  • Audio Olney Podcast Series (2022 – ongoing)
  • Olney High School Youth Podcast Pilot Program (2023-2024)