First Person Arts is Philly’s original storytelling arts nonprofit. We believe that everyone has a story to tell and that the art of storytelling has the power to change lives.

Since 2001, we have helped ordinary Philadelphians become extraordinary storytelling artists who transform the drama of their real lives into memoir and documentary art. 

We offer programming that serves the diverse communities that call the greater Philadelphia area home. Our programming includes monthly StorySlam storytelling competitions, Applied Storytelling educational programs, a podcast drawn from our digital archive of more than 10,000 story files, and TRIGGER, a gun violence intervention program with the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services Engaging Males of Color program. 

Our annual First Person Arts Festival brings together all these audiences and communities by hosting established and emerging artists across many artistic forms and formats.