The Cannery: A Center for Creative Fermentation, is an intimate South Philly gathering space for artists, creative producers and community members. 

When I moved into my home in March, 2014 in South Philly, one of the novelties of the house was the cannery in the basement. It was a place where the previous Italian family dried chili peppers, and herbs, made sausage, canned tomatoes and fermented wine. A lot of good times were had in the house, I was told. Since I was just getting into canning myself, I was delighted to consider retaining this space for its original purpose and spirit.

I was also committed to building a creative community and activating the house for a new kind of exchange with familial gatherings among friends and neighbors. The idea of The Cannery as a Center for Creative Fermentation embraces the power of intimate exchange, conversation and creation as a catalyst for community building and collaboration. In a world full of inequality and injustice, creative voices are needed in all aspects of our life. We all have the capacity to imagine and create a more sustainable, equitable and compassionate environment. For me this can start at home; creating a space that reimagines the domestic realm as a place for public experimentation, exchange and skill building.

Fermentation is a process of transformation as a result of agitation, unrest and excitement. This is the environment I seek to create; a bubbling up and release of energy.

Each month will feature a curated event ranging from live performance to conversations over brunch, presentations and hands on workshops. Each event will be guided by the question of how we apply creative strategies in our life for survival, resistance and transformation? This is part of my strategy and investigation. I want to learn from yours.

Through this process, I hope we will learn from one another, inspire each other and build the collective knowledge and skills we need to create a better world… and have a great time in the process! Below is a snapshot of the events hosted to date.