UP SOUTH SOUND
IN POST-WAR PHILADELPHIA, TEENAGERS DEPENDED ON CREATIVE SPACES LEADING TO THE RISE OF POPULAR DANCE SHOWS THAT THRUST THEM INTO THE SPOTLIGHT. AS THE ERA OF TEEN CULTURE MOVED FORWARD, MANY TEENS WERE LEFT TO BALANCE FINDING SELF-IDENTITY & FIGHTING TO BE SEEN & HEARD IN THE MIDST OF PHILADELPHIA'S GROWING CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
In the 1950's, teenage dance shows like American Bandstand created a space for many Philadelphia teenagers to express themselves. Over 20 million viewers from across the country tuned into the West Philadelphia based show. dancers gave the newly coined term teenager, a face, a look - an ideal image. That ideal image however, often excluded the Black American teen.
FUNDRAISING
Up South Sound is currently raising funds in order to move past the development, and through the pre-production phase of the project. Initial funds will pay for the project to further hire production crew AND to begin filming interviews/scenes with confirmed participants. We are prioritizing filming with Philadelphia-area elders.
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The producer/ director Karlynn Wells has already conducted much research and conducted pre-interviews and have confirmed several participants including former American Bandstand dancers, Activists, WDAS-FM TALENT, writers for The Philadelphia Tribune and, most importantly, Philadelphia residents and elders who can and are willing to share their stories and personal archive collections.
OUR TEAM
FISCAL SPONSOR*
Scribe Video Center - Scribe Video Center, a non-profit organization founded in December of 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, seeks to explore, develop, and advance the use of electronic media, including video and audio, as artistic media and as tools for progressive social change.
*Fiscal sponsorship allows us to apply for funding from organizations that require 501(c) (3) non-profit status and to receive charitable deductible contributions from individuals.