KIMMEL CENTER UNVEILS NEW CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED LINEUP DETAILS FOR 2018 PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

–– The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ management announced its 2018 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) lineup Friday afternoon during an event at the Kimmel Center’s Hamilton Garden. With over 50
performances ranging from music and dance to 360-degree immersive spectacle experiences, the 2018
festival raises the proverbial PIFA bar, showcasing critically-acclaimed work that has captivated critics
and garnered awards nationally and internationally. Known for its engaging performances curated by
The Kimmel Center from around the globe, the festival was first developed in 2011 drawing increasing
audiences locally and attracting regional visitors seeking out the ultimate Philly experience. The 2018
festival runs Thursday, May 31 through Sunday, June 10.

The newly announced performances included a list of live theater, dance, and interactive visual art
installations that transform the city for the 11-day, multi-arts takeover of the Kimmel Center Cultural
Campus, public spaces, parks, and outdoor spaces throughout the heart of Philadelphia, including: the
Philadelphia premiere of Doggie Hamlet, an outdoor theatrical event from award-winning
choreographer Ann Carlson, featuring five performers, three dogs, and a flock of sheep; the U.S.
premiere of Tape Riot, a hybrid performance art tour from Berlin-based performance art collective
Doggie Hamlet (boasting an international team that includes a choreographer from Switzerland and
composer from Italy), that departs from Center City mystery locations; the Kimmel Center
commissioned world premiere event direct from South Korea, My Organ My Seoul, featuring former K-
pop artist Boram Kim and Ambiguous Dance Company’s witty exploration of individual rhythm and
freedom of expression, accompanied by Curtis Institute-trained, critically-acclaimed organist Ahreum
Han on the Kimmel Center’s Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ.

“We are absolutely thrilled to unveil our lineup for PIFA 2018! This season is unparalleled in its artistic
quality, drawing art from around of the world,” said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center
for the Performing Arts, during the event. “These new art forms, new artistic communities, and
international artists will be featured in this year’s festival thanks, in part, to the Kimmel Center’s
involvement with the In Situ network. As the only North American presenting member, the Kimmel
Center is able to support emerging artists that specialize in work outside conventional venues. PIFA is
our gift to the region, bringing together communities to share and appreciate art in all of its forms.”

Some key events of the 4th installment of the biennial festival have already been announced. Central to
PIFA 2018 is the highly anticipated return of French performance troupe Transe Express with a new
world premiere work commissioned by the Kimmel Center to debut in Philadelphia: Cristal Palace. This
spectacle of gravity-defying engineering will rise into the air, a musician-topped chandelier as the
centerpiece to a 360-degree immersive dance party. Transe Express first garnered acclaim in
Philadelphia for their work in PIFA 2011, when 200,000 witnessed a “jaw-dropping sensation” as
performers dangled hundreds of feet above Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center.

“We’re proud to present so many world-class artists that open our eyes about how we form community,
collectively tell our stories, shepherd our flocks, define our individuality, and defy gravity,” said Jay
Wahl, the Kimmel Center’s Producing Artistic Director. “When I’m in the audience being awed by these
shows, I realize that though the performers on stage may be of a different race, gender, or religion, I see
how much we have in common as people celebrating together humanity’s courage, prowess, beauty,
and grace.”