When PIFVA (Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association) put out the calls for a dialogue on creating a 2,100 square foot, three floor Media Arts Hub and coworking space, located over PhillyCAM’s office at 7th and Chestnut, Coordinating Director Caroline Savage was not sure how the organization would frame its role in the process or who would come to the conversation.  But after the three floors buzzed with emerging and established media makers at two recent meetings, she embraced the potential for PIFVA’s catalytic role in the process.

 

“My instinct right now is that PIFVA could be the driver based on mission and so much of the conversation was about projects, incubators, networking and sharing. All part of our mission.  I see the ‘working professionals’ as a smaller contingent, not to be omitted, however.  So, I feel that PIFVA will be involved in this development as a founder/leader,“ Savage said.

The space at PhillyCAM will be the site of two upcoming trial sessions that are free to anyone interested in trying cowork. They'll be held on Wed., July 18 and Aug. 1 from 2-6 p.m. 
 

Savage presented case studies of coworking spaces ranging from Philly forerunner Indy Hall to Boulder, Col.'s media-based coworking space, the closest model to PIFVA's proposed media hub.  According to the group CoCo, coworking has increased 400% in the past two years, providing collaborative communities with connectivity and shared resources.  A Philadelphia media hub could provide an open forum as well as promote localism, sustainability, and accessibility.

Says Savage: “Community first, space second.  Community is a crucial part of the experience.”

 

When asked why they had come to the discussions held on June 27 at PhillyCAM and on July 7 at PIFVA's HQ in West Philadelphia, the most frequent responses were isolation and the desire for a separate work space, as video artists working from a desktop at home, craving a place to work that wasn’t in their personal space, a  desire shared by artist Hassan Saker, Laura Schnatterly who is developing a web series on YouTube, and Jackie Borock, an entertainment lawyer specializing in film and who is looking to network.  Award-winning documentary director Jon Foy says it would be a quiet place to work -- with "a door to close" --  outside of his home.

 

Keith Brand, WXPN DJ, professor at Rowan University, and Co-Chair of the PhillyCAM Board of Directors was an early proponent of the media hub because of the history of the building as the Charles Wilson Company photography studio.

“One of the things that was driving me, as soon as we moved in here, I got this vision that this is an indie media hub, lots of light, they really have some cool possibilities," he says. "It has a big lobby area, no cubicles.  The floors are all configured differently but most of them were open.  This was a major photography hub for about 70 years for anybody doing commercial photography.  There are darkrooms in the basement. ”

 

Brand and Savage will continue the conversation with the attendees to gage the project's next development phase.  With nearly 150 members, PIFVA offers a dialogue for opportunities through its list serve and member benefits, including resources on filmmaking and finishing funding for member films, collaborative one night coworking “jellies” led by member Chakka Reeves, an evolving opportunities calendar, one-on-one career and grantmaking discussions with Savage, room availability for casting calls, and online member profiles.

 

“Those are my goals. Service. Sustaining community and careers and artists here in Philly,”  Savage stated.

BONNIE MACALLISTER is a multi-media artist, grant writer and journalist residing in West Philly. Her work has appeared in Tom Tom Magazine, Toronto Quarterly, Nth Position (U.K.) and Grasp (Czech Republic). Send feedback here.