Mission

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts—situated in historic Fairmount Park—seeks to advance its position as one of the nation’s leading non-profit, outdoor summer performing arts festivals by:

• Creating a broad spectrum of high-quality, compelling, accessible, and fun, communal entertainment experiences in its acclaimed multi-stage campus.
• Providing leadership in arts education through innovative and high-impact, collaborative educational activities for young people throughout the Philadelphia region.
• Being a deeply valued civic asset to everyone in the Philadelphia region and a responsible community stakeholder in West Philadelphia and our immediate neighborhoods. 
• Making its facilities available as a public service to other non-profit organizations.

Vision

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts has served for many decades as the City of Philadelphia’s premier outdoor summer performing arts festival, presenting a wide array of cultural programming and popular events that have created a lifetime of memories for generations of Philadelphians. At its 20-acre home in West Fairmount Park, the Mann is poised to launch an exciting, creative, and comprehensive plan for the future that will position it with all Philadelphia residents and visitors alike as the Delaware Valley’s town square—the “go-to” place for consistently high-quality, compelling, accessible, and fun, communal entertainment events as well as powerful educational experiences. 

The Mann fully embraces and welcomes the expectations of 21st-century audiences who are seeking more than a passive listening experience, no matter how good the music. They want participatory, new, engaging experiences with video screen close-ups of the performers and an opportunity to share their reactions to the performance in real time through interactive social media. They want to escape from their daily pressures and socialize with friends or family around an entertainment event in a relaxed, informal, festive environment with good food and drink. They gravitate to venues with state-of-the-art amenities and unparalleled customer service. And they have varied, eclectic musical tastes that are less “siloed” in terms of the genre than previous generations, with many of them being as passionate about an emotionally compelling orchestral score and 60s retro tour as they are for the latest, hot indie band.

The Mann—with its upgraded multi-stage facilities in a natural park setting and a breathtaking skyline view—has a unique opportunity to meet the expectations of these 21st-century audiences. By taking on a more assertive role as an initiator of innovative programming, events, and themed festivals, the Mann will become recognized by all in the Philadelphia region as a trusted curator of “must-see” performance experiences. 

This strategy will make the Mann’s dynamic events appeal to the widest range of music lovers, including the group of young audiences and donors coveted by many traditional arts and culture organizations in the Philadelphia region. Building patron loyalty with this younger demographic, along with a passionate commitment to serving its community, will enable the Mann to make the philanthropic case to individuals, corporations, foundations and government leaders that the Mann’s future is unquestionably bright and that an investment in that future will yield a meaningful return to many future generations. 

Values

The Mann is committed to fostering long-standing relationships with its audience, artists, donors, board and staff, volunteers, community and business partners, and other internal and external stakeholders that are based on the following core values: 

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Power of the arts to inspire 
• Excellence
• Innovation
• Integrity and trust
• Respect
• Welcoming, accessible and affordable
• Informal, relaxed, fun, casual experiences
• Financial viability and shared responsibility
• Service to the community
• Unique and attractive natural surroundings
• Well-maintained facilities
• Environmental stewardship

Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the land on which we occupy as the traditional and ancestral home of the Lenni Lenape people and other indigenous nations of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, whose presence and resilience in Pennsylvania continue to this day. Without them, we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land. We additionally acknowledge the African ancestors that were enslaved and utilized to build upon the land taken from indigenous nations.

Our Commitment
The hatred and ignorance that continue to be exhibited in this nation through racist, discriminatory acts – from microaggressions to the tragedy of lives lost – is heartbreaking, unacceptable, and must end. All of us – as a collective of people and organizations – have a role to play in fostering a civil society, where differences are respected, bigotry is overcome, and the richness of our diversity can be celebrated. We have a long way to go, for certain.  At the Mann, we are proud to be active members of Philadelphia’s Parkside community. We embrace our responsibility to be a part of the solution, to be a place where the work of social justice and equity is a constant – whether through the art we present on our campus and throughout the city, our continued commitment to expand representation of diverse communities on our Board and staff, or our ongoing education and engagement initiatives in support of children and youth in our Parkside neighborhood. We stand with all who face oppression and discrimination.

Anti-Harrassment Policy
The Mann believes everyone should feel safe and secure while enjoying performances at our venue and has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: race, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, and citizenship. Harassment includes but is not limited to: stalking, verbal or physical intimidation, offensive verbal comments, physical assault and/or battery, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome physical attention.

If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, no matter how minor it may seem, please DO NOT STAY SILENT. Immediately report any issues to our security personnel or to any Mann Center staff member so that we can take appropriate action.

Content of our Concerts
Mann Center does not censor or control the content created by guest artists. If you have sensitivities to adult language or socio-political commentary, please be aware of the artists’ work before purchasing tickets to and/or attending their performances.