Our Mission

A Cultural Hub in Hunting Park

Guided by our core values of faith, excellence, and integrity, Esperanza Arts Center (EAC) will touch the lives of, and foster positive social change in, the Hunting Park neighborhood and the Latino community through the arts. EAC will be the center for Latino arts and culture in the Philadelphia region – presenting music, dance, theater, cinema, and visual art from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as a broad spectrum of traditions from around the world.

EAC programs foster cross-cultural understanding of diverse traditions, and cultivate a sense of pride of place and identity among our residents.

Education is integral to the Center's mission, providing exposure and learning opportunities through interactive performances, workshops, in-school presentations, community forums, and vocational training in arts administration and production.

Building an "Opportunity Community" through the arts

Esperanza Arts Center will develop an essential arts-driven component to an Opportunity Community model, improving quality of life and revitalizing communities through the creative and performing arts.

At Esperanza, we envision geographies of poverty being transformed by hope as local institutions create communities of opportunity. Opportunity communities are places where people want to live, and they are characterized by increasing prosperity, decent and affordable housing, growing businesses, great schools, safe streets, creative spaces and robust community life.