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Festival Returns For Another Peek at Philadelphia's 'Hidden' City

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's been four years,  but it's back.  "Hidden City Philadelphia" is getting ready to hold its second art festival at various so-called "forgotten" sites in the city.

Many of the venues were the inspiration for the installations.  This year's festival will consist of ten performing and visual arts installations at nine sites including Shivtei Yeshuron Ezras Israel, a South Philadelphia storefront synagogue, where a knitting lab  project will take place on the second floor.

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(Lee Tusman, creative director of Hidden City Philadelphia. Credit: John McDevitt)

Lee Tusman (right), creative director of Hidden City Philadelphia, says textile designer Andrew Dahlgren will encourage guests to participate in an activity that was commonly done in that area by immigrants a long time ago.

"In Jewish South Philadelphia, during the first wave of immigration, many Jews would do sewing on the second floor.  So Andrew is reviving it,  but in a new way,  where he is creating this knitting textile manufacturing space.  People who visit can actually participate, learn how to use the knitting machines, and by the last week of the festival a huge sweater will be knit by everyone who visits and that huge sweater will be wrapping the building," Tusman says.

Listen to the extended interview with Lee Tusman in this CBS Philly podcast Runs 5:17)...

Hidden City Philadelphia

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Hidden City Festival 2013 takes place May 23rd through June 30th. Volunteers are  needed.   For more information, go to festival.hiddencityphila.org.

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