Artist Town Hall - Fall 2026

When
6-8:30PM
Monday, October 19, 2026
Where
Black Box Theater, Asian Arts Initiative
1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

AAI's Artist Town Hall returns!

Asian Arts Initiative’s Artist Town Hall invites artists to come together to pitch their latest projects, share resources, and see sneak peeks of new work. This Town Hall will be hosted by Cat Ramirez, with featured performances and works in progress by Mel Hsu and Taj Rauch. We'll also have a grant-writing exercise guided by Joseph Ahmed and Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists. Plus! The event features free professional headshot sessions and delicious Sri Lankan comfort food provided by Sri’s Company.

You are invited to present a live pitch or submit a pre-recorded video pitch for your project. If you are interested in sharing a project:

You are welcome to attend to simply watch and network without presenting a pitch. RSVP today via “Get Tickets“ below!

Artist Town Hall - Fall 2026

performance, conversation, community-event

6 PM–8:30 PM on October 19, 2026

Free - Pay What You Wish

Get Tickets

Taj Rauch

Taj Rauch is an immersive game designer, theater maker, and filmmaker. His multidisciplinary practice centers the audience as the protagonist, merging interactive design, narrative systems, and performance to create participatory worlds. Taj’s stories push the envelope of immersive world-building to ask: in a myriad of worlds, would you still find yourself to be you?

He is the recipient of the Black Immersive Creators Grant, the Niantic Developer Accelerator, and residencies with The Wilma Theater and The Painted Bride. You can currently find his interactive installations exhibited at the Ministry of Awe, or in UCity Square with his recent installation on the microbiome as part of the Artist Researcher Exhibition through Penn Medicine.

Mel Hsu

Website

Mel Hsu (she/they) is a sonic painter of impossible worlds. As a multi-instrumentalist, Mel often ventures from her classical roots as a cellist into unexpected, cross-disciplinary collaborations. Rooted in Philadelphia, Mel’s restless spirit finds adventure across time zones and oceans as musical and administrative support for others who inspire them. Mel is a spreadsheet nerd, a slow reader, and a shameless instigator of kitchen dance parties. Mel is an alumni of Bartol Foundation’s Trauma Informed Practice Teaching Artist Training.

Artist Town Hall - Fall 2026

When

Where

Artist Town Hall - Fall 2026