Just like so many other events and traditions, Homecoming at Penn will look different for 2020. But even with an empty campus and no football game, there’s still a packed schedule of virtual programming on tap from Nov. 9-14.
In fact, hosting “Homecoming at Home” actually opened up some new opportunities this year, according to Sheila Raman, the director of development for arts and culture at Penn who has curated Arts at Homecoming since it began in 2008. She says that going virtual has allowed the festivities to stretch to a full five days and, with that extended timeline, made it easier to limit overlapping events.
Then there’s the programming itself, including new prerecorded, watch-when-you-please sessions in addition to live virtual broadcasts. Raman says the prerecorded fare will include David Brownlee’s ever-popular tour of Penn’s architectural gems, filmed during his final time offering it. “That tour would always sell out the first week—I’d have to keep a waiting list,” she remembers. “Now anyone can just click on the link and watch it.”
Virtual Homecoming will also allow the annual Gallery Hop—typically constrained by both head count and time—to bounce between four cultural institutions at Penn in real-time, no walking required.
This story is by Molly Petrilla. Read more at The Pennsylvania Gazette.
