Brittany Levingston

Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s mission is to put the humanities in action to create positive change in the lives of residents and communities. Its work is grounded in people and champions their creativity and big ideas. It brings Pennsylvanians together to shape the future through the power of stories, reflection, and relationships. The ten plays of Pennsylvania native August Wilson’s Century Cycle (including Fences, The Piano Lesson and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) chronicle the collective memory, history, and dreams of African American families across the twentieth century. PHC is currently developing a slate of programs exploring scenes and monologues from the ten Century Cycle plays in conjunction with a range of community organizations across the state, an embodiment of PHC’s humanities-based approach to civic engagement. The Leading Edge Fellow will build this program from the ground up, developing connections for PHC across the state, interacting with scores of organizations, humanities professionals, and funders. The fellow will develop relationships between PHC and communities willing to host Century Cycle projects, work with PHC staff to write and develop proposals for funding, and plan events.