Commonwealth Speakers:Key to Presentations


Audience participation is an important part of Paula Purnell's Homemade Music in Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth Speaker presentations vary widely in terms of topic and format. When reviewing the presentations, we encourage you to use this handy key to guide you to the presentation format that best suits your audience.

Family/Younger Audiences Presentations

PHC is committed to providing innovative formats that appeal to both children and adults. A number of our presentations provide experiences that offer entertainment and insight that can be enjoyed by all—from children and their caregivers, to teenagers, to grandparents. Look for F, which indicates presentations specifically designed to have a wide generational appeal.

For example:

  • In Anasi the Spider: The Dancing Griot, Tracie Yorke uses movement, song and dance to take families into a magical world of the master storyteller and eight-legged folk hero.

Hands-on/Active Participation Presentations

While all presentations offered are participatory through a Q&A session or discussion period, some of these programs feature enhanced audience participation. One of the best ways to learn is to take part, and we are proud that a number of presentations offer audiences opportunities to engage the humanities in a new way. Through enhanced participation, audiences will be able to broaden their understanding of history, artistic and critical expression. Look for H, which indicates presentations that offer opportunities for hands-on or active participation.

For example:

  • Performer and educator Paula Purnell share songs from Pennsylvania's past using a host of homemade instruments. Audience members are invited play along in Homemade Music in Pennsylvania.

Lecture & Performance Presentations

Lecture presentations are designated with L.

For example:

Performance Presentations

Performance presentations are designated with P.

For example:

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