PRESS RELEASE - MOVE CULTURE FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
- CRP Staff
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Culture Restoration Project, Inc. Launches $600,000 Capital Campaign to Build a Cultural Hub in Wilmington
"Move Culture Forward" campaign will transform a former community church building into a permanent home for cultural education, healing arts, and community connection.
Wilmington, DE — November 14, 2025 — Culture Restoration Project (CRP) today announced the public launch of Move Culture Forward: Uplifting Community Through Cultural Grounding, a $600,000 capital campaign to establish a culture center in Northwest Wilmington—a dedicated space for arts education, healing practices, and community gathering.
Since 2013, CRP has brought culturally grounded programming to hundreds of youth and families annually through schools, parks, and community centers across the Wilmington area. This campaign marks the organization's evolution from mobile engagement to establishing a physical anchor institution where cultural programming can happen consistently and intentionally every single day.
When renovations are complete, the building will house a music production studio, cultural education classrooms, performance space, and gathering areas for workshops, community events, and intergenerational programming.
"We've been doing this work in borrowed spaces for nearly a decade. We show up wherever our community is to facilitate cultural workshops, arts programs, healing circles, and help young people develop an affirming sense of self and understanding of who they are,” said AliShah Watson, Executive Director and Founder. "This center means we finally have our own ground to stand on. A place where our children and families can come to learn, build, and nurture community connection.”
Building Character Through Culture
The capital campaign will fund comprehensive building renovations, including:
Recording and music production studio
Multi-purpose classrooms for enrichment programing and cultural workshops
Performance and community gathering space
Administrative offices
Kitchen
Once operational, the center will serve hundreds of residents annually, employ local artists and cultural practitioners, expand CRP's signature programs like "Beyond Those Bars" and youth enrichment curricula, and provide space for community partners.
"Culture is the foundation of everything we do. It shapes how we see ourselves, how we treat each other, and what we believe is possible," said Richard Watson, Program Director. "When young people understand their culture—their values, their principles, and their sense of responsibility to community—they show up differently in the world. This building represents our commitment to developing not just programs, but better people."
A Community-Led Campaign
Move Culture Forward launches with naming opportunities, community giving circles, and monthly sustainer options. The campaign invites individual donors, corporate partners, faith-based organizations, and philanthropic institutions to invest in cultural infrastructure for Northwest Wilmington.
Key Milestones:
Campaign Launch – November 2025
Community Donor Tours – Spring 2026
Groundbreaking Ceremony – Summer 2026
Grand Opening Celebration – Late 2026
How to Support
Community members can contribute at: Move Culture Forward Capital Campaign
For major gifts, corporate sponsorships, or naming opportunities, contact:
AliShah Watson - awatson@crpde.org
About Culture Restoration Project
Culture Restoration Project is a Wilmington-based nonprofit that provides culturally competent arts-based programming to hundreds of youth and families annually across multiple schools and community centers.
CRP develops curriculum-based enrichment programs that address critical community needs including adverse youth behaviors, low academic performance, and the need for positive, affirming self-identity. Through signature programs including Beyond Those Bars (hip-hop pedagogy and music production), Sankofa Rites of Passage (youth leadership development), Power Up (virtues-based enrichment), and healing circles, CRP uses culture as the empowering foundation for character development, conflict resolution, and civic responsibility. The organization's "Knowledge of Self" curriculum and assessment framework measures students' ability to understand themselves from cultural, historical, familial, and communal perspectives—creating measurable self-affirming identity.
CRP operates from the principle that when individuals are transformed through culturally grounded education and experiences, they become positive contributors who transform their communities.
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Learn more at
MEDIA CONTACT
AliShah Watson, Executive Director
Culture Restoration Project, Inc.
Phone: 302-494-5219
Website: www.CRPDE.org
Press Release PDF File
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