The epicenter of Philadelphia’s arts and culture scene is drifting north, and Philadelphia’s leading arts and culture providers want a piece of the action.

The construction and renovation of new facilities at Temple’s Main Campus in the last two years — including the new Temple Performing Arts Center (formerly the Baptist Temple, completed in 2010) and the new North Philly home for Temple’s Tyler School of Art (completed in 2009) — has opened up opportunities for new audiences to enjoy world-class arts and culture. Now the Philadelphia institutions that create that art and culture are starting to come to Temple to reach those new audiences.

One of the local arts providers that hopes to broaden its audience base is the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. Beginning in September, the 33-member orchestra, which traditionally performs in Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Center City, spent a portion of its season in residence in the newly restored Temple Performing Arts Center.

“As a performing arts organization, we are always looking for ways to reach new audiences,” said Peter Gistelinick, executive director of the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. “Temple’s location and student community made it a perfect venue for our continued push to expand our patron base.”

In addition to attracting a more youthful audience, the orchestra also experienced an increase in minority audience participation during its five-concert residency at the Temple Performing Arts Center.

“Temple Performing Arts Center’s collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia lends legitimacy to our new venue as we partner with one of Philadelphia’s finest arts entities,” said Charles Bethea, executive director of the Performing Arts Center.

The Chamber Orchestra will return to campus for three more performances beginning in January, when it will present selections from composers Georges Bizet and Joaquín Rodrigo.

Other areas of the arts on campus are experiencing a similar upsurge. In addition to giving students an opportunity to showcase their talents, exhibit spaces, theater halls and dance studios across Main Campus have piqued the interest of several local and national artists, who came to campus this semester to present their work to Temple and its surrounding community.

“We are always looking for ways to collaborate and build community,” said Shayna McConville, director of the North Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, a community arts initiative led by the Tyler School of Art. “One of the ways we do this is by keeping the external community up to date on Temple happenings and exploring opportunities for collaboration.”

As cultural opportunities in North Philadelphia continue to broaden, Temple’s arts community is beginning to establish relationships and collaborations with local and national artists and arts organizations.

This summer, the NPCA is planning a series of arts-related events designed to foster creative bonds between Temple and the arts community at-large, with local venues like the Arts Garage and the Village of Arts and Humanities participating, McConville said.

“It’s an ongoing process,” she said. “All of the organizations that we work with are looking for ways to ensure that the arts offerings in North Philadelphia continue to grow.”