Human Rights Art Festival
(April 23-25, 2010)
www.humanrightsartfestival.com
· Highlight the quintessential American values of human rights, justice, peace and immigrants rights, and the role that Silver Spring plays in bringing them to life
· Exhibit the manner in which the arts can be used to play a transformative social role
· Bring the business and arts community together in a special and symbiotic manner, for the betterment of both
· Highlight how the American community can use diversity as an asset
· Bring local, regional and national press to the festival to cover the manner in which human righs, arts and politics can come together to work for human rights
Honorary Co-sponsors
Honorable John Kerry
U.S. Senator
Massachusetts
Honorable Donna F. Edwards
U.S. Congresswoman
4th Congressional District Maryland
Honorable Marc Elrich
Montgomery County Councilman
Montgomery County, MD
Honorable Valerie Ervin
Montgomery County Councilwoman
Montgomery County, MD
Honorable Sheila Hixson
State Delegate
Maryland State House
Honorable Tom Hucker
State Delegate
Maryland State House
Honorable Isiah (Ike) Leggett
County Executive
Montgomery County, MD
Honorable George Leventhal
Montgomery County Councilman
Montgomery County, MD
Honorable Jamie Raskin
State Senator
Maryland State Senate
Honorable Duchy Trachtenberg
Montgomery County Councilwoman
Montgomery County, MD
The Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival will take place over three days April 23-25, 2010, and involve cultural, business and political stakeholders from Silver Spring, Washington D.C. metro area and beyond. An arts and human rights festival is a powerful manner of bringing cultural organizations and businesses together, as well as highlighting the highest possibilities of the American social and political spheres.
The festival will run from 4 pm am to late night, Friday, and then 10 am to late night Saturday and Sunday. Amnesty International will have a presence at all of the events, and the art festival will be a manner in which to raise awareness of the important work that Amnesty undertakes, as well as the quintessentially American values that they espouse.
Each day will begin with a meet and greet breakfast (10 am-noon) at the festival home base, Pyramid Atlantic, and will give visitors a chance to meet with political and cultural luminaries. The schedule of political, community and arts leaders will include state and national senators and representatives, county council members, heads of local arts organizations, leaders from activist non-profits and artists from the community. There will also be a "Hyde Park Corner" where participants can literally get on their soapbox and publicly explore their personal human rights concerns.
After this morning kick-off, the schedule will include a variety of events (sometimes overlapping) including visual art shows, new media events, theater, book readings, panel discussions, movies, music, hands-on mural, puppet making and other art projects, art walks from exhibit to exhibit, participatory parades, international foods etc. throughout the Arts and Entertainment District of Silver Spring, all centered on raising awareness of human rights issues. Venues will include local restaurants, art spaces, theaters and community spaces.
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Amnesty supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world – so they work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. Amnesty International has more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions. They coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
Tentative Schedule Plan
Friday:
4-7pm Kickoff Music Festival
6-10pm Human Rights-themed dining throughout restaurants
7-9pm ArtsWalk to all Exhibitions
7pm Theater (one or more venues)
9pm-till Evening acoustic music, multi-media electronica, dance parties etc.
Saturday and Sunday:
10am-noon Coffee Klatsch, meet with artists and politicians, Hyde Park Corner etc., Pyramid Atlantic
noon-6pm Film Festival
noon-6pm Artist Studios, hands on art in the Arts Alley
noon-6pm Participating activist organizations set up through streets and in venues (Amnesty, EWI, IRC etc.)
noon-6pm Book readings, panel discussions, acoustic lunchtime music, activist workshops etc.
noon-6pm Meet and greet with individual politicians, artists and activists at restaurants, classrooms and other venues
3-5pm Tea for Human Rights, participating restaurants
4-7pm Human Rights Happy Hour, participating restaurants
6-10pm Human Rights-themed dining throughout restaurants
7-9pm ArtsWalk to all Exhibitions
7pm Theater (one or more venues)
9pm-till Evening acoustic music, multi-media electronica, dance parties etc.
Participating Organizations
· Amnesty International (www.amnestyusa.org)
· Silver Spring Regional Center (www.silverspringdowntown.com)
· Downtown Silver Spring (www.downtownsilverspring.com)
· Culture Project (www.cultureproject.org)
· Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org)
· Montgomery College – Takoma Park (www.montgomerycollege.edu/tphome)
· Round House Theater (http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/)
· Docs in Progress (http://www.docsinprogress.org/)
· Washington Project for the Arts (wpadc.org)
· Latino Economic Development Corporation (www.ledcdc.org)
· IMPACT Silver Spring (http://www.impactsilverspring.org)
· Empowered Women International (www.ewint.org)
· The Pink Line Project (www.pinkline.org)
· Art Whino (http://artwhino.com)
· Theater J (www.washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j)
· Just Vision (www.justvision.org)
· Liz Lehrman Dance Exchange (www.danceexchange.org)
· Palatine Hill Productions (www.palatinehillproductions.com)
· Eighty Eight DC (www.eightyeightdc.com)
· Arts on the Block (www.montgomeryyouthworks.com)
· Project Youth Art Reach (www.classactsarts.org/index.php/projects/youth_artreach)
· Gandhi Brigade (www.gandhibrigade.org)
· My Strange Paradise Productions
- Nadine Bloch
