Powerful debut of the First Annual “L.A. artRISING” Festival

Last Saturday night was the kickoff of the annual “L.A. artRISING” festival – a unique, charitable arts festival in which artists build bridges between communities and lend their talents to support great charities. From 5-10pm, Culver City was the stage for a Mini Art Walk, and a powerful Double Feature at Tim Robbin's Actor's Gang theatre.

Two Culver City galleries, and the restaurant Kay & Daves, dedicated 10% of their sales to the Arts Education program of “Imaginese” – a non-profit community center/arts collective which provides inner-city youth from Watts and MacArthur Park with the training they so desperately lack.

Trevor Davis, Founder of “L.A. artRISING” and executive director at “Imaginese” explained “the arts are consistently first on the chopping block in schools, but with programs like this, they won't be left out in the cold.”

The Mini Art Walk was followed by Redemption Song at the Actor’s Gang theatre – a cabaret of poets, musicians and comics, performing with the theme of Redemption to raise funds/awareness for two more incredible charities: “Homeboy Industries,” which rehabilitates previously incarcerated/gang affiliated men and women, and “Beit T’shuvah” - the unique Jewish temple/rehab in Culver City.  Redemption Song featured the talents of Lynn Manning - NAACP wining actor, playwright, and Artistic Director of Watts Village Theatre Company; Eric Trules – award winning poet, actor and USC professor; and the supremely talented rabbi/rapper Shy B, who recovered his life at Beit T’shuvah and now serves as spiritual councilor for the congregation.

“The power in this show is that ‘redemption’ is not just an abstract concept here...some incredible artists will be on that stage Saturday night – artists who have literally turned their lives around from the brink because these charities were there for them”, added Davis.

Eric Trules – a Fulbright scholar who has worked with Allen Ginsberg and teaches a class on Bob Dylan at USC – performed a piece in which he declared Trevor Davis to be “the only visionary social activist of USC's hungry alums.”  Davis’ vision also resonated with Sir Ken Robinson and many local community leaders, in an evening that inspired passion and optimism despite all the challenges of our time.

This show was followed by Oy!, the critically acclaimed piece from Tim Robbin’s famous gang in which two Jewish women, holocaust survivors, compare their experience with modern-day racism.

This festival is part of the "WITNESS L.A. Arts and Culture Festival" -- put on by the Empowerment Congress to share the talent of marginalized artists in the 2nd District. “With L.A. artRISING, we aim not only to raise funds for great charities, but also to bridge communities by bearing WITNESS to the ‘Invisible Cities’ of Los Angeles”, explained Davis.

For more information, head to www.LAartRISING.com