Coming This Weekend: Arts Festival in Silver Spring!

This weekend, the Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival is coming to Silver Spring. I picked up a pamphlet at Jackie's Sidebar the other night, and have been carrying around with me ever since. And--huge nerd that I am--I've been circling events I'm particularly excited about. I have to keep a pretty detailed day planner, so I don't accidentally overbook myself (ah, the hardships of being a Helen Hayes judge...), and I finally put a few events in. In pen.

I feel as though, being a person who works in the arts and having this festival literally across the street from me, I would be incredibly remiss if I didn't participate in some way or other. This festival will bring together theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts to, as the official website says,

"raise awareness of the important work that Amnesty undertakes, as well as the quintessentially American values that they espouse."

I'm a firm believer in the power of the arts to enact social change, and so this is right up my alley. I'm hoping there will be a great (and peaceful--I'm looking at you, Stop the Violence concert) turnout, bringing consciousness to our area, and, more importantly, to the issues with which Amnesty International is concerned.

So, on Saturday, early morning at the Fenton Street Market (I can't wait to see the vendors this week!), then to the Festival for a panel discussion on using theatre for social transformation (11:30 @ Pyramid Arts), Killer Fashion Revolution (all day in the Sculpture Garden), and Petticoats to Politics (8:30 @ Jackie's). There are other workshops and performances I'm interested in, but I think I'll take it "easy," wander around, and see what else catches my fancy. That's the point of a Festival anyway, right? (A friend of mine is performing in a reading of Waiting for Lefty on Sunday at 3pm @ McGinty's--definitely worth checking out.)

The Human Rights Art Festival will take place all over Downtown Silver Spring, from 10:30am on Friday until after 10pm on Sunday. Click here for a schedule of events.