A.L.L. Fest (ACT for Life and Liberation)
Contact: Rebecca Murray-StrongAIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
3210 Euclid Avenue / Cleveland, OH 44115
rstrong@atfgc.org / 216-621-0766, ext. 255
Grassroots Mobilization—A
Concert to Save Lives:
ALL Fest (Act for LIFE &
LIBERATION):
A human collaboration between
the AIDS Taskforce of Greater
Cleveland + Arts Collinwood
DATE/TIME
Saturday, June 5th
1pm--8pm (afterparty at the Beachland Ballroom with A Very Tasty Cabaret)
Arts Collinwood Café and Gallery
Significance: June 5th, 2010 is the 29th anniversary, to the day, of the first published report of a handful of cases of an unusual infection that came to be known as AIDS. June 5th is therefore generally accepted as the “anniversary” of the known HIV/AIDS epidemic.
THE CAUSE
In the United States, AIDS Drug Assistance Programs provided life-saving AIDS medications to over 166,000 poor and low-income individuals in FY2009. But the current economic crisis has created accelerated demands on ADAP programs across the country, and the situation has reached a crisis point: to balance their budgets or "stretch" funds, many states have been required to take drastic action, and there are now approximately 1,000 Americans living with HIV in 11 states who have been placed on ADAP waiting lists. HIV+ citizens in 16 other states—including Ohio—are facing the negative consequences of cost-cutting measures such as reducing the number of drugs covered. It is not exaggeration to say that unless the crisis is fixed, and new funding made available immediately, individuals will get sick, and may die, while waiting to receive medications.
THE EVENT
ALL FEST is an all-day music and awareness celebration designed to call citizens to action regarding this important and potentially devastating development. Mobilized entirely through grassroots community efforts, ALL Fest will feature ten of the best, most exciting bands from the region, who will play in two environments at Arts Collinwood—an outdoor stage for amplified performances, and the cafe acoustic stage.
In addition to enjoying the gallery, music, food and beverages, the audience will have the opportunity to take action by participating in a variety of message booths designed to bring attention to the dramatic need of AIDS patients for access to medication across the world, the U.S., and in our region.
Video Messaging Booth: Citizens will get the chance to video record a message to their congressperson and President Obama about why new funding to save lives is critically needed.
Letter Writing: Sit down and address a letter to your local congressperson regarding the need for this crucial funding. Right now 11 states have waiting lists for life-saving drugs for poor and underinsured persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Message Painting: A 20-foot long and 6-foot high canvas wall will be erected for the community to artistically express the need for immediate action.
Performers (can change without prior notice)
This Moment in Black History
Kevin "Kaoz" Moore
Elijah Vazquez Trio
Muamin Collective
Jose Luna
Delo FI
and many musical surprises in store!
(Songwriters: Open Mic so bring your guitar, harmonica, bucket, or spoons and sing us one of your songs!)
After Party
8:30pm at Beachland Ballroom featuring A Very Tasty Cabaret (Rebecca Nagle) and Cleveland's own Tasty Cakes and The Very Knees
(A Dozen Things I Want To Do On Stage is a new one-woman cabaret by Rebecca Nagle. Of the dozen, Nagle will undress to "Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte", fit in a small box, tell your secrets, discuss why something is racist, fall in love, read her fantasies, act out your fantasies, induce a tragedy, fall down, take truth serum while letting the audience ask her questions, tell a tall tale, and disembowel herself. Using the format of 1920’s political European cabaret, A Dozen Things combines contortion, burlesque, poetry, games, lecture, ritual, confession, audience participation, science experiments, real-life moments and staged performance to deliver hard truths, half-truths and straight up lies. The cabaret plays with the familiar themes and tropes of the human condition, namely: sexuality, violence, fantasy, love, tragedy, ecstasy, history, and death. Nagle pits reality and action against fantasy and performance for an all out social deconstructionist battle.)
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