February 2, 2023 The Music Center Launches 44th Annual Very Special Arts Festival to Celebrate Creative Expression of Angelenos of All Ages and Abilities

Free Two-Day Celebration on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center to Include Dance and Music Workshops, Art Making, Virtual Student Art Gallery and More on February 24–25, 2023

LOS ANGELES (February 2, 2023) – Following the success of its inaugural expansion in 2022 as a two-day celebration, The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival returns on Friday and Saturday, February 24–25, 2023, offering opportunities for creative expression to Angelenos of all abilities. The free festival, comprised of arts workshops, dance performances and more, takes place in Downtown L.A. on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival will be dedicated to school groups on Friday, February 24, providing students with the opportunity to perform in front of an audience, showcase their visual artwork in a virtual gallery and enjoy artmaking, among other activities; on Saturday, February 25, the festival will be open to the public, promising entertainment and hands-on artistic experiences for community members of all ages and abilities. The festival’s theme, Create Community, sets the tone for both days to encourage participation in the arts and connection with one another.

“The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival is a beautiful example of how the arts can help Angelenos of all abilities and ages to feel supported and be inspired, as L.A. continues to surge past the pandemic and start anew in 2023,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “I invite all Angelenos to join us and witness the incredible creativity of these amazing young people! You will feel immense joy in experiencing this beloved event right here in Los Angeles.”

The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival is part of L.A.’s premier performing arts organization’s enduring multi-faceted arts learning program that typically serves more than 150,000 students and educators annually throughout Los Angeles County. Hosted on both days by opera singer Suzanna Guzmán and actor David Prather, the variety of activities planned for this year’s festival include a Hip Hop dance class led by Free 2 B Me Dance (Saturday), a music workshop conducted by The Miracle Project (Friday and Saturday), a dance activity for older adults spearheaded by Little Tokyo Service Center (Saturday) and more. The festival will include an ASL interpreter on both days and will be transcribed for people with visual impairment.

“The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival is one of the few festivals of its kind in the county that encourages the artistic achievements of people of all abilities,” said Keith Wyffels, associate vice president of education, TMC Arts. “In 2022, we lengthened the festival to two days to invite the entire L.A. community because creativity thrives when everyone is given the chance to express themselves through the arts. The festival’s expansion made a lasting impact on everyone who participated so we are thrilled to invite all Angelenos again to the Community Day this year.”

Activities planned for the festival’s first day (Friday, February 24, from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.) with school groups* include:
 

• Magic show with Illusions by Allen
• Dance workshop led by Straight Up Abilities
  
  * See participating schools listed on page 3

Activities planned for the festival’s second day (Saturday, February 25, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.), which is open to the public, include: 

• Illusions by Allen
• Kizuna Taiko
• Little Tokyo Service Center
• Free 2 Be Me Dance
• The Miracle Project
• Straight Up Abilities
• Los Cambalache

* Artists and programs subject to change

Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival is made possible by generous support from Tina and Jerry Moss/Moss Foundation; Mimi Song; Ring-Miscikowski Foundation/The Ring Foundation; LSMK Investments; Robert Nelson Foundation; Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation; and the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more info, or to RSVP for the festival’s Community Day, visit musiccenter.org/communityday.

CALENDAR LISTING
 

WHAT:
The Music Center’s 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival – Community Day
A free event for Angelenos of all abilities and ages to explore, express and show off their creativity, ranging from arts workshops and dance performances to musical theatre. Let your creativity thrive!

WHEN:
Saturday, February 25, 2023
11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90212

MORE INFO:
musiccenter.org/communityday

The 44^th Annual Very Special Arts Festival School Performances
Friday, February 24, 2023

About The Music Center
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA

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