WASHINGTON, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Halcyon announced this week an impressive line-up of internationally known artists, performers and speakers who will participate in the inaugural By the People festival, June 21-24. Washington's largest international arts and dialogue festival will take place in every quadrant of the city, bringing people together around the themes of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "Intended to promote empathy and spark civil discourse, the festival will connect people from diverse backgrounds and build bridges across the cultural divide," said Kate Goodall, Co-founder and CEO of Halcyon, which is organizing the festival in association with the Smithsonian, Destination DC, ARTECHOUSE and dozens of D.C. organizations (see below).
Expect a full-on arts takeover of Washington during the four-day extravaganza, with interactive visual art installations, performances including ballet premieres and a showcase of legendary punk bands, high-profile speakers and an augmented reality art hunt. The public is encouraged to register in advance at bythepeople.org for fastest entry. Most activities are free; a few ticketed events have modest fees.
Artists, Performers and Speakers (as of April 30)
The line-up of artists includes Nick Cave, Rebecca Clark, Stacy Cantrell, Nekisha Durrett, Maya Freelon, Linda Hesh, Avish Khebrehzadeh, Michael Craig Martin, Jefferson Pinder, Imran Qureshi, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Sabin, Rachel Schmidt, Dan Steinhilber, Liliane Tomasko, Hays and Ryan Holladay; musician Jason Moran; BalletX; Hong Kong Ballet; Wolf Trap Opera; Batalá Washington; Dupont Brass; Washington Performing Arts Men, Women, and Children of the Gospel Choir; a punk band show curated by Sasha Lord, and featuring Sneaks, Taraka Larson (Prince Rama), The Messthetics, and Loud Boyz; punk video pioneer Bradley Friedman; and DJs Baby Alcatraz and Alec Mackaye. Virginia Shore is the festival's Artistic Director of Visual Arts and Septime Webre is the festival's Artistic Director of Performing Arts and Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Ballet.
A series of conversations on LIFE, LIBERTY and HAPPINESS includes NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Research Scientist Dr. Avi Mandell, who will curate a discussion of the implications of discovering life beyond earth; peace activist Yousef Bashir, who will curate a discussion of how to achieve lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis; and Dr. Robert Waldinger, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist who will curate a discussion on happiness.
Additional artists, performers and speakers will be announced next month.
Official activities will take place at the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building (900 Jefferson Drive SW), Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW), Union Market (1309 5th St. NE), THEARC West (1801 Mississippi Ave. SE) and The Parks at Walter Reed (1010 Butternut St. NW), as well as satellite locations throughout the city including (as of April 25): Anacostia Arts Center (1231 Good Hope Rd. SE), Gallery 102 GW Corcoran School of the Arts and Design (801 22nd St. NW), Hillyer Arts Space (9 Hillyer Court, NW) and The Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW) and Transformer at Farragut Square Park (17th and K streets NW).
The Smithsonian's landmark Arts and Industries Building (A&I) will serve as the festival's headquarters and central hub. After being shuttered for more than a decade, A&I is being developed as a laboratory for the exploration of big questions about the future and a vehicle for inspiring Americans about the impact of creativity and innovation on society.
Highlights
Other activities include:
- An augmented reality art hunt, powered by ARTECHOUSE and similar to Pokemon Go, in which the public uses their mobile devices to search for virtual artworks throughout the city that relate to the festival themes. Earlier this month, dozens of artists from around the world responded to Halcyon's call for participants.
- Pop up activities including Bridgman|Packer Dance, who will perform the ingenious and magical Truck, a nontraditional dance inside a 17-foot U-Haul truck; and Mind the Heart!, a worldwide public street art project by Israeli artists Maya Gelfman and Roie Avidan.
- "Solstice Saturday" a Smithsonian celebration of the summer's longest day held in conjunction with the festival. Participating museums (Anacostia Community Museum, Freer and Sackler Galleries, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building and the Smithsonian Castle) will feature free activities during extended evening hours on Saturday, June 23.
Partners and Sponsors
Partners (as of April 30) include: 8 Arts & Culture, 11th Street Bridge Park; The Agora Culture; Anacostia Arts Center; ARTECHOUSE; Blind Whino; Bolamarge; BrandLinkDC; Brightest Young Things; Corcoran School of Art, George Washington University; CulturalDC; DC Department of Economic Planning and Development; DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment; DC Office of the Deputy Mayor Planning and Economic Development; Destination DC; EDENS; Events DC; Federal City Council; Government of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser Mayor; Hong Kong Ballet; Kaze Design; Linder Global Events; numberF; The Parks at Walter Reed; Pink Line Project; The Phillips Collection; Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington; Dr. Sachiko Kuno; Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building; Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Latino Center; STABLE; Swatchroom; THEARC; theatreWashington; U.S. Trust-Bank of America; Union Market; Washington National Cathedral; Washington Performing Arts; Wolf Trap Opera; Whole Foods; Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts; and YOA Youth Orchestra of the Americas.
About Halcyon
A nonprofit organization that believes in the power of creativity and compassion to empower humanity, Halcyon provides space, community and access to socially engaged artists and social entrepreneurs working to use their vision and talent to address the world's greatest challenges. Signature programs include Halcyon Incubator, Halcyon Arts Lab, Halcyon Dialogue and the By the People festival. In only three years, Halcyon's 63 social entrepreneurs have created 460 jobs, raised more than $37 million and impacted nearly half a million lives around the world. Founded by Dr. Sachiko Kuno and Kate Goodall, Halcyon is based out of the historic Halcyon estate and nearby Halcyon Arts Lab in Georgetown. halcyonhouse.org.
Media only: Janice L. Kaplan, 202-277-5461, j.kaplan@halcyonhouse.org
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SOURCE Halcyon