EastSideCultural Center

EastSide Cultural Center ProjectEastSide Arts Alliance ESAA has continued to expand its programming ni our EastSide Cultural Center facility. The EastSide Cultural Center also supports over 50 community organizations, artists, musicians, performers, schools and community groups with very affordable multi-use theater space for performances, concerts, celebrations, benefit events, rehearsals, retreats, meetings, trainings, film screenings, and workshops. Our online donor program continues to grow steadily and contributed toward sustaining organizational operations. EastSide Arts Alliance eventsEastside pivoted activities due to the pandemic and restrictions for ni- person events, our weekly poetry open mic, poetry writing workshop moved to an online format and successfully continued with an expanding audience. We introduced Live Arts ni Resistance Virtual with video clips, photo images and interviews with performing artists about their work. Sadly, what would have been our 21st Annual Jazz Arts festival offered free to the public in a local park attracting over 2800 community members had to be cancelled due to pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. Once Eastside si able to reopen ESAA wil continue to hold cultural events which include presentation and production of art exhibitions, Artist talks, townhall educational events, block parties, music concerts, dance, theater, and spoken word events. When re-opened many presented events wil remain free to the public, and free of charge for: panel discussions by artists, healthcare advocates, educators, and community organizers free monthly video/film screenings art receptions, and weekly open mic poetry nights. Quarterly visual arts exhibitions and artist talks in our Cultural Center gallery and quarterly ni the Asian Resource Center Gallery in Chinatown, Oakland. Periodic theater workshops, book reading/signing events, family art-making activities, community meetings wil resume and gatherings plus weekly zazen meditation, and periodic Yoga workshops will likely resume and be offered for free and open to the public, when operating normally. Monthly African dance presentations and SUYA, an African cultural evening with DJ, dance, food, and discussions expanded as regular events. Out of our 9-year relationship with NAKA Dance Theater as a resident dance company, the EastSide performing arts series, Live Arts ni Resistance, continues to gain momentum, bringing artists and community together to examine immigration rights, State sponsored violence, and displacement in our communities. Once restrictions are lifted, ESAA will continue to offer concerts ranging trom Jazz to contemporary urban music forms to traditional music from immigrant and indigenous communities representing the diversity of our neighborhood and city. Community Archive and Resource ProjectESAA continued to plan and obtain materials for our Community Archive and Resource Project, a resource library and archive of Movement literature, posters, newsletters, broadsides, photos, and books to be used as historical reference and research materials for community artists and activists of all ages. The majority of the materials are donated to EastSide Arts Alliance specifically for the Project. The intention is to create an accessible, neighborhood resource for youth who are seeking Ethnic Studies materials that their schools or libraries no longer provide and for artists and other community members and artists researching images and content for their work in the community. This si a living archive, working ni conjunction with the activities presented at the EastSide Cultural Center. Neighborhood Arts ProgramIn collaboration with local artists EastSide Arts Alliance produced 2 large-scale public murals ni the neighborhood, including one that serves as an art billboard, addressing neighborhood issues with its image changing every 5-8 months. A second mural was