African Children’s Choir of Uganda to Perform at Arlington
The two free morning performances will provide a unique cultural experience for local students. With song, dance, and colorful dress representing different tribes, the African Children’s Choir demonstrates the beauty and dignity of Africa’s cultures and the joy and hope of its people.
The choir includes 17 children from Uganda who tour the world.
In 1984, in the midst of Uganda’s civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett was called on to help the country’s many thousands of orphaned and starving children. He founded the African Children’s Choir and to date more than 1,000 vulnerable boys and girls have been through the choir program. The funds they have generated have provided the opportunity of education and hope for many more like them in some of the most desperate and needy areas of Africa.
The African Children’s Choir has performed for heads of state worldwide, at the United Nations and White House. They have been a special guest on Ellen, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Before they are selected to join the choir, children ages 7 to 11 attend Music for Life camps, which provide a break from the daily hardships children face at home.
The Children’s Creative Project receives grant support for the youth performance from The Towbes Foundation, Yardi Systems, Citrix Online, the Dreier Family Foundation, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation Education Outreach, and the Santa Barbara Foundation. The performance is co-sponsored with UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Metropolitan Theatres Corporation. “Coordinated by the Children’s Creative Project, this performance is part of the CCP’s larger arts education program that provides visual and performing arts workshops conducted by resident artists in 50 elementary schools reaching 20,000 students,” explained County Superintendent Bill Cirone, whose office coordinates the program. “In addition, the CCP sponsors 800 performances per year for 50,000 students in more than 100 schools throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.”
Funding to support this event is provided in part by the I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival produced by the Children’s Creative Project to benefit its arts education programs. The I Madonnari Festival will celebrate its 27th anniversary this May 25, 26, and 27, during the Memorial Day weekend.
Please note: This performance is not open to the general public. The performance times listed below are for your information only so that you, a writer, or photographer, may attend to cover the event.
Performance times: 9:15 to 10:05 a.m. and 10:25 to 11:15 a.m.
