Sunday, August 17, 2008

.:. World Festival of Sacred Music .:. September 13-28th

Once every three years, the best musicians in the world come to Los Angeles for the . . .

September 13-28th, 2008

Program History

WFSM-LA began as a one-time millennium event in 1999 with a letter from H.H. the Dalai Lama who suggested that people from around the world mark the new millennium with hope and commitment to peace and universal responsibility through music. In response to this call, Foundation for World Arts in association with EarthWays Foundation, and UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance produced the 1999 Festival. As a result of the overwhelming response from the community, the organizing partners took the initiative in planning and implementing the 2002 and 2005 Festivals and every three years thereafter.

To achieve their vision, over the past ten years WFSM-LA has brought together tens of thousands of people of diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, including artists of all types, community and religious leaders, educators and students. With a combined total of 185 multidisciplinary events presenting the work of 6,000 artists in 180 diverse venues across Los Angeles and an attendance of 200,000 people in the 1999, 2002 and 2005 Festivals, WFSM-LA is the largest citywide Festival currently active in Los Angeles. With their fourth festival in 2008, we hope to ensure a sustainable model that can be carried on to 2008 and beyond.

Vision: Joy… Inspiration… Renewal… Harmony

Recognizing music as an expression of humanity’s most profound aspirations and as a way to transcend borders of all kinds - linguistic, national, cultural, ideological, racial and religious, the 2008 World Festival of Sacred Music is the result of an outpouring of interest and enthusiasm from community partners and artists who participated in the Festival in 1999, 2002 and 2005.

The World Festival of Sacred Music is founded on the belief that sacred music has the ability to bring forth our shared human values of peace, understanding, and respect for all living things. The Festival is not a commercial venture, nor does it promote or endorse any political or religious agenda. Offering an alternative, community-oriented model to the corporate values that dominate the entertainment culture of Los Angeles, the Festival provides opportunities for people to come together and investigate issues of tolerance and diversity within our complex, urban environment.

Their Goals

Inclusion of diverse approaches to sacred music and dance

Programs that would not otherwise be presented to the public

Programs that combine more than one aesthetic or cultural approach

Venues that are unfamiliar to the public

40 events across the city

Events evenly spread over 16 days

Economically viable that is in keeping with needs of artists and venues

Build connections across faith based, cultural and aesthetic differences

Provide opportunities to collaborate and share resources with others

Present the arts within a non-commercial non-corporate sponsored context

Deepen public awareness of the vibrant diversity of Los Angeles