"Think about the challenges that people are facing as they are coming out of prison-they've been isolated from their families, from their neighborhoods, from their working lives, from so many things. Connecting through culture is a way to reenter, to re-belong, to reintegrate into community." -Amy Kitchener, Executive Director, Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA)
The Alliance for California Traditional Arts recognizes that the formerly incarcerated population is a marginalized sector of Californians in need of healing, affirmation, and connectedness. ACTA's Reentry Through the Arts program, Son de Libertad, creates new opportunities for returning citizens to come together in an environment designed to reinforce the affirmation of cultural identity, a sense of belonging, and communal engagement through the shared experience of art-making. Specially designed for individuals who are returning to their communities following incarceration, this 18-week program centers on two traditional arts workshop series in Los Angeles: Mexican son jarocho music, dance, and verse at the Amity Foundation, and Afro-Colombian percussion at Homeboy Industries.
Directed and edited by Sara Aguilar.
Produced by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.
In partnership with The Wellness Center, Homeboy Industries, and the Amity Foundation.
Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the Los Angeled Department of Arts and Culture.