APA Heritage Festival 2011
The Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s (OACC) annual Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Festival 2011 featured a full and diverse program of events celebrating Asian and Pacific American culture and traditions from April 21 to May 26.
All events were in collaboration with local artists and non-profit organizations and were held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street, Suite 290 in Oakland. Many events were free but for those where tickets are required, please check the listings below.
Click For Festival Official Poster (Design By 8point2.com)
Festival Events Presented By:
Past Festival Events
“In This Skin” Writing/Performance Workshop w/ Aimee Suzara - Sunday, June 12, 2-5pm.
Join Aimee Suzara, writer/performer and director of the Pagbabalik (return) project, for a writing workshop that allows you to explore attitudes around skin color, body image, and beauty. Develop gesture and text through guided writing and movement exercises. This workshop is a part of the development phase of the multidisciplinary piece, A History of the Body, written by Suzara, debuted as a work-in-progress in residency with Kularts, inc.
Sliding Scale: $30-$50 dollars.
To enroll, please visit the workshop's official brownpapertickets page. For more information, please contact Aimee Suzara or click here for the official flyer.
OACC's Spring 2011 Fundraiser: Breaking Ground - Wednesday, May 25, 6pm - 10pm
For the first time ever, both cities of Oakland and San Francisco selected Asian Americans as their mayors and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) won elections in every one of the 9 counties that make up the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Historical milestones such as these inspire commemoration and recognition for promoting the voice & leadership of Asian Americans. Join OACC and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage month and this important juncture in the history of Asian American’s in the Bay Area. Journalist and Historian Bill Wong will be sharing his perspective on this development at the event. The program will also include short performances by some of OACC's diverse APIA artists and dinner catered by a local business.
Sponsorships and tickets are still available!
Individual event tickets: Early Bird/Advanced Tickets (purchased by Wednesday, May 18th): $60 each and are available via Eventbrite.
For more information or to sponsor and/or buy tickets, visit the program page or contact OACC's Executive Director Mona Shah via phone at (510) 637 - 0460, or email at mshah AT oacc.
API Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership (AYPAL) 13th Annual May Arts Festival – May 19, 6pm-9pm
AYPAL youth will showcase the diverse cultures and issues of our Asian and Pacific Islander communities through various performing arts projects that they have been working on for the past year. This event will include Mien, Cambodian, and Filipino dances; along with guerrilla theater, spoken word, and visual arts. Raffles, prizes & silent auction will also be in the lobby.
For more information about this event, please visit www.aypal.org.
Sliding scale: Youth $3-$5 Adults $5-$20. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
“The Courtesan Akoya” – May 15, 2pm-4pm
Presented by the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Alumni Association of Northern California’s (JETAANC) Kabuki Club
Join us for a special film screening of the Kabuki classic, The Courtesan Akoya (Japanese with English subtitles). If you are curious about why Kabuki’s unique combination of drama, comedy, music, dance, and spectacle continues to entertain millions every year, this is a rare chance to see one of the classics in a recent production! Refreshments will be served.
Click Here For Flyer
For more information about this event and the Kabuki Club, please visit www.jetaanc.org
Free Event
Bay Area’s Go Players Association “Go Expo Day” – May 14, 9:30am-4:30pm
Come to Go Expo Day, showcasing one of the world’s oldest board games! Known as baduk in Korea, wei-chi in China, igo in Japan, and simply "go" here in the United States, the game originated in China over 4,000 years ago. The day will include free private or small group lessons. For more experienced players, test your skills in the ratings tournament. Presented by the Bay Area’s Go Players Association.
For more information or to enroll into the expo, please visit www.bayareago.org
Literary Evening: Diversity and APIA Literature – May 12, 7:00pm-9:00pm*
Co-presented by Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) and Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc (PAWA, Inc.)
Join OACC for a literary evening featuring local and diverse APIA writers Vanessa Huang, Jason Bayani, Margaret Rhee, and Robert Ricardo Reese. This event is curated by Barbara Jane Reyes.
Free Event
Be sure to also check out our partners upcoming Saturday May 7th Diversity in Young Adult Fiction event!
*Please prepare in advance and refrain from wearing hair and body products with fragrance or clothing laundered in products with fragrance. Help this event safe and accessible for community members with environmental illness. More information here*
Gamelan Sekar Jaya: Music and Dance of Bali – May 7, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Gamelan Sekar Jaya, the internationally acclaimed Balinese music and dance ensemble based in the Bay Area, will do an afternoon performance at OACC. Led by renowned master Balinese artist I Dewa Putu Berata, the afternoon will feature two large percussion orchestra, Gamelan Angklung, and Gamelan Jegog. Each ensemble will be accompanied by the dynamic and dramatic flair of Balinese dance, led by Balinese artist Ni Luh Andarawati.
For more information about the event, visit Gamelan Sekar Jaya's website. To purchase tickets, please the event's Brown Paper Tickets page.
“Bhutto” Film screening – April 21, 6:30pm-8:30pm
This was a special screening of “Bhutto” (2010). Directed by Duane Baughman, this documentary tells the life and struggles of the first female leader of a Muslim country. This film was part of Community Cinema, which provide free monthly film screenings to the general public. Co-presented by ITVS, the Oakland Film Office, and CAAM; OACC has been serving as one of the many venues nationwide.
Free Event
This program is supported in part by the Alameda County Arts Commission ARTSFUND Grants Program, The City of Oakland, U.S. Bank, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
