LOS ANGELES—Admission is completely free for the 15th annual DEAFestival Los Angeles, which will take place on Saturday, October 3 at Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
For the past 14 years, DEAFestival Los Angeles has brought together over 400,000 members of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community in celebration and honor. Through arts and cultural programming, the festival invites community members to network, connect and help to educate the hearing community in order to elicit a better understanding of Deaf culture.
Its humble beginnings as a small gathering of less than 200 people at a local parking lot has seen exponential growth and increased exposure each year; currently about 5,000 people attend DEAFestival LA annually.
According to their website, DEAFestival LA’s mission statement is “to unite the deaf community once a year at an event that will: promote high self esteem and confidence among deaf children, provide information on the available services for deaf individuals and their families, educate the general public on the value and presence of the deaf community and enhance the profile and creative contribution of deaf artists to the contemporary cultural landscape.”
The day-long event also strives “to educate the general public on how a Deaf individual can thrive in a hearing world. The Deaf artists performing at DEAFestival aide in promoting public awareness and serve as role models for our Deaf children by demonstrating firsthand how it’s possible to be a Deaf professional who embraces their culture and flourishes in a diverse setting like Los Angeles.”
The event is currently enlisting the help of volunteers in the fields of: ASL interpreters, graphic designers, make-up artists, office workers, hospitality, event organizing, fundraising and more. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt, food and community service hours. To volunteer, fill out the online form on their website here: http://www.deafestivalla.org/volunteers.html.
DEAFestival LA 2015 will be sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Los Angeles Council President Herb Wesson Jr. Admission is completely free; however, you must reserve your tickets in advance. To do so, visit DEAFestival LA’s website here: http://www.deafestivalla.org/, email at info@deafestivalla.org, or call at (323) 401 – 9301.
