LOS ANGELES – Tuesday Night Project reaches its landmark 20th year of art and community building in 2018. Its flagship program, Tuesday Night Cafe, will begin its 20th season on April 3, 2018. Tuesday Night Cafe is a free public arts and performance series in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, presenting new and original work from the Asian American and Los Angeles communities. Since its inception in 1999, Tuesday Night Cafe has become the oldest Asian American mic series in the country, and one of the longest running free public art series in Los Angeles.
“It’s significant that Tuesday Night Cafe has continued to grow for so long, but the intention and reasoning for that continual growth is not lost on any of us,” says Tuesday Night Cafe producer/lead curator Sean Miura. “There’s always been a need for a space like ours in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Asian America and season after season we see that need evolve.”
Tuesday Night Project was principally created to address two major issues. The first was the need for a space where Asian American artists of all disciplines (including music, poetry, writing, dance, visual art, performance art, and comedy) could meet, collaborate, and share their work. The second was a need to revitalize the neighborhood of Little Tokyo by drawing in visitors and creating public programming for the community. Through partnerships with community organizations including Little Tokyo Service Center, Visual Communications, and East West Players, Tuesday Night Project is able to produce the Tuesday Night Cafe to fulfill those needs.
“Tuesday Night Project has always been for and fueled by the community,” says Tuesday Night Project Director traci kato-kiriyama. “We began in 1999 as a team of theatre artists, musicians, community organizers and local residents and staff rooted in Little Tokyo. We have always been all-volunteer run and are lucky to be primarily funded directly by our generous audience. We will continue onward, operating on the philosophy that people are each other’s greatest resource.”
Twenty years later, Tuesday Night Project continues to grow. Beyond Tuesday Night Café, Tuesday Night Project also runs touring programs to colleges (TN-on-Tour), community workshops on topics such as wellness and solidarity (TN Talks), and a number of visual and audio media projects.
Tuesday Night Cafe’s 20th season will begin on April 3, 2018 at the Aratani Courtyard/Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. More information about Tuesday Night Project and its programs can be found at: www.tuesdaynightproject.org