Last year, I got involved with a great group of folks up in Kingston, NY. In 2010, they started the O+ Festival, a music/art/wellness festival that pays participating artists and musicians with healthcare instead of money.
On Columbus Day weekend (Oct 11-13) 2013, O+ returns for its fourth incarnation.
The inaugural San Francisco O+ Festival is scheduled for November 2013.
The O+ Mission (from the webpage):
The O+ Festival is a celebration of art and music that creates a bridge to access health care for artists. O+ fosters complete physical, mental and social well-being by connecting artists directly with a coalition of health care providers and health resources, in a shared vision to nurture the individual and the community.
Take five minutes and
watch this video from the first O+ in 2010.
You can also listen to these audio clips of past O+ participants talking about their experiences:
Danny and Peter from the band Lucius
Mike Merenda from folk duo Mike + Ruthy
O+ Director of Technology Kale Kaposhilin
Musician Shana Falana
If you live in the lower Hudson Valley, you should come see us when October rolls around. The festival happens in the Stockade District of uptown Kingston.
The venues for San Francisco have not been announced yet, but planning is underway - watch this space!
The O+ Festival’s health component provides Free Health Services to all participating artists and volunteers.
In exchange for being here, musicians, artists and volunteers will receive a screening of their health needs in an on-site weekend clinic during the festival, plus vouchers for follow-up office visits, and case-by-case continued care as needed via participating non-profits and residency programs. At the weekend clinic artists will have access to: General MDs, occupational therapists, physical and sports therapists, dentists, orthopedics, massage therapists, chiropractics, acupuncturists, addiction counseling, and other participating providers will be on board to address them the best they can, free of charge. O+ Health’s long-term goal is to develop a model for all communities, wherein perpetual health care for artists can become a reality.
There will be a call for health providers, musicians, artists and volunteers very soon.
I, TGLF, have been producing a monthly radio show to promote the festival. The show is called radiO+ ("radiopositive") on my Internet radio station, All Over The Place.
The fifth episode of radiO+ airs at 1 pm EDT today. It will also air at these times (all times EDT):
Sun May 12: 1 pm
Thu May 16: 7:30 and 10:30 pm
Sat May 18: 1 pm
Sun May 19: 1 pm
AOTP Tunein link
The show features music and long-form interviews with folks who are involved with the festival and bands that have played it.
Please visit the links below:
O+ Festival
O+ Festival on Facebook
radiO+ on Facebook
All radiO+ sounds found here - complete past episodes, interviews and excerpts.
More infO+ to come in the months ahead.
Enjoy the music from past O+ performers:
Mike + Ruthy
Lucius
The Dead Exs