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+ Kingston returns for its fourth incarnation.
The inaugural San Francisco O+ Festival is scheduled for November 15-17, 2013.
The O+ Mission:
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 see
how it all got started:
I produce a radio show to promote O+. It's called radiO+ (radiopositive).
The most recent one featured Gail Ann Dorsey. She sings and plays bass. You may not have heard of her, but you may have heard of her boss:
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
Musician Gail Ann Dorsey
If you live in the lower Hudson Valley or in the Bay Area, you should come see us when the fall rolls around. The festival happens in the Stockade District of uptown Kingston and in the Mission Creek District in San Francisco.
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.
The submission period for
artists and
musicians for Kingston is open through August 15.
As I mentioned earlier, I have been producing a bi-weekly radio show to promote the festival. The show is called radiO+ ("radiopositive") and is broadcast on my Internet radio station, All Over The Place.
The eighth episode of radiO+ airs at 7:30 and 10:30 pm EDT tonight. It will also air at these times (all times EDT):
Sat Jun 22: 1 pm
Sun Jun 23: 1 pm
Thu Jun 27: 7:30 and 10:30 pm
Sat Jun 29: 1 pm
Sun Jun 30: 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.
More Gail Ann Dorsey: