2024 Rest Fest

April 03 - April 08,2024

From Fisterra Projects: "Fisterra Projects, a leading local nonprofit arts organization dedicated to nurturing homegrown art as a framework for change, is thrilled to announce a revolutionary and engaging community interactive art and activism event that promises to be a memorable experience for art enthusiasts and the general public alike. REST Fest 2024 - Eclipse Edition runs April 3-8, 2024 at the Dougherty Arts Center in the heart of Austin. The six-day arts festival will showcase revolutionary live music, dance, comedy, light-up parties, immersive art activism, and RESTshops (a spin-on the traditional creative workshop). The event will culminate with the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, inviting Austinites and tourists to dream new futures. Rest Fest is produced by Fisterra Projects, and curated by The Theorists. The festival kicks off Wednesday night with “REST Fest Eve- Dinner and Dance in the Dark.” featuring fiber optic fashion by Light Up Austin, haptic and immersive art, and a Kizomba dance social by We Can Dance Blind with ADA accessible & translation provided for deaf & blind attendees. Revolution Spirits will be on hand to elevate the atmosphere with dragon’s blood mocktails. Thursday thru Saturday, attendees will enter Dreamland, an immersive music and dance show that begins with a live music and dance performance and culminates with Light Up Austin Parade. While in Dreamland, guests are invited to explore art installations, hammock gardens, social dancing, or illuminate the Austin skyline with their own dragon dance. The air will pulse with live music, afrobeat DJ sets, and the voice of our Dragon Spirit guide, Broadway actress Sabrina Reitman. Dreamland will be a co-created experience. On Sunday - all will rest. “We host REST Fest not because we are health gurus. We do it because we need practice! In RESTiprocity, we practice solidarity through rest. We are artists supporting artists and we won’t rest until everyone can rest! All we have is each other.” says Amy Morrow, Executive Director of Fisterra Productions. All of Austin is invited to participate in REST Fest. Prior dance or visual art experience is not required. To accommodate, “RESTshops” will reimagine workshops where all skill levels can express themselves through dance and visual art. Creativity is essential for survival; so here, everyone is an artist. REST Fest: Eclipse Edition is strategically timed alongside the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. On Monday, April 8, REST Fest’s closing ritual will provide space for attendees to pause, reflect and set intentions as they move forward and will culminate at the exact moment before the last-of-our-life- time in Austin total solar eclipse. “I want REST Fest 2024 to reach beyond Austin and be a call to action for other cities to champion community-centered Rest Fests. DIY, decentralized, fractal emergent initiatives keep art fresh and neighborhoods rooted in relationship,” says Morrow. “Revolutions begin with play & rest.” -Angela Davis, at Austin’s Black Art Matters Festival. Join Fisterra Projects in revolutionizing rest at REST Fest 2024. Ticket prices range from $5.00 - $15.00 for individual events to $250 for a VIP Festival Pass. No one will be turned away for lack of funds if space exists for rush tickets at the door. All proceeds from REST Fest 2024 go directly towards paying unhoused artists to create and curate art shows through Fisterra. For more information on REST Fest 2024: Eclipse Edition, please visit restfest.xyz or contact Amy Morrow at amy@fisterra.xyz or (817) 692-2263."

73 March 25, 2024 | 12-12 am

Dougherty Arts Center
1110 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
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