(Above: Members of The Los Angeles Poet Society celebrate their 1st Meet n Greet at The World Stage!)
SAVE THE WORLD STAGE!
SIGN THE PETITION: http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-eric-garcetti-and-los-angeles-city-council-save-the-world-stage-in-leimert-park#intro
It is with great respect and concern that we save this literary heartbeat in the African American community of Leimert Park! Not only has it welcomed so many talented individuals to its stage, it is also a place where community can come together and grow -- there are workshop offerings, open mics, open jam sessions, musicianship tutoring.
On a personal note, The World Stage was kind and and opened its doors to the Los Angeles Poet Society, as we held our 1st Member Meet n Greet there! The Artistic Director, Conney Williams, is also a LAPS Member. Let's be there for each other!
It is with great respect and concern that we save this literary heartbeat in the African American community of Leimert Park! Not only has it welcomed so many talented individuals to its stage, it is also a place where community can come together and grow -- there are workshop offerings, open mics, open jam sessions, musicianship tutoring.
On a personal note, The World Stage was kind and and opened its doors to the Los Angeles Poet Society, as we held our 1st Member Meet n Greet there! The Artistic Director, Conney Williams, is also a LAPS Member. Let's be there for each other!
The World Stage is a special place -- please don't let the city take it away from us!
SAVE THE WORLD STAGE!
an article by S.A. Griffin
Save The World Stage In Leimert Park!!!
Iconic and historic performance venue The World Stage in Leimert Park is under attack from city planners and developers on the heels of the new Metro line approval. It would be devastating to the neighborhood and the city of Los Angeles to lose World Stage. There will be a press conference Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 4pm, and a rally on Saturday October 19, 2013 at 1pm. Please do whatever you can to attend either one of these, or both.
ALL WORLD STAGE: Crisis re EVICTION for real estate profits for
LEIMERT PARK METRO station 10-13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 11, 2013
ICONIC WORLD STAGE PERFORMANCE GALLERY UNDER ATTACK
PRESS CONFERENCE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 16, 4PM
COMMUNITY RALLY, SATURDAY, OCT. 19, 1PM
Contact: Conney Williams, The World Stage Artistic Director 310.863.4432
(Los Angeles, CA) Iconic cultural institution The World Stage Performance Gallery is being threatened with eviction. In what community members are calling an attempt to gentrify the Crenshaw District's Leimert Park neighborhood in preparation for the forthcoming Crenshaw Line Leimert Station, eight long-time Leimert Park businesses have recently been informed that their leases will not be renewed or they have been served eviction-related notices, including The World Stage. A press conference will be held to discuss these issues on Wednesday, October 16, 4pm and a community rally on Saturday, October 19, 1pm at The World Stage Performance Gallery, 4344 Degnan Blvd., L.A., CA 90008.
According to The World Stage's board president Wiley Brown, soon after the city council voted to approve the Crenshaw Line on May 22, the eviction notices began to arrive. "It's unethical, and frankly, shameful that the women and men, the culturally-aware business owners who helped to make Leimert Park a cultural landmark for the African American community, are being forced out at a time when the Crenshaw Line Leimert Park Station is going to bring unparalleled business opportunities to the area. The city leaders cannot let this happen," Brown said.
Brown and community stakeholders organized a meeting with 10th District City Councilman Herb Wesson, who failed to show, but later his chief deputy Deron Williams arrived. According to jazz singer and World Stage board member Dwight Trible, who was at the meeting, Williams agreed to: 1) organize a meeting with the property owners who were seeking to evict the long-time African American tenants 2) work through the city council to designate Leimert Park as a cultural landmark 3) work to help finance a "light and signage package" which would bring business-friendly neon-lights and attractive signage for Leimert Park businesses and 4) organize a meeting between the property owners and the African American business owners who are being forced out.
According to Trible, when the stakeholders tried to contact Wesson's office to follow up on the meeting, their phone calls were not returned for several weeks. Later, a Wesson staffer confessed that "they had hit a roadblock."
"I was upset that Wesson was not at the stakeholder meeting, but chief deputy Williams looked us all in the eye and seemed so genuinely concerned. He said that he was from the community and he would not standby and let this happen. That's why I was so shocked when Wesson's office completely dismissed us when we called to follow up on theirpromises to Leimert Park. The stakeholders in this community are facing an existential crisis and Herb Wesson, our elected representative, has turned his back on us," Trible said.
Spurned by Weeson, The World Stage is in the middle of an emergency capital campaign. It is taking donations throughits website (theworldstage.org) in an effort to raise $25,000, while simultaneously working on a long-range strategic financial plan.
Please help save the World Stage...
much love,
s.a.
SIGN the PETITION
Poet Pam Ward has also started a petition to Mayor Eric Garcetti: http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-eric-garcetti-and-los-angeles-city-council-save-the-world-stage-in-leimert-park
Ask the mayor to fund a building that's better.. Then fill it up with pieces of the world stage and start again..
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