The first annual Arts in Action Festival, presented by Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC), is set for July 24 at NYC's Manhattan School of Music. The event will feature an evening performance, open to the public, from BAC and participating organizations.

Hosted by playwright Liza Jessie Peterson and advocate Khalil Cumberbatch, the performance will include pieces by Lynn Nottage, Arianna Afsar, Kenyatta Hughes, and more.

Themed "Reimagining Justice," the festival will offer space for organizations and individuals working in the arts, theatre, policy, and advocacy to showcase their work, explore opportunities for collaboration, and discuss social justice policies and resilience specific to NYC and marginalized communities. The event will consist of workshops, performances, panels, discussion groups, galleries, and video exhibits.

"We are lucky to be part of an incredible community of organizations that have been investing in arts advocacy across New York City for decades," says Executive Director Robb Nanus. "With so much important work happening, we felt it vital to invest in finding ways to work more deeply together and finding moments to celebrate each other and build the coalition necessary to create a more equitable city."

"Fundamentally artistry is an act of proclaiming one's voice and therefore inherently an expression of advocacy. It's not just simply about the entertainment," adds BAC Board Member Alejo Rodriquez. "With the first ever Arts in Action Festival, I hope we can highlight all of the organizations elevating artistic voices that are advocating for justice across NYC."

Organizations represented at the festival will include ARTE (Art & Resistance Through Education), College and Community Fellowships, Dances for Solidarity, Drama Club, Parole Prep Project, PEN America, RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison), Recess Arts, Theater of the Oppressed, Theater for Social Change Ensemble, Urban Justice, Urban Word, and the Vera Institute for Justice.

For more, visit ArtsInActionFestival.com.