What’s the greatest thing about the upcoming O+ Festival?
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Elissa Jane Mastel
Sep 27, 2012, 1:29:26 PM9/27/12
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Media Inquiries: Elissa Jane Mastel
Over 100+ uninsured artists and musicians will receive tens of thousands of dollars worth of free medical and dental care in exchange for doing what they love... sharing their creativity!
Kingston, NY’s groundbreaking art and music event, the O+ Festival goes into its 3rd year with the anticipation of doubling last year’s healthcare offerings for musicians and artists from New York and beyond.
To determine if this post partisan model for health care can succeed, one need look no further than last year’s numbers. At the 2011 O+ Festival Pop Up Clinic, 121 patients were seen at 277 medical appointments over a three-day period. This equates to $38,600 in medical services and $17,600 in dental work – a total value of $56,200 in free services provided to uninsured musicians and artists. This year’s number are expected to double, stay tuned for reports after the 2012 event.
At a time when health care has become one of the country's most divisive and highly-charged political issues, and local communities and businesses struggle to survive in a tepid economy, the O+ Festival of art, music and wellness in Kingston, NY, has rallied its community to support the health and wellness of hundreds of artists, and simultaneously created the biggest weekend of the year for many of the city's Uptown businesses.
The festival’s positive impact on the lives and well-being of hundreds of artists and on the city’s local economy has earned national and international acclaim. This past year, festival organizers have been invited to discuss their grassroots approach, bartering art for health care, at events across the country, including a TEDx talk at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania this past spring. Organizers also spoke at the Society for the Arts in Healthcare 23rd Annual International Conference in Detroit. At the same time, applications from artists and musicians seeking to participate in this year's festival have surged — this year’s music applicant numbers nearly doubled from last year, an exponential increase from 2010 — and sponsors have been lining up get involved, including, HealthQuest, the region’s largest healthcare system.
The movement is growing steadily. In addition to funding provided by individuals, health care providers, and small business in the community, the 2012 festival proudly lists among its sponsors HealthQuest, the largest healthcare system in the mid-Hudson Valley, WDST Woodstock, Chronogram, and Evolving Media Network.
What is O+ Festival:
From October 5-7, 2012 the third annual O+ Festival will take place in Kingston, featuring performances by more than 40 regional, national and international musical acts, as well as art installations, readings, films and other work from dozens of artists. The crux of the innovative festival is that its participants are paid in health care, not cash.
Founded in 2010 by a group of local artists and health professionals looking for ways to bring more bands to the area and, at the same time, somehow address the lack of affordable healthcare available to independent artists and musicians, the O+ Festival provides uninsured musicians, filmmakers, and other artists an opportunity to exchange performance and visual art for healthcare services at a pop-up clinic staffed by art-loving volunteer doctors, dentists, acupuncturists, and other wellness practitioners. Each year at the three-day festival, a coalition of doctors and wellness professionals donate their time to provide uninsured artists with direct basic care, including teeth cleaning, eye exams, general physicals, acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic work, as well as provide a link to community services and ongoing health care. O+ volunteers also receive benefits from the pop-up clinic. At the 2011 O+ Festival, 121 patients were seen at 277 medical appointments,
This year’s festival will host acts including The Felice Brothers, Richard Buckner, Hopewell, The Parlor, Lucius, The Hungry March Band, as well as over 30 visual artists, including performances by Linda Montano, Too Much Information, and a drawing workshop hosted by Dr. Sketchy. In addition, the 2012 festival will feature a parade, children’s activities, film, yoga classes, and spoken word performances at various venues throughout uptown Kingston. The full schedule of events and lineup of musicians and artists is available at opositivefestival.org. Full-access, all-weekend wristbands are available for a donation of $25. A variety of free performances, shows, and workshops will be free and open to the public. Wristbands are available at venues during the festival, and, in advance, via Eventbrite on the O+ Festival website, opositivefestival.org.
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"Effective questioning brings insight, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates wisdom." - Chip Bell
The movement is growing steadily. In addition to funding provided by individuals, health care providers, and small business in the community, the 2012 festival proudly lists among its sponsors HealthQuest, the largest healthcare system in the mid-Hudson Valley, WDST Woodstock, Chronogram, and Evolving Media Network.
What is O+ Festival:
From October 5-7, 2012 the third annual O+ Festival will take place in Kingston, featuring performances by more than 40 regional, national and international musical acts, as well as art installations, readings, films and other work from dozens of artists. The crux of the innovative festival is that its participants are paid in health care, not cash.
Founded in 2010 by a group of local artists and health professionals looking for ways to bring more bands to the area and, at the same time, somehow address the lack of affordable healthcare available to independent artists and musicians, the O+ Festival provides uninsured musicians, filmmakers, and other artists an opportunity to exchange performance and visual art for healthcare services at a pop-up clinic staffed by art-loving volunteer doctors, dentists, acupuncturists, and other wellness practitioners. Each year at the three-day festival, a coalition of doctors and wellness professionals donate their time to provide uninsured artists with direct basic care, including teeth cleaning, eye exams, general physicals, acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic work, as well as provide a link to community services and ongoing health care. O+ volunteers also receive benefits from the pop-up clinic. At the 2011 O+ Festival, 121 patients were seen at 277 medical appointments,
This year’s festival will host acts including The Felice Brothers, Richard Buckner, Hopewell, The Parlor, Lucius, The Hungry March Band, as well as over 30 visual artists, including performances by Linda Montano, Too Much Information, and a drawing workshop hosted by Dr. Sketchy. In addition, the 2012 festival will feature a parade, children’s activities, film, yoga classes, and spoken word performances at various venues throughout uptown Kingston. The full schedule of events and lineup of musicians and artists is available at opositivefestival.org. Full-access, all-weekend wristbands are available for a donation of $25. A variety of free performances, shows, and workshops will be free and open to the public. Wristbands are available at venues during the festival, and, in advance, via Eventbrite on the O+ Festival website, opositivefestival.org.
"Effective questioning brings insight, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates wisdom." - Chip Bell
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