The Freedom In Creation Tour is a unique concert and art exhibition experience to benefit the work of Freedom In Creation in Northern Uganda. Visiting six cities from June 12 to June 18, our goal is to raise $10,000 for Freedom In Creation’s weekly art sessions and fresh water well projects in the Koro Abili IDP camp community. Each night we will showcase the work of child artists and hear live music from singer-songwriter and Freedom In Creation partner, Alex Mejias. Also appearing will be the up and coming pop-rock band, Tim Be Told. Freedom In Creation Founder and President Andrew Briggs will also be presenting a short film and speaking on Freedom In Creation’s work in Koro Abili. For more info visit www.fictour.org.

Since those tour dates are too small to read, they are as follows:
06.12 | Awesome Inc. [Lexington, KY] $10
06.13 | The Water Heater [Roanoke, VA] $10
06.14 | Hazel River Armory [Culpeper, VA] FREE
06.16 | Gallery5 [Richmond, VA] $10
06.17 | Contemporary Art Center [VA Beach, VA] $10
06.18 | Try and Make [Cville, VA] $10

Here is the text from the event press release:

FREEDOM IN CREATION TOUR FEATURING REGIONAL MUSICIANS AND WORK OF CHILD ARTISTS FROM UGANDA SETS OUT IN JUNE 2009.

Charlottesville, VA , May 28, 2009 – The Freedom In Creation Tour is a one-week series of events across Virginia and Kentucky to benefit the work of Freedom In Creation in Northern Uganda, with stops in Lexington (KY), Roanoke, Culpeper, Richmond, Virginia Beach and Charlottesville. Each event includes both a concert from regional artists Alex Mejias and Tim Be Told and an art exhibit entitled “The Story of Freedom,” which features artwork by children participating in Freedom In Creation’s weekly art program. Freedom In Creation founder and president Andrew Briggs will also be presenting a short video and talk introducing Freedom In Creation to attendees. All proceeds from the tour will go to Freedom In Creation and tax deductible donations will also be collected at each event.

The idea for a tour was born out of the success of a benefit concert and exhibit that took place in Washington, D.C. this past February. Mejias and Briggs organized the event together after getting to know each other at an International Justice Mission conference. Of that event Mejias notes that, “the combination of a live concert and art exhibit provides a powerful setting to introduce the work and ethos of Freedom In Creation. Our goal for that night was to celebrate these children’s art as a meaningful contribution to the humanitarian efforts taking place in their community. But it also became a poignant way for us as artists to join them in that work. We hope that this tour will be an inspiration to artists interested in humanitarianism and social justice, that they too can be involved in this work, as artists.”

Freedom in Creation is a community-led, arts-based psychosocial, education and water-development program aimed at empowering war affected children in Northern Uganda while educating about the “global village” and celebrating the role of the arts within humanitarianism. FIC addresses the socialization and reintegration of children (non- and ex-combatants) into their communities and access to clean and safe drinking water. Following a simple process, the children, through their creative power, are able to bring access to fresh drinking water to their communities and consequently feel both empowered and valued as stakeholders in the process. (For more information about Freedom In Creation visit www.freedomincreation.org.)

The Freedom In Creation Benefit Concert and Exhibit will begin on June 12 in Lexington, KY and end on June 18 in Charlottesville, VA. There will be a $10 cover at the door for each event except Culpeper. For more information visit www.FICTOUR.org.