Washington Revels

About

Washington Revels celebrates cultural traditions through festivals, concerts, theater, workshops, music, singing, dance, storytelling, drama and more.

Story

Staged or informal, large or small, Revels celebrations involve people of all ages, mixing professionals and nonprofessionals alike as performers and production crew. Audience participation is a hallmark: whether singing, dancing or becoming part of the drama, Revels audiences are always an integral part of the community.

Mission

To create Community through Celebration! Washington Revels uses performance, education, and community engagement to revive, sustain, expand, and celebrate cultural traditions — in music, dance, storytelling, and drama — that bind people together in spirit and joy. We strive to illustrate the world’s common humanity, connecting all people in a community that stretches across ethnic, cultural, and religious divisions, and through time.

Products

* Seasonal events include spring celebrations, May Revels, the summer solstice Revels SunFest, Harvest Dance, and The Christmas Revels.

* Community celebrations invite the public to join in Festival Day, Pub and Community Sings, parades, street festivals, and more.

* Revels preserves and promotes our cultural heritage: WR Maritime Voices sing songs of the sea and shore, WR Jubilee Voices offer a cappella music from the African American tradition, and WR Heritage Voices celebrate local heritage, with a current focus on Civil War-era music.

* Through our Community Initiative, Revels partners with schools, neighborhood groups, and faith communities to produce Revels-style community theater, with Revels producing and directing while engaging the people of the partner communities as the performers and part of the production team. Groups celebrate their history and elders and explore their future through music, dance, and storytelling.

* Workshops, internships, and volunteer opportunities provide experiential learning in traditional performing arts and collaborative endeavors.