Akuyoe Graham, Ghanaian princess and actress performs Spirit Awakening a play about her search for self. A joyously crafted journey. Utilizing the emotional and rhythmic support of percussive musician Stanley Benders, the supremely skilled Akuyoe creates 12 distinct personalities that segue into one another with seemless brilliance as Akuyoe's life takes her from Africa to London to Spanish Harlem and beyond.

Susan Bradley, extreme harpist, draws her inspiration from crashing ocean waves, whisperings of trees, a calling from the rhythm of her heart to the mystical realm of love, joy, peace and harmony. Though classically trained, her fingers defy tradition, creating an experience of ecstasy in your body.

Mandjou Kone is a brilliant singer, dancer and performance artist from Burkina Faso, West Africa, who will be teaching African music and dance. She is a "griot"—those who keep the history and pass it on through story and song. The Griot people of West Africa are world renown for their unique ability to record events carefully and accurately, passing history from one generation to the next. One cannot learn or become a Griot, rather one is born into it, and in being a griot, there is a responsibility to preserve the culture.

An experiencial evening with Airto Moreira, exploring drumming and the power of rhythm. Airto has performed with a variety of outstanding musicians including Chick Corea, Quincy Jones, Herbie Handcock, George Duke, Paul Simon and Carlos Santana. He has been voted the NUMBER ONE PERCUSSIONIST by many publications and is a member of Planet Drum, a Grammy Award-winning percussion ensemble.

Poetry reading with Peter Levitt and students. Peter is the author of Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a Path to Freedom, as well as 8 books of poetry. A longtime student of Zen, he edited Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of Understanding.

Baktun 12 is a loose-knit group of performance art barons who blend Chicano theater with hip-hop attitude for a righteous mix of spoken word. Their style of performance is informed by their East Salinas, California upbringing, where core group members grew up and originated their switch blade sharp brand of comedic poetry. Their work has featured at the Neuyorican Poetry Cafe in New York, at the 1999 National Slam Poetry competition in Chicago, and at various open mics and performance venues, colleges and universities up and down the Aztlan peninsula. Whether it's raging race card politics or laugh 'til your stomach aches humor, Baktun 12 brings the good stuff each time. Their high intensity set is not to be missed.

Garland Lee Thompson Jr. is a high energy poet and performance artist known for combining spoken word, story telling and jazzy, soulful rhythms in his performances. He has over twenty years experience with acting, voice, And technical work in the entertainment industry, having worked in L.A., New York and Austin. He has directed and produced many shows as well, and he made a name for himself in Austin as "that Jazz Poet",and as an active, producing member of the city's poetry slam scene. Featured at many Spoken Word events, and poetry readings, he currently produces the annual West Coast Championship Poetry Slam in Big Sur at the Henry Miller Library, and the Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic held twice a month at Morgans Coffee and Teas in Monterey, California.

Wednesday, we will be treated to a full day of performances from a variety of artists including Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, SambaDá, African dance and storytelling with Mandjou Kone, the fire dancing troupe Infinite Kaos, experimental dance collaboration Detours, Middle Eastern dance Troupe Danse de La Femme, and a Samba Parade that will showcase multicultural dance performances.

Detours is an experimental dance collaboration rooted in breakdancing, popping, and other new dance forms. Members of the Detours crew have produced an innovative video which showcases a variety of unconventional new dance styles and gathers historical footage from around the world to illustrate parallel developments in dance between cultures and eras. Elsewhere, Midus, and Rawbzilla will perform, teach and present their video during the Arts Festival.

The Film Fest hosted by Jerome Gary and Mary Lambert will feature short films by students and guest filmmakers. Jerome has worked as a screenwriter, director, producer, and executive in the movie industry for more than 25 years. His credits include the Academy Award-nominated Pumping Iron, and the Emmy Award-winning The Russians.