Savannah VOICE Festival Partners With Historic Savannah Foundation To Host SONGS AND STORIES IN THE SQUARES

Savannah VOICE Festival (SVF) has partnered with local nonprofit Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) to host the second installment of "Songs and Stories in the Squares," which will take place at 5 p.m. Friday, June 24 beginning outside the Davenport House Museum, 324 E. State St., in Columbia Square.

During the free event, Justin Bristol, local educator and HSF volunteer, will give 10-minute lectures in Columbia, Oglethorpe, Wright, and Chippewa Squares, and SVF artists will perform selections - two songs in each square - that complement the theme of the lectures. Artists Chad Sonka, Heather Jones, and Maria Zouves, President and Co-Founder, will present repertoire accompanied by Justin Addington. Contingency plans have been put in place in case of inclement weather.

"We are so fortunate to have community partners like Savannah VOICE Festival who we can collaborate with to create a program for the community to enjoy. It's the perfect opportunity to hear some Savannah-themed music performed by award-winning artists while learning a little more about the history that inspired the repertoire," said HSF President and CEO Sue Adler.

SVF artists will also be collaborating with other organizations that same weekend. On June 25, SVF will be providing musical entertainment at the Stonewall/Anniversary Block Party at the First City Pride Center (FCPC) from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. FCPC is commemorating the Stonewall riots of 1969 and their organization's fifth anniversary with advocacy & community organizations, free HIV testing, lip-sync drag contests, interactive games, food, and more. Savannah's Deep Center is also hosting their summer Block-by-Block celebration at the Ships of the Sea Museum from 3-6 p.m. Sunday, June 26, featuring performances by the artists of SVF. Last year, Savannah VOICE Festival announced a partnership with Deep Center's young writers, focusing on the literary aspect of songwriting.

"It is important for us at the Savannah VOICE Festival to support and promote all forms of art and to follow our mission of providing educational and creative programs not only during our August festival, but throughout the year," said Executive Director Chad Sonka. "We are incredibly grateful to our community partners who share the goal of providing outlets of artistic expression in Savannah."

For more information about these events and how to get tickets and/or register, visit www.savannahvoicefestival.org.

Historic Savannah Foundation, a leading nonprofit preservation and cultural institution, saves buildings, places, and stories that define Savannah's past, present, and future. Following its formation in 1955, the organization started a Revolving Fund to save endangered historic properties, now totaling nearly 410 buildings throughout several of Savannah's historic districts. HSF continues to build capacity within its operations, secure new financial resources, improve its image and visibility, and increase public policy efforts to protect Savannah's historic districts. For more information about the work of the Historic Savannah Foundation, visit www.myhsf.org.

Savannah VOICE Festival is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit arts organization in the state of Georgia. The Festival brings classical vocal excellence to the Savannah area through a two-week celebration of concerts, events, and educational presentations during the month of August and throughout the year. Focusing on arts awareness and audience development in the performing arts, it offers music from opera, musical theatre, and popular song. The Savannah VOICE Festival is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Donations are tax-deductible.