Spotlight Performance Academy is partnering with the Homewood Creative Alliance to host Songs of Resistance, a benefit concert and art auction on Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church in Flossmoor.
Tickets are $25 with attendees able to donate to the event through the ticket link.
The beneficiary of the concert and auction is the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee rights.
The doors will open at 2 p.m. for attendees to look through the art being auctioned before the concert starts.
Choir member R.J. VanSwol said much of the music is political protest-themed songs from artists such as the band Buffalo Springfield, solo artists including Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, and newer artists like the band Florence + The Machine.
There will be around 28 songs with the singers ranging from teens to adults all the way in the 70s; and most performances being soloists with some having backup singers, duos, and trios.
Santyna Piñeiros, treasurer for the HCA, said there are around 10 to 12 pieces of art currently that will be auctioned. Media include painting, pottery and textiles.
The vision for the event initially came from VanSwol’s inspiration for the event came from hearing Joan Baez singing Bob Dylan’s “With God on Our Side.” He said the song stirred him into thinking about the history of injustice and inequality in the United States.
“I thought, well if a song like this can get that message across so powerfully, we can use our voices here in the Southland to communicate that message to people,” VanSwol said.
ICIRR was chosen as the beneficiary when they were narrowing down whom to choose last fall when Operation Midway Blitz took place in Chicago, with the immigrant community of the city heavy on his mind, he said. The operation was an immigration enforcement sweep that focused on areas of Chicago and the suburbs with high concentrations of Latino residents.
The first half will focus on the sadness and anger people might be feeling during this time and the second half will be more uplifting music for people to leave on a good note.
“I’m hoping that the event is going to be a good reminder to everyone in the audience as well that they’ve got voices that they can make heard; and together we can accomplish great things,” VanSwol said.
