2022 LOCAL DISTRICT EAST, EASTSIDE ARTS FESTIVAL - FESTIVAL OF HOPE

THIS YEAR, THE EASTSIDE ARTS FESTIVAL'S THEME IS "HOPE'

The pandemic has been hard for us all, especially our students. We "HOPE" that our 10th Annual Eastside Arts Festival will help students express their feelings and that the artwork we curate will be a representation of beauty, sadness, identity, sorrow, healing, empowerment...

Creating art in any form, enlightens our mood and helps us tell our stories. Art helps us imagine, wonder and dream... all which bring us "HOPE" to be the best we can be, "HOPE" to get through another day.

April is National Month of Hope, which is all about celebrating the power of hope — the belief that things will work out, especially when it seems otherwise. Have you ever noticed how frequently the word ‘hope’ is used in our everyday conversations? Well, this is because hope is a concept that is deeply rooted in our culture and society. So don’t give up and let’s become bearers of hope — spread it and teach it! Because this is the best you can do for yourself and others; to always choose hope over hopelessness. 

HISTORY OF NATIONAL MONTH OF HOPE

April was designated as National Month of Hope in 2018 by a not-for-profit organization, Mothers in Crisis to convey the importance of hope around the world.

Mothers in Crisis is a social services organization founded by Rosalind Tompkins in 1991. The organization began as a support group for women and subsequently grew into a full-service non-profit organization providing community-based prevention and intervention for drug rehabilitation.

The goal of their hope campaign was to encourage the sharing of stories of hope to help families ripped apart by addiction. The campaign became a powerful movement and was acknowledged for its contributions to the communities.

Since hope is the integral message of National Month of Hope, it is important to trace the etymology of the word itself.

The word ‘hope’ comes from the Latin word ‘cupio’ meaning ‘to desire’ or ‘wish well,’ but the meaning of the word was differentiated from wishing and it was defined, based on the old English word ‘hopa’ as ‘confidence in the future’. That being said, National Month of hope reiterates the fact that if you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope!