Water Has No Enemy
Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival invokes theme critical to our times
One of Baltimore’s vibrant communities has anchored another tradition. The 5th Annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival will take place on July 4th, and once again will be held virtually. Organizers transitioned the festival to its virtual format after guidance and instruction from local and state authorities. Lineup and streaming information will be announced at a later date. The festival is free and open to the public.
“Water Has No Enemy” is the theme of this year’s festival. It is based on a West African Yoruba proverb that emphasizes society’s obligation to protect, conserve, and care for water for the sake of human survival.
This year marks an exciting milestone for the Festival. Launched five years ago, the Festival connects and collaborates with Cherry Hill residents as they imagine and realize arts and culture in their historic community. The Festival is managed by the Youth Resiliency Institute, an organization operating under the fiscal umbrella of Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
“As a waterfront festival, the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival celebrates the transformative power and healing potential of art and nature and the belief that all children, youth and families should have equitable access to high quality experiences and programming in the arts and ecology,” said Navasha Daya, Co-Founder of the Youth Resiliency Institute.
Established as a community for returning African American veterans of World War II, Cherry Hill has experienced a plethora of social and economic challenges. Despite this, the multigenerational community has not only maintained its resiliency, but also demonstrated its ability to thrive, even in the face of the pandemic.
“Through music, dance, poetry, historical re-enactments and more, this year’s virtual festival serves as a beacon of hope during this difficult time. After five years, the Festival continues to shine a bright light on the significance of Cherry Hill,” said playwright and great-grandmother Shirley Foulks of the Mama Shirley’s Cultural Arts & Wellness Center, who co-founded the festival in 2017 with cultural arts organizer and Youth Resiliency Institute Executive Director, Fanon Hill.
The center, named in Foulks’ honor and located in the heart of the Cherry Hill Community, partners with the Waterfront Festival to provide arts education, arts mentorship and outreach with a focus on cross-generational arts engagement. The center has played a critical role in providing virtual arts & culture workshops during the pandemic.
Seated along the Patapsco River, Cherry Hill enjoys access to water via Middle Branch Park, which is a perfect location for the Waterfront Festival and this year’s theme, as well as a salute to Foulks’ continued leadership in the community.
“As a Black founded and led festival in Baltimore, the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival celebrates culturally responsive yearlong programming and arts and culture in partnership with Mama Shirley’s Cultural Arts & Wellness Center,” said Fanon Hill, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Resiliency Institute.
South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, a lead funder of the Youth Resiliency Institute, recognizes and supports the festival and its importance.
“As an organization that has a key focus on community transformation and revitalization in South Baltimore, we are proud to have a continuing partnership with the Youth Resiliency Institute in their mission to support children and families in the Cherry Hill community,” said South Baltimore Gateway Partnership Executive Director Brad Rogers. “The Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival is an extension of their mission.”
The festival will raise funds for critical educational arts and crafts supplies in the Cherry Hill community. There are opportunities for supporters to donate to the festival arts relief fund leading up to and during the virtual concert. Visit cherryhillfest.com for more details.