Hello Akron! Random Acts of Culture®, Knight Foundation’s nationwide initiative to bring the classics out of the performance halls and into the streets, has arrived in Akron in a big way.

Our local partner, the Akron Symphony, has organized 51 unique Random Acts of Culture™ in less than one month. The events began Nov. 20 and have run through December, including a whopping 39 performed Dec 10-11. Performance groups include the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir, the University of Akron Dance Institute and the Summit Choral Society while venues included Barnes & Noble, Macy’s, the Summit Mall, Belden Village, the downtown branch of the Akron library, the Downtown Transit Authority and the Akron Airport. Here are some links to Akron coverage of Random Acts of Culture and a video clip from the choral master of Gospel Meets Symphony…

• Stowsentry.com: Library Patrons Serenaded with Surprise Dose of Classical Music
• Akron Beacon Journal: Artistic Interruptions

Why Does Knight Foundation Fund Random Acts of Culture™? Knight Foundation, like its founders Jack and Jim Knight, focuses on promoting informed and engaged communities. To that end, we strongly believe in the potential of the arts to engage residents, and bring a community together. Hearing Handel, or seeing the tango in an unexpected place provides a deeply felt reminder of how the classics can enrich our lives. As you’ll see in our videos, the performances make people smile, dance, grab their cameras – even cry with joy. For those brief moments, people going along in their everyday lives are part of a shared, communal experience that makes their community a more vibrant place to live. In these days of shrinking audiences, we also hope that these random acts will encourage people to attend traditional performances. We can’t promise it. But it’s hard to watch what unfolds during a Random Act of Culture®, and not be inspired to see and hear more