Second Annual SPEAK UP, RISE UP Storytelling Festival To Play The Tank

Speak Up, Rise Up, will present their annual storytelling festival, August 6 - 12 at The Tank in mid-town Manhattan. Now in its second year, Speak Up, Rise Up, aims to amplify the voices of communities and people we don't often hear from.

Under the Artistic Direction of storyteller and community organizer, Asher Novek, this year's festival will include storytelling workshops and 45 shows. The line-up features a diverse group of over 100 artists with the majority of them being women. Festival highlights include storytellers Ophira Eisenberg, Josh Johnson, Aparna Nancherla, Shalewa Sharpe, Sydnee Washington, The Nancy Podcast, among others. Over the course of a week, a wide range of topics will be showcased on The Tanks two stages with multiple shows running in the evening and on the weekend. Speak Up, Rise Up is proud to announce that their Lead Sponsor this year is Spotify.

Festival founder, Asher Novek, shared what inspired him to create the festival, "My background has always been in community organizing and creating spaces for people to share their experiences. Whether it's a storytelling show or a town hall, I feel like everyone has something to share." Novek went on to say, "The festival isn't just about the one time a year we can get together and share stories, it's about a network that's created around activists and storytellers and everyone who stands up for their voices."

The complete festival line-up will be announced at the beginning of June. All performances take place at The Tank, 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th avenues), 4th Floor, New York, New York 10018. Subways: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W to 34th Street.

More info can be found at www.speakupriseup.com

The first Speak Up, Rise Up festival was held in August 2017 at the off-Broadway venue, the Connelly Theater on the Lower East Side. Over the course of a week, over 100 people took the stage. The shows highlighted diversity in subject matter including stories about immigration, LGBTQ rights, and stories from the incarcerated. The line-up featured a diverse mix of performers with the majority of them being female and people of color.

Speak Up, Rise Up's mission is to create a network of stories, sharing, and workshops to elevate disenfranchised communities' stories via personal storytelling. Through live events, workshops, and connection to local community groups to tie people to community actions. Providing a space for people to develop, express, and share their stories that we don't get to hear from. The festival offers storytelling workshops to various community groups in preparation of the next live festival.

Asher Novek (Founder/Producer) is a community organizer, tech designer, media producer, storyteller, storytelling coach, and occasional wedding officiant. He is involved in local political and community organizing and is a member of his Community Board and newly minted President of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democratic club. Asher also serves as a facilitator of the Civic Activism working groups within Get Organized Brooklyn and is passionate about community engagement in local issues and working with communities to amplify their voices.

As a storyteller, Asher has performed and produced comedy and storytelling for the last 5 years including the monthly storytelling show he produces, So What Happened Was, in Park Slope. Asher also co-hosts and co-produces the podcast, the Whole Story, and has been featured on the Risk! podcast, Yum's the Word, and the Bady House Concert Series. He has also led storytelling workshops with the Moth, the Field Innovation Team, Civic Hall, SVA, and recently began 1 on 1 coaching.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/speakupriseupfestival

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SpeakUp_RiseUp