Freedom In Creation Benefit Concert Comes To Jammin' Java

Arts and social justice combine Thursday night as Vienna native Andrew Briggs brings Alex Mejias and Marie Miller for the Freedom in Creation Benefit Concert.

Briggs, a alumnus, is the founder of Freedom in Creation, a nonprofit organization that uses art and education to empower children captured and forced into armed combat in Northern Uganda.

In addition to Miller’s Christian music and Mejia’s high-energy  “High Street Hymns,” Briggs will present art created by the Ugandan former child soldiers participating in his program.

“My life had been very enriched by doing international service,” said Briggs, who has been using FIC fundraising events to invest into bringing healthy water into communities in Uganda. “I came up with this idea for a program that would empower former child soldiers through art, and the kids artwork could be displayed internationally as a way to let them speak for themselves.”

Northern Uganda has been consumed by a war between the Ugandan government and rebel forces since the 1980s. Children are often abducted and forced into becoming soldiers at very young ages. According to Briggs, the more than 20 years of war has resulted in approximately 65,000 child soldiers.

Mejias, a board member for FIC, recently founded High Street Hymns, a nonprofit music ministry based in Richmond.

“Recently I’ve been focusing on composing new music through ancient hymn texts,” said Mejias,who holds a degree in religious studies from the University of Virginia, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. “I’ve done a lot of writing and I just love the poetry and the way these songs are written, you don’t see that type of writing anymore. It’s really cool to sort of bringing those songs back to life.”

Miller is a teenage Christian music artist on Curb Records, one of the world’s leading independent record labels.

Briggs also has a special segment of the concert for the children in attendance.

“Local children will be given the opportunity to participate in collaborative art projects,” Briggs said. “They’ll complete half of banners that will be taken to Uganda and can be completed by the Ugandan children.”

There will also be opportunities to purchase fair trade jewelry and other products from Uganda, as well as an auction of artwork produced by Ugandan children.

“We want to educate communities about global citizenship with a sense of reciprocity so that they can have a different understanding of global community and get involved in ways that are enriching to both communities,” Briggs said.

Thursday at Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave E. Tickets are $15. For more information call 703.255.1566.