Community Spotlight: Tuesday Night Project!

Hello! My name is Jun Kim, and I am currently an intern under Amy Chau, the External Community Chair, for APASA! Our second community spotlight, for the month of October, is the Tuesday Night Project.

Tuesday Night Project (TNP) is a fully volunteer-based organization that provides opportunities for people to showcase their talents and provide a friendly, open space to build relationships. TNP hosts Tuesday Night Café (TNC) at the Aratani Courtyard (Union Center for the Arts) in Little Tokyo. TNC was first started to bring people into Little Tokyo when the town was not as lively as it is today. However, TNP and TNC have developed into a family-like community, welcoming people from all different backgrounds.

Although TNP is rooted by the Asian-American community, the space is not limited for only Asian-Americans. Tuesday Night Cafe, the longest running Asian American open mic space, is hosted in the heart of Little Tokyo every first and third Tuesdays in the months of April to October. TNC has a line-up of artists that share, but also have three open mic spaces per event. This helps foster new artists and gives them an opportunity to share their stories and talents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpsxZZblVi4

Due to TNP being completely volunteer-based, TNC needs volunteers to help set-up the stage and help clean up after the event. I volunteered for both the performances in October, and while the physical work was pretty exhausting, it was all worth it after relaxing and listening to the people's performances. If you are interested in volunteering for TNC next year, check out the website!

Tuesday Night Café can be found at Aratani Courtyard/Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Thanks for reading!

Jun Kim