Island artists help raise awareness about new HIV cases in youth

Island performance group Lelavision launched a Kickstarter campaign last September to fund a project to heighten awareness about the dramatic increase in new HIV cases among youth in the United States.

Island performance group Lelavision launched a Kickstarter campaign last September to fund a project to heighten awareness about the dramatic increase in new HIV cases among youth in the United States. With capital successfully raised, Lelavision cofounders, islanders Ela Lamblin and Leah Mann, along with island composer Jason Staczek, completed a short film, choreography and music.

Before they take their show on the road for the World AIDS Day Initiative, the three artists will hold a sneak peek of the film, with live music and dance, to thank both the Kickstarter contributors and the local community. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. Sunday at Spoke Gallery.

With the recent 70 percent increase in HIV infections among youth ages 13 to 24, the artists felt that AIDS awareness once again needed to be heightened. Lamblin created his short film on HIV prevention, “Going Retro-Viral,” to “engage, educate and incite young people to prioritize their health.”

The film takes a new — art based — look at the science of the virus and intervention. After the preview on Vashon, the film will be launched nationally on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, and will be played at colleges and universities around the nation.

Mann choreographed a dance piece called “Getting to Zero” (GTZ) with teens from Moving in the Spirit, her youth urban outreach program. Staczek, who composed the score for Lamblin’s film, wrote a composition for GTZ with funds from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Moving in the Spirit will tour — with the film — through 2017, focusing on the Southeast, the area hardest hit with the new HIV cases.

As for the celebratory launch on Vashon, Lelavision plans to premiere “Going Retro-Viral,” perform two new physical music pieces, talk about Mann’s GTZ dance, hear Staczek perform his score and meet the Pierce County AIDS prevention director.

The event is billed as PG-13. Participants are asked to attend in 80s attire and to reserve a spot by sending an RSVP and any questions to lela@lelavision.com.