DETROIT – Comedy, music and celebrity guests will come together at The Coney, an event supporting arts education and creative opportunities for Detroit youth.
The event was created by actor and comedian Marc Evan Jackson in partnership with the Children’s Foundation of Michigan.
Organizers said communities play a major role in shaping children’s health and access to arts education is an important part of that community support.
“The arts are not just a nice-to-have,” said Andrew Stein, CEO of the Children’s Foundation of Michigan. “They are essential and critical, and a key ingredient to what makes a child healthy.”
Jackson said the arts are a fundamental part of human development.
“Arts are not an extra or a nice-to-have. They’re not an elective,” Jackson said. “They are a basic ingredient in what it means to be a human being.”
The event has already raised $2.6 million for arts education in Detroit, according to Stein.
Future grants will support organizations of all sizes, including small grassroots groups.
This year’s lineup includes Tim Meadows, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson, Tony Hawk and Amber Ruffin, among others.
The full line-up can be read here.
The event also will feature music, comedy, karaoke surprises and possibly a Coney dog-eating contest.
The Coney is intended to help strengthen Detroit’s creative community.
Organizers say The Coney is more than a celebration. It is an investment in Detroit’s young artists and the city’s creative future.
The Coney takes place at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, Sept. 26. Tickets can be purchased here.
