Dreams of Hope Presents Love Your Selfie An EP and Music Video Release Party Hosted by LGBTQA+ Youth

Pittsburgh, PA – Dreams of Hope presents Love Your Selfie, an EP and music video release party hosted by LGBTQA+ youth, on Friday, June 10, from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 South Highland Avenue. Suggested donation at the door is $5.00, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. One of the highlights of the evening will be the release of the six-song EP, Home. More information about the event is available at www.facebook.com/dreamsofhopeorg. Earlier in the week, Dreams of Hope will release their new music video, also titled Home. It is intended to bring visibility to several issues affecting LGBTQA+ youth, including homelessness and discriminatory school policies and practices, and to help Dreams of Hope raise money to support more LGBTQA+ youth. To view the new Home music video, please visit www.dreamsofhope.org/ImHomeWhen starting at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 8. #ImHomeWhen

Home was created, written, performed, and produced by the theatriQ Youth Ensemble. The EP contains music from the show Webs, which was created and performed earlier this season by theatriQ, and other songs created just for this project. There are six songs in the EP, and one of them – Home – was selected by the theatriQ members to be produced as a music video. The EP, which is also titled Home, can be downloaded for $5 at www.dreamsofhope.org/ImHomeWhen. A limited-edition CD is available for $20.

"#ImHomeWhen I am supporting and learning from the incredible LGBTQA+ youth at Dreams of Hope," said Program Director Adil Mansoor. "It is an honor to be a part of creating safe spaces and empowering young folks to transform their environments. We aim to increase the visibility of conversations important to young LGBTQA+ people, in order to help create more accepting and inclusive communities. We hope Home will increase the number of people who know about Dreams of Hope, and help us raise money to support more youth."

Love Your Selfie is a celebration of, for, and by LGBTQA+ youth, and it also marks the completion of theatriQ's 2015-16 season. The event will include a performance by theatriQ, food, selfie stations complete with costuming and props, and more!

"#ImHomeWhen I am writing songs and making music with these amazing LGBTQA+ teens at Dreams of Hope," said Music Director, Judith Avers. "It has been a thrilling season this year and I continue to be inspired by the bravery and power of these young people. Whether it was scoring an entire play with original music, thinking critically about how to use our artwork to empower and educate our community, or creating a beautiful and touching music video – we've had a blast! There is much work to be done and I truly hope the video, Home, is a step in a positive direction for Dreams of Hope and the communities we want to reach."

"We chose Home for our music video," said theatriQ ensemble member Jacob H, "because it represents things a lot of queer youth are going through and shows what we might do to help them."

More About Dreams of Hope

Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region's lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, asexual, and allied (LGBTQA+) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders. Artistic Director Susan Haugh founded Dreams of Hope in 2003. Dreams of Hope operates three programs: a youth performance ensemble (theatriQ), a summer art camp (Qamp), and an in-class/afterschool arts and education program (sQool).

Dreams of Hope is funded by many generous individual donors, and The Heinz Endowments, The John J. McDonnell and Margaret T. O'Brien Foundation, MUKTI Fund, Peoples Natural Gas Company, The Grable Foundation, the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Allegheny Regional Asset District, Alcoa Foundation, BNY Mellon, Dollar Bank, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Fine Foundation, Alcoa, Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, The Brooks Foundation of PNC Charitable Trusts, the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Events By Chaundel, off the WALL Charitable Trust, and Remake Learning.

For more information, visit www.dreamsofhope.org.