For more than three decades, actor and director William Allen Young has emceed Orange County’s VSA Festival, which annually celebrates the artistic achievements of students and adults with disabilities.
“It’s really a family,” he says. “Those of us who have been working with it have been here for years. We’ve seen the artists grow up over the years.”
Sponsored by OCDE and hosted by MainPlace Mall, the daylong event is part of the countywide Imagination Celebration, featuring dance, music, artwork and workshops.
At the 43rd annual VSA Festival on April 27, we caught up with Young — whose credits include “Code Black” and “Moesha” — to talk about the long-running celebration and what it means to the participants, their families and local shoppers who happen to discover it. Our brief video feature is above.