crowd_01.jpg

FLAGSHIP PROGRAM · SINCE 2004

YIC’s Festival Project

A one-of-a-kind transformative entertainment industry mentorship

A year-long career-training program that culminates in the Good Karma Music & Arts Festival: a major live event in Santa Clarita, entirely produced by adults with disabilities alongside elite industry professionals.

Funded & Vendored By
NLACRC
Established
2004
Cohort Length
One Year
Location
Santa Clarita, CA
Save the Date
Next Program Cycle Begins
November
2026
A new cohort of Festival Project participants starts their year-long training journey.
Good Karma Music & Arts Festival
November
2027
The culmination of the cycle — a major public festival in Santa Clarita, produced by Festival Project participants.
A male performer on stage singing into a microphone during a music festival with a large audience, outdoor setting with tents, trees, and mountains in the background.

A real music festival, the ultimate on-the-job training.

An immersive career training program

A year of hands-on professional development for adults with disabilities, focused on the production, management, and creative roles that bring live entertainment to life.

A public-facing music & arts festival

A real festival experience for Southern California, with multiple stages, food and drink vendors, and live art, entirely produced by Festival Project participants alongside their industry mentors.

The Participant Year

A full year. Real industry experience.

Every Festival Project participant moves through the same structured year, combining classroom-style training with hands-on placement, all under direct industry mentorship.

5hrs/wk
Skills Training

Production role-based training

Structured weekly sessions that map the live entertainment industry's production roles, departmental interconnections, and workplace communication expectations.

  • Production role responsibilities
  • Department workflows & communication
  • Informed career-path decision-making
  • Professional workplace conduct
  • Technical Skill Training
10hrs/wk
Hands-On Event Preparation

Project-based placement

Practical experience in community workplace settings, working in department teams directly alongside industry professionals on every phase of producing a major live event.

  • Talent Buying and Artist Outreach
  • Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Web Design
  • Graphic Design and Branding
  • Production Operations and Management
  • Technical Logistics and Coordination
1year
Total Project Duration

A real resume, a real network

Participants finish the program with verifiable work experience, professional contacts, and the qualifying credentials for industry internships and entry-level positions.

  • Full year of industry work experience
  • Resume, portfolio & reel
  • Professional network in entertainment
  • Qualifying experience for internships
1 yr
By program completion, every participant earns one full year of relevant entertainment industry work experience: the kind of credential that opens internship doors and entry-level positions.
Past Performers

The artists who've shared our stage.

Festival Project participants have helped produce shows for headliners across hip-hop, reggae, rock, and electronic music.

Past Performers — Good Karma Music & Arts Festival
The Culmination

The Good Karma Music & Arts Festival.

Held in Santa Clarita and produced entirely by Festival Project participants, the Good Karma Festival is the public-facing culmination of every program cycle.

  • Multiple performance stages with renowned artists across hip-hop, reggae, rock, and more
  • Live art demonstrations showcasing visual artists alongside musicians
  • Beer & wine garden for festival-goers 21 and up
  • Diverse food offerings from local vendors and food trucks
  • Local vendor marketplace featuring Southern California makers

“Music Festival Visionaries” - 2023 Festival Behind The Scenes Documentary

Festival Memories

Funded & Vendored

An established program built to last.

The Festival Project is funded and vendored through the North Los Angeles County Regional Center (NLACRC) — making it an ongoing, established service available to qualifying adults with disabilities across the region. SDP funding is available for idividuals enrolled with other regional centers.

Corporate Support

Sponsors make the festival possible.

Corporate sponsors and donors are essential to producing the Good Karma Music & Arts Festival each cycle, providing the resources that let participants implement their work on a real, public-facing stage.

Become a sponsor
For Prospective Students & Families

Be part of the next cohort.

The November 2026 program cycle is enrolling now for existing and new students. Talk to your Regional Center Consumer Services Coordinator about Festival Project placement, or reach out to YIC directly to learn more about the program.