Welcome to OC LIVE!
Oxnard College is proud to present live arts and culture programming on stage at the Performing Arts Building. From music and dance to science, stories, art and more, we bring an eclectic mix of dynamic and inspiring artists and scholars to the Oxnard community. OC LIVE! is free and open to the public.
Upcoming Events
Our 2023/2024 OC LIVE Season of Events will be here soon!
Recent Events
Vital River: The Virtually Unknown Santa Clara River
April 20 @ 6:00pm
Performing Arts Building
The vitality of agriculture, industry, nature, and your own water supply depends on the Santa Clara River. Learn how Ventura County's unknown river supports nearly everything on the Oxnard Plain and how you can help decide the river’s future…and your own.
After a presentation and discussion with conservation scientists, enjoy refreshments, meet friends, and discover what you can do to help our vital river through community service, action, and careers.
This event is offered in honor of Earth Day and is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Clara River, the Oxnard Monday Club, and the Ventura Group of the Sierra Club.
To learn more about the Friends of the Santa Clara River see www.fscr.org/
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
WEspeak Student Voices
April 18 @ 6:00pm
Performing Arts Building
Celebrate the unique voices of our student community. WEspeak is our annual presentation of OC students telling their own stories in their own words - live on stage! Discover what it means to meet life’s challenges, embrace who you are and who you want to be, and find your path forward.
Moving, inspiring, enlightening - these are their stories and our stories. Join us!
This year we are pleased to present Andrea Moreno Lara, Silvia Ponce, Esteban Rosas, and Kat Sanden.
Andrea Moreno Lara: "Aprendiendo y Viviendo"
OC Graduate Andrea Moreno Lara returns to the WEspeak stage for a special guest appearance. Andrea shares her experience at University and life after college, as well as the importance of stopping to celebrate one's accomplishments and enjoy life along the way.
Silvia Ponce "A Mother's Journey of Love"
For Sylvia, waiting for the arrival of her first-born child was an exciting and joyous occasion. She couldn't wait to see the world through her son's eyes, but she soon learned that life had unforeseen plans in store. While Silvia dreamed of teaching her son about the world, it turned out she would also need to teach the world about her son. Silvia will share her journey of being the champion and advocate of her Deaf son, and the pride she feels in being his mom.
Esteban Rosas: "Veteran Me"
Esteban will share his story of fighting to live The American Dream and ultimately finding his way to success through the military. From growing up in a trailer park to proudly serving his country, Esteban's story is an inspiring example of how the choices we make can create our destinies.
Kat Sanden: "Path To My Personal Legend"
Kat will share the personal story of her 30-year battle with Fibromyalgia and how she learned to adapt and overcome the darkness within. Faced with this debilitating illness and other obstacles that disrupted the vision she had for her life, Kat's unique journey and outlook have led her to discover her inner strength and become the best version of herself.
WEspeak can be found online here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ocwespeak2893/videos
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
CSUCI Dance and OC LIVE welcome ground-breaking dance company Ballet Nepantla on Thursday, April 13th at 6:00pm in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB).
Exploring the strength and resilience of women during Revolutionary Mexico, Valentina showcases Ballet Nepantla’s ground-breaking fusion of contemporary ballet with traditional Mexican folklorico.
Ballet Nepantla originated from a series of pláticas between founders Andrea Guajardo and Martín Rodríguez, two artists whose early professional identities emerged from distinct genres: Andrea from classical ballet and contemporary dance, and Martin from traditional Mexican folklórico. They envisioned a new form of expression that fused the two modalities, and they envisioned an aesthetic that would speak to the historical, cultural, and social realities of a broader narrative of being Mexican, Mexican American, immigrant, and trans-cultural.
“Being able to connect my border roots with my professional training has been a way to find who I am as a person, and as a Mexican-American.”
- Andrea Guajardo
Drawing inspiration from Gloria Anzaldúa’s borderlands theory, Andrea and Martín imagined they could create performances that spoke to the “in-between” qualities of being from both sides of the borderland. They found the idea of Nepantla, a Nahuatl term of the indigenous people of Mexico. Nepantla provides a historical, intellectual, and artistic framework through which to explore the “in-between” spaces of history and culture by exploring new artistic expression that fuses different traditions on stage. Thus, Ballet Nepantla was born in January 2017.
“Ballet Nepantla... puede servir como un ejemplo para animar a que otros niños latinos luchen por alcanzar sus sueños. ”
- Perla Arrellano
For more information see www.balletnepantla.com/
This event is co-sponsored by California State University, Channel Islands.
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary. Contact OC LIVE at oclive@vcccd.edu.
Hermanos Herrera
March 23 @ 6:00pm
Performing Arts Building
Join us for a night of Música Norteña with award-winning Southern California recording artists Hermanos Herrera on Thursday, March 23rd at 6:00pm in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB).
United by blood and through music, Hermanos Herrera is a musical group consisting of five brothers and their younger sister. The group plays various styles of traditional Mexican music such as Son Huasteco, Son Jarocho, and Musica Norteña. They perform with an aggressive and energetic style that is both passionate and exhilarating.
For being ambassadors of the Son Huasteco genre, the group was awarded the most prestigious recognition, “Sol Poniente” Lifetime achievement award in Veracruz, Mexico, in 2009.
Hermanos Herrera have shared their music with a wide audience, performing throughout the U.S. and Mexico. They have performed at world renowned venues, alongside the biggest names in the music industry and have appeared on numerous national and international television programs. They have shared the stage with; Los Tigres del Norte, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Linda Ronstadt, Conjunto Primavera, Los Lobos, Intocable, Julieta Venegas, Ozomatli, Jose Feliciano, Montez de Durango, and Banda el Recodo, among countless other artists.
For more information see www.hermanosherrera.com
Can't make it to the PAB on March 23? Join us online by clicking the LIVESTREAM button on this page. Or go here.
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Oxnard College Foundation.
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary.
Contact at OC LIVE at: oclive@vcccd.edu.
Climate Change: It’s Personal
March 16 @ 6pm
Performing Arts Building
Our changing climate is more than droughts and melting ice – it's something that impacts people’s lives in many surprising ways. In this talk-show style presentation, we hear from climate scientists, environmental activists, and people living the crisis on the ground. Hosted by our very own Prof. Jim Danza, this intimate conversation will open your eyes to the personal impact of our changing climate.
This event features the premiere of Prof. Danza’s new film short, Climate on the Ledge: An Arctic Adventure. We will have a special guest appearance by one of the subjects of the film.
Join us for this enlightening conversation and discover what you can do to help us change course.
Can't make it to the event? Join the livestream by clicking the LIVESTREAM button on the right side of this page. Or click here.
Jim Danza is an Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Science at Oxnard College. His travels have taken him to all of North America and 34 countries (so far). He is a certified urban planner under American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and was the head of the Planning Dept. at Naval Base Ventura County. Prof. Danza’s courses include Physical Geography Lecture and Lab, Weather and Climate, and California and World Geography, which all include field trips.
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
True Stories of Courage and Survival
March 9, 2023 @ 6pm
Performing Arts Building
Meet two women who defied the odds and fought stereotypes, abuse and bias. Two-time Golden Glove boxing champion and award-winning author Alicia Doyle is joined by Flo Trapani, whose path-breaking law enforcement career is the subject of Doyle’s new book, The Oath. Get inspired by their true stories of courage and survival!
Books available for purchase and signing after the event.
Alicia Doyle is an award-winning journalist who discovered boxing at age twenty-eight in the late 1990s when she went on assignment at a boxing gym for at-risk youth called Kid Gloves. For two years, she simultaneously worked as a newspaper reporter while training and competing as a boxer, making her one of only a few hundred women in America at the time who infiltrated this male-dominated sport. During her boxing career, she won two Golden Gloves championship titles and earned three wins by knockout—and her pro debut at age thirty in the year 2000 was named The California Female Fight of the Year.
Doyle's first book, Fighting Chance, has won three awards since it was published on Valentine’s Day in 2020: 1st Place for Creative Nonfiction in the 2020 North Street Book Prize Winning Writers Competition; 2020 WBAN Awards “Cool Story of the Year”; and “Best of Los Angeles Award” for Best Autobiographical Book of 2021.
In The Oath, Doyle tells the story of Flo Trapani and her rise and fall to justice at the hands of her brothers in blue. At age 26 in the 1980s, Trapani was an officer with the Simi Valley Police Department when few women in America were joining the ranks of law enforcement. Trapani’s job as a cop made headlines, as she was one of only a handful of women on the force comprised mostly of men. But soon after she started the job, she learned she wasn’t welcome in this male-dominated profession. Her fellow officers and superiors conspired to remove her from their ranks—to the extent that she feared her life was in jeopardy—which forced her to take an early retirement. Now, nearly four decades later, Trapani is ready to share this story of deceit, betrayal and heartache—and the acceptance and forgiveness that helped her move on.
“Back then, I couldn’t let it go because it felt like a dirty secret that I was forced to carry for years,” Trapani said. “Today, I no longer feel I have to hold anything inside. What happened to me happened, and there’s nothing I can do to change the past. But I learned many life lessons from this experience that I can hopefully pass on to future generations, including my daughter and grandson—and all the women out there who might feel victimized or betrayed with no way out. I am here to tell you: there is always a way out. Just be true to yourself, and everything will fall into place.”
Find out more about Fighting Chance and The Oath at www.aliciadoyle.com
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided. No tickets are necessary. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
Zuzu African Acrobats
February 23, 2023 at 6-7:30pm
Performing Arts Building
OC LIVE invites you to join us for a night of amazing acrobatics and cultural performance on Thursday, February 23rd at 6pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB).
Hailing from Tanzania, Zuzu African Acrobats celebrate the 2,000-year-old Bantu culture of East Africa in every performance, with the ancient traditions passed on by elders. Each performance delivers incredible acrobatics, energizing African drumming, singing and dancing, and gravity-defying stunts while simultaneously displaying the grace, beauty and strength of the African culture.
This interactive 90-minute show includes human pyramids, dish spinning, stick balance, contortion, chair balance, unicycling, juggling, hand to hand balance, pole acts, hoop diving, as well as comedy and more. Each acrobat has graduated from the Baba Watoto School for Performing Arts which is internationally renowned for producing the highest quality performers. For more information on the Zuzu African Acroabats, check out their website: https://www.zuzuafricanacrobats.com/
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. Parking is $2.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Oxnard College Foundation.
“The Latinx Giant” A spoken word presentation with David A. Romero and Matt Sedillo
January 26, 2023 @ 6pm
Performing Arts Building
OC LIVE invites you to join us for a night of Spoken Word on Thursday, January 26th at 6pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). This presentation will include multimedia and performances of spoken word poetry by David A. Romero and Matt Sedillo that address what the demographic shift means for the future of American politics, economics and culture. Please stay after the event to pick up copies of Matt's and David's books and get them signed. This event will kick-off our Spring 2023 OC LIVE season.
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL services will be provided. No tickets are necessary. Parking is free. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
“Stand-up Comedy Night with Jason Love and an All-Star Cast!”
December 8, 2022 @ 6pm
Performing Arts Building
OC LIVE invites you to join us for a night of belly laughs with Hollywood’s hottest comedians on Thursday, December 8th at 6pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). You won’t want to miss these nationally touring headliners: Jason Love ("America’s Got Talent" and HBO), Sean Grant ("Brownish" and Comedy Central), Stephanie Blum ("NickMom" and "Comics Unleashed"), and Andy Hendrickson ("The Tonight Show" and SiriusXM).
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. ASL services will be provided. No tickets are necessary. Parking is free. For more information about OC LIVE events, email: oclive@vcccd.edu.
“Transgender Resilience and the Path to Equality” with Delia Rawdon
Monday, November 14th, at 6pm
Performing Arts Building
Celebrate Transgender Awareness Week with OC Live and “Transgender Resilience and the Path to Equality” with Delia Rawdon on Monday, November 14th, at 6pm in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). Transgender Resilience and the Path to Equality is a personal and historical exploration of the Transgender Community and the milestones they have reached. Through historical information, storytelling, and comedy we will explore raging riots, the world through Delia’s eyes, and the beauty of the transgender experience. Help celebrate Transgender Awareness Week and join us for a night of education, inspiration, and empowerment.
An Evening with Filipino-American Artist: Eliseo Art Silva
Wednesday, October 26th at 5:30pm
Performing Arts Building (PAB)
OC LIVE invites you to join us in a celebration of Filipino-American Art and Culture on Wednesday, October 26th at 5:30pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). OC LIVE, in collaboration with the McNish Gallery of Art, is thrilled to present “Fiesta Apocalypse,” a solo art lecture and exhibit featuring the work of contemporary Filipino painter, Eliseo Art Silva. Immediately following Mr. Silva’s lecture, there will be a traditional Filipino dance performance by Sonia Armedilla of the Salin Lahi dance troupe. Additionally, we invite you to attend the art exhibit and a reception for the artist (hosted by the Filipino American Council of Ventura County, Inc.) from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Oxnard College McNish Gallery of Art. For more information about this specific event, please email Christine Morla at cmorla@vcccd.edu.
“Flamenco!”
Wednesday, October 5th at 6pm
Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB)
OC Live is on the dance floor with “Flamenco!” music and dance. Join us Wednesday, October 5th at 6pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Flamenco! The passionate strumming of guitars, the thundering rhythms created by dancers' feet striking the stage — this is Flamenco in its pure essence. Bring your flowers, fans and castanets and get ready to yell "Olé!" as Wendy Castellanos-Wolf and the Flamenco805 dancers set the stage on fire with their entrancing movements and heart-wrenching expression.
“Signing Black in America” Film Screening with Discussion to Follow
Wednesday, September 28th, from 6pm - 7:30pm
Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB)
Join OC Live for “Signing Black in America” film screening and discussion to follow with Dr. Joseph Hill on Wednesday, September 28th, from 6pm - 7:30pm in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). Just like spoken languages, sign languages have dialects. Black ASL is the unique dialect of American Sign Language (ASL) that developed within historically segregated African American Deaf communities. Largely unknown to outsiders, Black ASL has become a symbol of solidarity and a vital part of identity within the Black Deaf community. This is a FREE event which includes watching the film and then participating in a discussion and Q&A with Dr. Hill via Zoom.
Sara Rex on “Elevated Communications for a Changing World”
Wednesday, September 14th, at 6pm
Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB)
Mark your calendars and join OC Live as we kick-off this season's events with motivational speaker, consultant and strategist, Sara Rex. Find your voice in this inspirational presentation and workshop on Wednesday, September 14th, at 6pm in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). "Elevated Communications for a Changing World" is a FREE event. You won't want to miss this opportunity to discover core leadership tenets and how to transform and activate your excellence in these challenging times.