As part of the City Heights Initiative, a public/private partnership between the City of San Diego and Price Charities, the City Heights Performance Annex opened in November 1998. It serves one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in San Diego. Its next-door neighbor is the City Heights/Weingart Library, the busiest City library for public computer usage. One of the library system’s many IDEA Labs is here; it is purposed as a multimedia studio for community training and production. The Performance Annex has the only black box venue and theater that the city owns and operates. The front door and external stage open directly to Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, which doubles as an outdoor amphitheater space.

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IDEA Lab

The City Heights Library IDEA Lab features a partnership with Media Arts Center San Diego and focuses on creating various types of media, everything from podcasting to filmmaking. Our makerspace includes video and audio recording equipment as well as the necessary computer programs to help you create something great!

On Mondays, from noon to 4 p.m., the City Heights Library IDEA Lab has open hours for the public to meet with members of Media Arts Center San Diego, use equipment and work with you one-on-one to help make your media project a reality.

For questions about alternative lab hours and availability,
please email Seth Gadsden at: seth@mediaartscenter.org

The Workforce Development Initiative with the San Diego Public Library is a workforce readiness training program in collaboration with Media Arts Center San Diego. Participants 16-29 years old spend six weeks at the City Heights Library IDEA Lab training in multimedia production. They are then placed in internships throughout the San Diego Public Library system, where they create content. 

For more information about the Workforce Development Initiative at the San Diego Public Library, visit https://mediaartscenter.org/wdi/.

Please enjoy the final video projects by our latest cohort of trainees.

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