Meet Brandon Rainey of CBG Arts / Sandy Hook Promise

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Rainey.

Brandon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born and raised in South Central LA, I have been writing and directing plays since the age of 13. The arts literally saved my life. Went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where I started an arts organization there & studied theater. After graduating from Morehouse came back home to LA & taught theater & English for six years in south central schools. While teaching our students won the citywide theater festival each year & most of them went on to college or to follow their dreams.

After leaving teaching full time, I created a non profit arts organization: CBG Arts that focuses on using the arts to change lives & Recently we launched a theater company: Inglewood Theater Group that works with the City of Inglewood to produce citywide all age productions, musicals, workshops, and an explosive performing arts summer camp for Elementary- High School.

While not working with the non-profit, I work as the National Senior Trainer for Sandy Hook Promise. My job there is to travel weekly across the nation empowering students to use their gifts to speak up & then training students & school staffs to know the signs & threats of gun violence & suicide prevention.

As a writer & director, I have received awards such as Chase Bank & Center Theatre Group Fellowship Award where I got to take workshops under some of Broadway’s top directors. I also received the Spike Lee Award while at Morehouse College and the Inner City Youth Barack Obama Community Leadership Award.

Some highlights as a director was Directing the Opening Act of the Michael Jackson Tribute produced by the Jackson Family and Quincy Jones, Directing “Dating Game” at the Wilshire Ebell, Directing “Hello America” at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, “Flashing Lights” the musical set to the music of Kanye West that sold over 3,000 tickets during its opening weekend, Directing a sold-out Kirk Franklin musical & taking several shows on tour to various schools, theaters, and churches. Work has been featured on ABC News, LA Times, KJLH & La Sentinel.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many struggles along the way: There have been people who have made big promises and have disappeared in the middle of the project. The non-profit lost major funding at one point because one of our branches was ministry-related, and an atheist organization fought to shut us down since we were getting city funding. We have had other people try to shut us down or spread rumors and lies (that only ended up helping us bounce back even stronger). Other challenges have been cuts to arts funding & other obstacles such as death due to gang violence & suicide. Personally, there was a season where I let myself get in the way of my progress. Consumed with self-doubt and beating my self up because of achievements that I hadn’t reached yet caused me to focus on what I was not doing. People stabbing me in the back and taking it to heart and then second questioning if I really had what it took to rise to the next level. 2018 I was depressed half of the year in spite of having a program that was changing the lives of over 400 years just because I was in my own head. Once I realized what I had in my hands, then God blessed me with the opportunity to travel the nation were now pouring into thousands of young people weekly.

CBG Arts / Sandy Hook Promise – what else should we know? 
As stated before I work as a writer, director, Executive Director, Motivational Speaker & Minister. (I am the Youth Minister at Antioch Church Of Long Beach under the leadership of Pastor Wayne Chaney).

With CBG Arts we created this organization with no money but has grown to serving over 400 kids weekly providing them with free performing arts & film training and providing opportunities for them to grow into the giants they have been called to be.

We are committed to giving back and wanting to educate, equip, and encourage as many people as possible. What sets us apart is that although our programming is community-based, we hold high expectations and produce quality work and theater/ performing arts programming with integrity. This shows that most of our students have went on to college, to work in the performing arts/ entertainment industry doing major things or have returned to work as teachers & volunteers paying it forward to the next generation. Thats what we are all about!!!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment has really been seeing those students, along with the journey, win & achieve. Every time that I get down because I have not sold that big tv show yet or produced this Film or Broadway play, God reminds me that I have been exactly where I needed to be when I see those students win. I had a student who came to us depressed, filled with low self-esteem, had just been raped, mom on drugs, dad not in her life and was cutting herself. This young lady took to the stage like fish to water and now not only graduated with a full ride to get her masters in Acting, but I was able to fly to Atlanta to see the premiere of a play that she wrote. Former members of our organization are now serving as business moguls (Carlton Epic from Project Pit), former members dancing with Beyonce, lead dancer for Offset & cardi B, singing with Kanye Sunday Service, Music artists, full-time educators, performing arts director of Fairfax HS, ministers, business owners (Stuff’d Pancakes & Justintime Photos), international models, national speakers and so many other levels of success & that does not count the 400 plus students we have now that haven’t even walked in their destiny yet. These proudest moments that make all of the blood, prayers, sweat, tears & sacrifices worth it. “My ceiling have become their floors & they continue to do even bigger things than I have been able to do.”

Contact Info:

• Website: Cbgarts.org – inglewoodtheatergroup.com
• Phone: 3237089215
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bcrainey
• Facebook: Facebook.com/broplaywright
• Twitter: Broplaywright

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.