LYNN — Beyond Walls, which has sponsored the initiative in which murals were painted on the sides of buildings in downtown Lynn, is again ready to make the summer interesting for people who live in, or visit, the city.
In partnership with Harbor Voices — a Gloucester-based nonprofit public art collective — Beyond Walls will sponsor Truth Be Told, which will encourage Lynn youth to share their personal experiences through art and storytelling.
The first part of the initiative began last week and will wind up June 30. Children and young adults, from ages 5 to 21, were asked to submit spoken-word stories, photography, and original artwork that reflected the impact of COVID-19 and social unrest on their lives and on their communities.
“Times are tough. COVID-19 and horrific acts of racism have had a tremendous impact on the physical and emotional health of Lynn residents, especially our youth,” said Al Wilson, CEO of Beyond Walls. “Incessant fear and loneliness, coupled with events around the country have highlighted the work that needs to be done to bring people together around a shared goal.
“From extensive conversations with our community partners, it became clear that, as they headed into their summer vacations, Lynn kids and young adults needed a creative means to both share their stories and see that their stories were heard. We believe ‘Truth Be Told’ provides a creative outlet for children, teens and young adults, reflects Lynn’s rich cultural diversity, and helps to celebrate the vibrancy and resilience of our city and our young people,” Wilson said.
Selected drawings, paintings, photographs, and multimedia pieces will be part of several large-scale public art exhibits and will serve as the inspiration for new large scale street art installations by professional local and international artists in downtown Lynn, currently scheduled for early fall 2020. Harbor Voices will also create innovative and immersive storytelling environments during the week of the professional installations.
Additional partners include Amplifier, Inside Out Project, and Cliff Notez. Community partners are the Lynn Public Schools, Lynn YMCA, St. Mary’s Lynn, Boys & Girls Club of Lynn, KIPP Academy Lynn, Girls Inc of Lynn, and The Haven Project
Once the submissions are in, a group of students will be selected for a free Spoken Word Workshop with Cliff Notez to develop audio tracks for an immersive and experiential Harbor Voices installation this fall.
“I think it’s important to show that kids care about being heard,” Wilson said. “KIPP, St. Mary’s, and the Lynn schools have been great partners and they’ve been great to work with.
“This has really been a challenging year,” Wilson said. “It’s good to have this kind of an outlet. And strong emotions often lead to creative thought.”
