Longtime educators and community leaders R.D. and Euzelle Smith, for whom Smith Middle School is named, are just two of the individuals who contributed their stories for the Because We’re Still Here (and Moving) project. This portrait is one of dozens of community members photographed for the project. Photo by Titus Heagins.

Hidden Voices, an ArtsCenter-based youth theater project debuts the result of a two-year collaboration between local students, university classes and the elders of the historic black neighborhoods of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

The first part of the project, entitled Because We’re Still Here (and Moving), opened last week with a photo and scrapbook show and the distribution of a walking map that details the landmarks of the neighborhoods.

On Friday, Hidden Voices premieres a multimedia event telling the story of the local black community through poetry, rap, photos, stories, creative movement and music. Participants include students who worked collecting the stories of their elders and the residents themselves.
There will be three performances on Friday, at 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. Admission for the morning shows is $6. The evening show is free, with donations encouraged.

Visit www.artscenterlive.org or call 929-2787 for more information.

— Staff Reports