Washington, D.C. — This Thursday, Sept. 28, a group of homeless and formerly homeless members of Street Sense Media will use an art gallery to share their stories with the community. The event, Storytellers for Change, will feature film, photography, theatre, illustration and writing created by men and women working their way out of homelessness.
Among those displaying artwork will be an ex-convict who published a book about surviving the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina; a single mother who recorded a secret video diary of her and her daughter’s time at a notorious D.C. homeless shelter; and a hip-hop artist hoping music will provide his family a path to stability.
The event celebrates the modern multimedia center into which Street Sense Media has evolved and furthers the organization’s mission to empower those experiencing homelessness through storytelling and artistic expression.
“The creative process is dynamic and inspiring,” said Brian Carome, Street Sense Media’s Executive Director. “Self-expression builds confidence and esteem. It can help with grieving. It can help to heal.”
Originally founded as a print newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has expanded its programming to include a suite of artistic workshops. Last week, the organization unveiled new logos, colors and vendor vests that better communicate its updated mission.
“There are so many ways to express yourself here,” said Sheila White, a Street Sense Media artist who recently enrolled in college after years without stable housing. “I’m here five days a week doing the workshops, making films, learning photography. I’m telling my story.”
Tickets for the vent, which runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, are on sale online at streetsensemedia.org/celebration.
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Street Sense Media Communications Manager Jeff Gray can be reached at [email protected] or 202-347-2006 (x16).
