Past Events

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Stoop Stories Film Screening

November 15, 2023
Celebrating the premiere of Stoop Stories‘ two new short documentary shorts featuring intergenerational friendships in Brooklyn, we facilitated music and poetry performances and a community discussion. MORE.

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Story Circle: Preserving Holiday Recipes & Stories

November 6, 2023
This intimate story circle in collaboration with Queens Memory and DOROT focused on the stories behind beloved family recipes. MORE.

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Intergenerational Storytelling Workshops

June – July 2023
With Stoop Stories, we led workshops that brought together youth and elders to share stories about life in Brooklyn and trained participants in oral history interviewing. MORE.

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2023 Earth Day Celebration on Open Streets

April 22, 2023
For Earth Day, we celebrated car-free streets with a 34th Avenue Love Letter activity and family-friendly activities on the 34th Avenue Open Street. MORE.

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Together, Not Alone Film Screening

March 19, 2023
This film screening and discussion marked the third anniversary of NYC’s pandemic lockdown, and brought New Yorkers together to witness our struggles and imagine justice and repair. MORE.

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Solidarity & Safe Spaces Exhibition

March 4, 2023
Diverse Streets Initiative‘s “Solidarity & Safe Spaces” exhibition explored the connection between solidarity, safety, home, and belonging, and included a multimedia installation from 34th Avenue Oral History. MORE.

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Una Noche de Joy: A Winter Solstice Gala

December 21, 2022
Shining bright on the darkest night of the year, we facilitated a winter solstice reflection wall at Surviving the City‘s solstice celebration, reflecting on grounding in place. MORE.

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Paseo Park Portraits Gallery Talk

December 14, 2022
We celebrated the opening of Paseo Park Portraits, a photography exhibit featuring Jackson Heights residents on the 34th Avenue Open Street – including participants in 34th Avenue Oral History – with a gallery talk featuring photographers and subjects. MORE.

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Queens Immigrant Stories Exhibition

June 15, 2022
As part of This Is NY: Celebrating Our Immigrant Heritage and Communities, we presented an exhibition with text, photos, and audio from immigrant participants in 34th Avenue Oral History. MORE.

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34th Ave Story Circle

May 4, 2022
This story circle workshop with the Heyman Center for Public Humanities featured presentations about activism around urban streets, and invited participants to share personal stories and join a discussion about the past and future of city streets. MORE

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Micailhuitl: Día de Muertos on 34th Ave

November 2, 2021
In collaboration with Ballet Folklorico Nueva Juventud, we held a special Día de Muertos celebration with dance, music, and storytelling performances, and art installations on the 34th Avenue Open Street. MORE

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34 Avenue Oral History Launch Celebration

July 11, 2021
We celebrated the launch of 34 Ave Oral History with storytelling and dance performances from Jackson Heights community members whose lives have been touched by the 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights. MORE

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LES Nonagenarians Listening Party

December 9, 2019
This listening party featured excerpts from oral history interviews with elders who are part of the historic Co-op Village NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) on the Lower East Side. MORE

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Great Bronxites

September 21, 2019
“Great Bronxites” reclaimed Bronx Community College’s Hall of Fame for Great Americans with stories and poems about Bronxites who touch our lives and make our communities truly great. MORE

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Harlem Healthy Community Movement

August 31, 2019
“Harlem Healthy Community Movement” promoted health and wellness on physical, mental and spiritual levels. We presented free fitness activities, healthy food tastings, meditation, discussions, a chess tournament, music performances, and more. MORE

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Anti-Gentrification Listening Party

August 22, 2019
Local groups screened oral history pieces on gentrification and housing activism, including our Bushwick Love Letter video, and shared upcoming actions to fight proposed rezonings in Bushwick. MORE.

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Geek Out Staten Island

July 13, 2019
Muslim Sisters of Staten Island brought the first ever comic convention to the borough, and our Geek Out Board created a space for Staten Islanders to connect over the things that make them geek out. MORE.

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“Decade of Fire” Screening

February 22, 2019
We displayed an interactive “Bushwick Love Letter” station at Mayday Space‘s screening of “Decade of Fire,” a documentary tracing how displacement impacts our neighborhoods from the South Bronx in the 1970s to today’s struggles in Bushwick. MORE.

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Community Eid Celebration

August 25, 2018
At Muslim Sisters of Staten Island and Baitul Jamaat’s Community Eid Celebration, we set up a “Staten Island Love Letter” station with a borough map where people posted neighborhood love notes. MORE.

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Bushwick Love Letter Culminating Celebration

August 18, 2018
The “Bushwick Love Letter” Culminating Celebration featured activists, storytellers, musicians, and poets whose pieces celebrated Bushwick and responded to the gentrification and displacement crisis. Attendees wrote love notes to Bushwick and shared stories, songs, and reflections in our open mic. MORE

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Bushwick Love Letter Workshops

April – July 2018
“Bushwick Love Letter” brought together neighbors to share stories about life in Bushwick, focusing on gentrification, displacement, housing activism, and zoning. Workshops included neighborhood love note writing, story circles, and a roundtable discussion. MORE

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La Isla Bonita 2018

July 21, 2018
“La Isla Bonita” is an annual summer festival that celebrates the beauty of Staten Island, produced by LMProject and ISLA. Our “Staten Island Love Letter” station invited people to write love notes to the borough and display them on a map. MORE.

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Almost Home / Casi Llegando a Casa Celebration

January 27, 2018
The “Almost Home/Casi Llegando a Casa” Culminating Celebration featured storytelling, music, and poetry performances dealing with gentrification, displacement, immigration, activism and housing justice in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona. MORE

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Queens for Puerto Rico

November 30, 2017
The #QU4PR fundraiser, organized by Queenscapes after Hurricane Maria, featured Nuyorican storytellers and poets who wove tales of Puerto Rican culture and Queens community, along with a photo exhibit, live painting, raffles, and wine tastings. MORE

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NY Voices, NY Votes

October 14 & November 12, 2017
For Center for Traditional Music and Dance‘s “NY Voices, NY Votes” festival celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage, we gathered stories about what it means to be engaged citizens in the neighborhoods of Stapleton, Staten Island and Jamaica, Queens. MORE

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Building Stories

October 6, 2017
The Building Stories exhibition of recent works by fellows in More Art‘s 2016 Engaging Artists Fellowship included videos from the FBSP’s LIC & Astoria Love Letter event, and a community story circle at Flux Factory in tandem with the exhibit. MORE

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Rockaway Story Share

August 26, 2017
During the Queens Library’s 31-Hour Summer Festival celebrating the end of summer at the Peninsula Library, we held a story circle to share neighborhood memories. MORE

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Almost Home / Casi Llegando a Casa Workshops

April – October 2017
The storytelling, oral history, art, and video series “Almost Home/Casi Llegando a Casa” presented story-sharing and art-making workshops from April-October 2017 in locations throughout Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona. MORE

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South Bronx Love Letter – Part 3

September 16, 2017
In the third installment of “South Bronx Love Letter,” Hunts Point and Longwood community members shared true life stories and poems that explored the special characteristics of these neighborhoods, penned love notes, and shared in our open mic. MORE

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LIC & Astoria Love Letter

June 24, 2017
“LIC & Astoria Love Letter” at Socrates Sculpture Park featured stories of growing up in Long Island City, Astoria, and Queensbridge, the debut of the song “Astoria Park,” and participatory activities. MORE

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Celebrating 50 Years of Integration in Queens

April 23, 2017
With Queens Memory, we invited visitors to the Queens Museum to find their community on a giant puzzle map of Queens, and write reflections on their home stretch of the borough to create an interactive testament to the most diverse place on the planet! MORE.

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2017 People’s State of the Union

February 1, 2017
As part of the USDAC’s 2017 People’s State of the Union, we held a story circle where people shared stories about when we’ve felt belonging (or the opposite) in this nation, times we broke through barriers to connect with others, and insights into the state of our union. MORE.

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Radical Hope for the Year of the Rooster

January 28, 2017
January 28, 2017, marked the first day of the Year of the Rooster. Roosters are known for their courage. At this family workshop, people of all ages wrote our radical hopes and courageous acts that we’ll take in the new year. MORE.

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Richmond Hill Love Letter Culminating Celebration

December 11, 2016
The “Richmond Hill Love Letter” culminating celebration showcased true stories, creative writing, and dance performances inspired by Richmond Hill, Queens. Attendees read and wrote neighborhood love notes and told neighborhood stories in our open mic. MORE

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Richmond Hill Love Letter Workshops

April – November 2016
Our 2016 “Richmond Hill Love Letter” series held monthly story-sharing workshops at local libraries, parks, and community centers. These activities brought neighbors together to share stories and memories of Richmond Hill, exploring the neighborhood’s past and possibilities for the future. MORE

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Our Park Stories

October 22, 2016
Presented with Queens Creative Solidarity, this story circle workshop examined the value of Flushing Meadows Corona Park through shared stories and discussion about the park’s past, present, and future. MORE.

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South Bronx Love Letter – Part 2

October 14, 2016
The second installment of “South Bronx Love Letter” featured powerful stories, poetry, and visual art of long-term South Bronx residents who are artists and activists. The event concluded with announcements from local community organizations and an open mic. MORE

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Heart of the Bronx

September 24, 2016
“Heart of the Bronx” presented stories and music exploring themes of health, happiness, self-love, and wellness in the Bronx. This program was part of the Center for Health Equity‘s “What Creates Health?” Summit at Hostos Community College. MORE.

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City of Stories: Jackson Heights

August 21, 2016
“City of Stories: Jackson Heights,” a participatory installation and collaboration with Fragile City and A Living Room on Roosevelt / Una Sala en La Roosevelt, invited passerby to write stories responding to questions about what makes us feel at home, the power of immigrant communities, and memories of moving to Queens. MORE.

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Wanderland: Teen Night on the High Line

July 14, 2016
Produced by teens for teens, “Wanderland” promoted creativity, travel, and path-finding for young New Yorkers with storytelling, art-making, dance, and music. At our story station, teens shared stories of traveling within NYC and abroad. MORE.

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La Isla Bonita 2016

July 10, 2016
“La Isla Bonita” is an annual summer festival and cultural happening that celebrates the beauty of Staten Island, produced by LMProject and ISLA. We hosted an open mic with NYSAI Press for the 2016 festival. MORE.

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City of Stories: Lower East Side

June 24, 2016
As part of the Clinton Street Fest, “City of Stories,” an interactive installation and collaboration with Fragile City, invited people to take paper buildings and write Lower East Side stories, memories, reflections, and wishes for the future of the neighborhood, and hang the buildings to create a city made up of stories. MORE.

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Our Upper East Side

June 8, 2016
In partnership with the New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project, “Our Upper East Side” showcased stories about the people and places that make the Upper East Side special. MORE.

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South Bronx Love Letter – Part 1

March 12, 2016
We celebrated the people and the stories of the South Bronx through a storytelling and music performance by Not4Prophet, an art exhibit presented by BxArts Factory, and story circles where we discussed what we love about the South Bronx as well as challenging issues the neighborhood is facing. MORE

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“Speak Out” Imagining + South Bronx Love Letter

February 13, 2016
Produced as part of BronxArtSpace’s show “SpeakOut,” this workshop brought together South Bronx residents to share stories about policing and gentrification in the borough, imagine alternatives, and map out our ideal futures. MORE.

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Make-A-Story Workshop

February 6, 2016
We took children of all ages on a magic carpet ride through Brooklyn with our “Make A Story Workshop”. This event was part of BRIC’s Saturday House Party. MORE

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VIRAL

January 31, 2016
“VIRAL” featured art, music, and poetry performances that were all about spreading love, while critically examining censorship and police brutality. VIRAL was the setting for our first “Staten Island Love Letter” activity, which invited people to write love notes to the borough. MORE.

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We Are Crown Heights Ice Cream Social

January 31, 2016
The “We Are Crown Heights” Winter Warmer and Ice Cream Social brought neighbors together for ice cream, music, story sharing, and discussion about what the people and neighborhood of Crown Heights truly need. MORE.

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2016 People’s State of the Union

January 27, 2016
As part of the USDAC’s 2016 People’s State of the Union, we held a story circle where people shared stories that the next president needs to hear, and discussed the state of our city and country. MORE.

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City of Justice

January 2, 2016
City of Justice transformed the Brooklyn Museum’s Beaux Arts Court into a social justice space where people imagined the future of New York City through art-making, story-sharing, body movement, and more. MORE

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Uptown Social Justice Story Share

September 22, 2015
“Uptown Social Justice Story Share” celebrated Harlem’s legacy of activism with personal stories of social justice work from notable Harlem activists and artists. This event was part of the launch of Museum of Impact, the world’s first mobile social justice museum. MORE

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Richmond Hill Love Letter – Part 1

September 19, 2015
“Richmond Hill Love Letter” invited locals to stop and reflect on the neighborhood and respond to the prompts “What do you love about Richmond Hill?” and “What do you want to see changed in Richmond Hill?” We collaboratively created an ode to Richmond Hill, supplying an infusion of love to the neighborhood. MORE

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Imagining: Creative Strategies to Fight Gentrification

June 2, 2015
The first “Imagining” brought together nearly 300 New Yorkers to consider what our neighborhoods could look like when housing justice is realized, and strategize on what we need to get there. MORE

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Bronx Book Fair

May 30, 2015
We hosted an open mic at the Bronx Book Fair, a day-long festival at the Bronx Library Center. MORE

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LES Love Mob

May 21, 2015
Organized by FABNYC, “LES Love Mob” brought attention to the community and culture of Clinton Street with an artist-led walking tour of small businesses. We moderated a panel of Lower East Siders who shared stories from Clinton Street. MORE

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Public Faculty

May 14-17, 2015
With artist Jeanne van Heeswijk and the Queens Museum, “Public Faculty No. 9” engaged people in Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Corona in conversations about connectedness in Queens. MORE

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LES Is More: Loisaida Activism

May 8, 2015
As part of LES History Month, “LES Is More: Loisaida Activism” honored the Lower East Side’s living legacy of activism. Local activists shared personal tales of fighting in the trenches and living through tremendous transformations of the Lower East Side. MORE

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Queens Documented: The Fight for Social Justice

March 28, 2015
“Queens Documented: The Fight for Social Justice” celebrated the unconquerable spirit of Queens. Local activists shared personal tales of the inspirational moments that motivated them to work towards creating a more just and inclusive world. MORE

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Mapping Brooklyn

March 14, 2015
“Mapping Brooklyn” explored different understandings that Brooklynites have of their borough through true stories and a reading of “Only the Dead Know Brooklyn.” Storytellers shared personal tales of how they map Brooklyn and posed questions to the audience. MORE

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2015 People’s State of the Union

Jan 24-29, 2015
As part of the USDAC’s 2015 People’s State of the Union, community members came together for story circles in Staten Island, the Bronx, and Washington Heights to share personal stories about our neighborhoods, and discuss issues in our communities and our country. MORE.

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Authentic Islander Diaries

December 13, 2014
“Authentic Islander Diaries” examined what it means to be a Staten Islander with true stories, music, poetry, and community story circles that invited discussion on what defines the borough. MORE

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LES Is More: Growing Up on the Lower East Side

November 7, 2014
“LES Is More” paid tribute to the Lower East Side with a musical performance from the Bowery Birds, and true neighborhood stories that took us on a journey through LES history with tales of childhood in a place densely packed with history and humanity. MORE

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Stories at Sunset

October 24, 2014
“Stories at Sunset” showcased true stories about the neighborhood from Sunset Parkers, art installations inspired by Sunset Park, and dance performances from local group Ballet Folklorico de Quetzalcoatl. MORE

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Queens Documented II

October 19, 2014
The the second event in the “Queens Documented” series featured music inspired by Jackson Heights and true stories about coming to Queens, discovering one’s path, and finding home. MORE

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Summers on Staten Island

August 9, 2014
“Summers on Staten Island” promoted the reasons to take pride in being a Staten Islander, while exploring the complicated sense of pride we take in the borough, through stories and poetry set in the dogdays of summer on the island. MORE

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Queens Documented

July 20, 2014
The “Queens Documented” launch event celebrated the diversity of Queens through stories about about the journeys that led people to the borough, and music about journeying to and growing up in Queens. MORE

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Back in the Day at Poe Park

June 21, 2014
“Back in the Day at Poe Park: A Bronx Storytelling & Music Festival” took us on a journey through the Bronx from Edgar Allen Poe’s day to our day, with true stories about Poe Park, music inspired by Poe and the Bronx, and a bboy dance showcase. MORE

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Bronx Literary Festival Open Mic

May 17, 2014
We hosted the 2014 Bronx Literary Festival’s open mic during a full day of readings, workshops, dance performances and panel discussions at the Bronx Library Center. MORE

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To The Heights

May 6 & May 10, 2014
A special two-part event, “To the Heights” paid tribute to Washington Heights with an extravaganza of story, song, and spoken word. Produced in collaboration with No Name and Word Up Community Bookshop. MORE

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Queens Vignettes

March 15, 2014
“Queens Vignettes” painted a portrait of the borough from the perspective of five Queens natives and residents. This event was part of ETERNiDAY: Queens Poet Lore Festival at the Queens Museum. MORE

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Growing Up Brooklyn

February 2, 2014
We joined Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture’s Sunday Platform series with “Growing Up Brooklyn,” an intergenerational storytelling event. MORE

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Voices of Jamaica

October 19, 2013
In collaboration with Art, Food and Soul, “Voices of Jamaica” celebrated the stories, music, poetry and culinary arts of Jamaica, Queens. Attendees participated in an open mic and Jamaica-themed trivia show, and wrote their reflections on Jamaica. MORE

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The Harlem Story Walk

September 21, 2013
Produced for The Laundromat Project‘s Field Day with a team of Create Change Fellows, the “Harlem Story Walk” transformed Lenox Avenue with Harlem-inspired stories, music, poetry, dance, and art-making during a six-hour traveling festival. MORE

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I’m Tawkin’ Here in Brooklyn

May 8, 2013
I’m Tawkin’ Here: Storytelling with a New Yawk Accent, a citywide celebration of New York stories, music and film, concluded at Gemini and Scorpio Loft in Gowanus, Brooklyn. “I’m Tawkin’ Here” promoted the culture of the five boroughs: the history, the stories, and the accents! MORE

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I’m Tawkin’ Here in the Bronx

May 1, 2013
The resilience of the Bronx was celebrated with “I’m Tawkin’ Here: Storytelling with a New Yawk Accent” at the Bronx Music Heritage Center Laboratory in Claremont.
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I’m Tawkin’ Here in Manhattan

April 24, 2013
The Manhattan edition of “I’m Tawkin’ Here: Storytelling with a New Yawk Accent” emphasized Uptown, and took place at Teachers College in Morningside Heights.
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I’m Tawkin’ Here in Staten Island

April 17, 2013
“I’m Tawkin’ Here: Storytelling with a New Yawk Accent” turned the spotlight on the “forgotten borough” with the Staten Island installment at Full Cup in Stapleton.
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I’m Tawkin’ Here in Queens

April 10, 2013
The Five Boro Story Project launched with the “I’m Tawkin’ Here: Storytelling with a New Yawk Accent” kick-off event at the New York Irish Center in Long Island City, Queens. MORE