ARTICLE
High school students will take over Cotuit Center for the Arts on Thursday, May 3, from 6 to 8 PM, for “Unbound,” a pop-up experiment celebrating student activism, voice, and vision. Students are invited to share poetry, music, theater, visual arts, dance, storytelling, and performance art. All forms of free expression are welcome and encouraged. No preregistration is required, and admission is free for both performers and audience members. All are welcome to attend. The evening is unstructured; it will be organized, open-mic style, as the participants arrive at 5:30 PM on the evening of the event and sign up for slots. The main stage will be empty and lit for performance. The gallery will be empty, the walls covered with paper, and art materials provided for students to fill the space with words and spontaneous artwork. There will also be a sound installation, with all sorts of devices that make noise or music, to create an ambient aural experience. “We were inspired by the young people who created the #NeverAgain movement and the March for Our Lives,” said David Kuehn, executive director of Cotuit Center for the Arts. “The movement has become so much more than the students’ initial response to school shootings. Students are demanding compassionate leadership, decency, and honesty. “It struck me that so many of the students involved were active in arts and theater programs, in music, and in journalism and the literary arts,” said Kuehn. “We wanted to give students a place to be creative in all kinds of artistic expression. Let’s unbound ourselves, unbound the center, and unbound the kids and see what they do.” The evening could include anything from a single person onstage telling a story to a group of 50 kids onstage playing music and dancing. “’Unbound’ is an experiment,” said Kuehn. “We encourage both students and adults to come celebrate the artistic expression of the leaders of tomorrow!” “Unbound” is an event of ArtWeek, a statewide celebration of the arts. For more information on ArtWeek and a listing of other events on Cape Cod and throughout the state, visit www.artweekma.org. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669.