Life Through My Eyes: 2022-23 Newark ArtStart Recipient

“Since 2001, the ArtStart Mini-Grant Program has been a catalyst for cultural activity in the local Newark arts community. The program offers mini-grants to community members, schools, non-profits, and individual artists with the aim of nurturing a broad spectrum of arts and cultural activities involving young people and/or taking place in our neighborhoods.”

This year Aurway is pleased to announce we are a recipient of one of these mini-grants, giving us the ability to bring Aurway arts educational programming to Newark public schools this fall 2022. In that, we will be presenting a full production of our original work Life Through My Eyes written by Lawrence Dandridge.

Life Through My Eyes follows Tony, a young teen riddled with depression and anxiety, magnified by the recent, tragic loss of his mother to suicide. Through a series of journal entries, a group of his peers read through his experiences over the course of a few months. Set to music and monologues, the group explores Tony’s inner thoughts in hopes that he will avoid the same devastating end that claimed his mother.

In recognition of Suicide Awareness month this September we hope to use this piece to facilitate conversations and workshops around mental health and healthy practices for dealing with emotions. We look forward to curating this amazing program with our partners Aya Paper Co., a black-owned, women-led stationery company based in Essex County and ImSoYoga, a yoga studio in Downtown, Newark. More updates to come!