Even though the exhibit was taken down Monday, organizers of “None of the Above” are preparing to take their message about the issues connecting poor schools and prisons on the road.
The interactive art and performance project that pushes for social change was created by the group Hidden Voices. The exhibit includes photographs that had been on display in the Student Union.
The exhibit will next be on display at Duke University, UNC-Pembroke and Guilford College.
“All of the play comes from real situations and real interviews that they’ve collected over three years, so it’s all really relevant, really personal stuff,” said Schara Brooks, a UNC senior and a performer in the show.
Playwright Lynden Harris founded the project in 2010 and spent three years interviewing and working with hundreds of teachers and students in more than 20 counties in North Carolina.
The project was funded by a grant of up to $45,000 from UNC’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities in 2012.
Most of the project’s live performers tell their own stories on stage. The performers included teachers, students and lawyers who advocate for students facing potentially unfair suspensions.
“For instance, in one county in N.C., there are such things as being suspended for a first-time offense of cellphone use or dress code violation,” Harris said.
She said the project also addresses the discrepancy in the disciplinary measures for white and minority students.