In life, we all create goals for ourselves- and we do just that with Breaking Walls. There is a mission for Breaking Walls to accomplish during the two weeks here in Santiago, Chile. The artists have recently completed all five writing triggers for the three themes: “The Thirst For Truth – Words Matter,” “I Have the Right To Be Myself” and “My Dear Global Brothers and Sisters.” The writing prompts were as following:
“Respond to the phrase below – ‘I got a truth to tell.’”
Write a letter expressing something important you’ve never said to someone or share with in your life.
“Let’s make it a tradition to reach out to one another and remind each other that we’re not alone on this journey through life.”-Roland Martin
In poetry, song, or as a narrative story, reflect on and respond to the following anthem: Hope has a hole in it… does it correspond to your own life and the idea of having a world without borders, boundaries, and visas.
Reflect on the quote “You are enough. You are so enough. It is unbelievable how enough you are,” and write a poem, narrative, or song as your response.
I asked a few artists (new and old) about how they felt about the writing sessions. One of the newest artist, Lorenzo, a Santiago representative, stated the following:
“I learned that I can express more than just my feelings, more than just myself. I can mix it with social issues, I can mix it with activism, and with that combination, I can make a social statement.”
I also asked an artist with at least two years of experience to express their views on writing triggers. Celynah, a Detroit representative since 2016, claimed:
“I learned to open my mind and think about things from a different point of view.”
These answers connect to the goal discussed during Training Day, and they show success in opening the artists’ minds to new ideas, as well as productive ways of thinking. At this moment, the artists are receiving the script that was created by compiled sections of their own work. In the next blog I will speak on the process of the performance and address all that I have learned about the culture of Santiago, Chile.
