“I feel so good while we are rehearsing together, so that we show you our best on stage.  I just want to say, I feel now, that I am at home.”

“I think everyone showed the power of their words. I was surprised at the ideas that such young people can have. Everyone was so brave at sharing and I feel grateful for being a part of that.”

“I find the workshops very insightful. They create a bridge to connect to the other fellow breaking walls artists on a common ground and match and allow the growth of versatility and prosperity.” ‪

“At breaking walls we all do workshops to either get comfortable with others, to get ready to perform, or to enhance our horizon on writing.  The workshops are very fun and they engage us.  I honestly love the workshops although they are a bit too long, but they really help make us better writers and therefore I’m happy!”

“The writing triggers are a great way of getting a better understanding of the other artist and where they come from.  It has helped me to write what I feel inside and this is great because, it improves my confidence on speaking when I read what I wrote for everyone.  It has showed me that whatever I write, someone appreciates it and the other artists views are helpful to improve my writing.”

It’s July 6, 2016 and our new breaking walls artists from Detroit are meeting with returning breaking walls from Barcelona, Brooklyn and Cape Town —  so our family is almost reunited. Our breaking walls artist from Bethlehem, Hamza, joins us on July 12. We can’t wait to say “Hola” to our brother Hamza!!

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/6kn18fi8ko0n4om/AACcdGw7lPjKmsy_JP78UpcJa

I’m Egypt Murrpy-Smith, a Brooklyn artist. Being a breaking walls artist for two years has been amazing. I’ve learned the importance of trust, friendship, respect, courage, and leadership in just a little time. Being chosen to go to Barcelona in 2015 was one of the greatest things that could ever happen to me. I was able to meet new friends that are now family, and I learned that no matter where in the world we come from we all share common problems of violence, unjustly being pre-judged, and worst of all — not being heard. It was in these moments that I realized that breaking walls was not just a writing group, breaking walls is a group that gives solutions to the problems that young people around the globe are dealt.

I am happy to be going to Detroit this July of 2016. Not only do I get to expand my breaking walls family, I will be in touch with a new community where breaking walls artists and ambassadors can press ahead creating solutions not problems. We at breaking walls build bridges not walls.

I am hoping that if you’re reading my thoughts you will understand a little better why myself and my fellow artists and ambassadors want to continue building trust and tolerance in Detroit