T HE P ILLAR A Newsletter for Parents and Families
Volume 7 Issue 2
Longwood University
A Place To Be: The Same Sky Project By: Taylor Igne A Place To Be is a nonprofit organization based in Northern Virginia that uses many forms of art therapy to help people work through emotions and life stressors. Music therapy allows people to express themselves while connecting with others. Members cope with their emotions and practice new skills through music. A Place To Be brought The Same Sky Project to Longwood University on April 2nd. The Same Sky Project usually travels to middle and high schools, but Longwood became its first college or university performance. One of the musicians began the show by describing the performers with one word: authentic. The description could not be more accurate. Children and young adults shared their stories with the audience. Anxiety, autism, blindness, cerebral palsy, chronic diseases, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette’s, and traumatic brain injury are some of the conditions that the audience learned about during the show. Some talked about learning of their diagnosis, while others talked about the struggles they handle on a regular basis. A theme that was evident in each monologue was that each person is so much more than a single label. Amy, one of the performers, dreamed the show to life. She wanted to act and told the audience that she wanted to share her experience with cerebral palsy through theatre. One of the most poignant messages from the show is to never give up on dreams. Madison Lowry, a Longwood student, is very passionate about the project; and she applied for and received a Parents Council grant to bring the group to campus. Madison's brother, Ryan, is a performer in A Place To Be: The Same Sky Project. Many members from the Parents Council attended the performance. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the community come together to support its fellow Lancer, Madison, as she shared her passions with Longwood. For more information on A Place To Be: The Same Sky Project please visit their website at http://www.aplacetobeva.org/same-sky-project/