WBUR's arts and culture team reflects on moments from the year that provided reprieve, whether it was through a trip to the ICA or watching a movie at the cinema.
Marked by the ongoing pandemic and a pivotal mayoral election, 2021 brought hope alongside angst and uncertainty. We take a look back at these critical moments, and the photographs that helped us tell the stories.
Hyde Square Task Force youth perform an Afro Cuban dance piece during an open mic night in Jamaica Plain in 2019. (Courtesy Mark Saperstein)
Hyde Square Task Force, a Jamaica Plain nonprofit organization, has been awarded a $500,000 grant by The Lewis Prize for Music. The organization trains young people in Afro-Latin music, dance and theater in tandem with civic engagement.
Celina Miranda, executive director of Hyde Square Task Force, said in the past year they applied for more than 100 grants. The Lewis Prize comes at a critical time for the organization. “This one [is] not an ordinary grant,” Miranda said.
The award places Hyde Square Task Force within a network of organizations across the country that share a goal of offering effective and creative youth development programs. “It s a recognition for us that the work that we ve been doing is being seen outside of just our immediate surroundings. To be recognized for everything that we re doing, I think it s a great privil