Tag: Madyline Swearing

  • Dot’s Akiba Abaka takes helm at Afro-American Artists Center

    By Madyline Swearing

    Akiba Abaka can’t remember her life without art. Like many children, the Jamaican native dreamed of being a Hollywood star. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Abaka would respond with “directing” or “filmmaking.” The advice she got back was: “Begin in theatre.”

    She wasn’t quite sure what theatre was, or how it would help her reach her goals, but as a child in Dorchester, endless opportunities were right around the corner. 


    Now, nearly 30 years later, Abaka has stepped into a new role in the arts, as interim executive director for the National Center of Afro-American Artists — one of New England’s premier institutions celebrating African-American and African diaspora art, history, and culture.

    In middle school, Abaka joined the Strand Theatre’s Teen Players program, a now-defunct initiative that connected Boston teens with theatre production and stage acting. The after-school pastime sent her tumbling down a rabbit hole at the theatre. She soon became an usher at the Strand and was invited to participate in its summer internship. It was during that time, Abaka says, that she became captivated with production and house management.


    “Because I was so amazed, I was never late,” she said. “I showed up to rehearsals on time. I showed up to usher on time. I did my best because I was engaged and I wanted to be there.”  


    Abaka’s history with the NCAAA goes back to 2004, when she walked up to the green employee entrance door of the center in Roxbury and asked then-Executive Director Edmund Barry Gaither if she could use the space to throw a party.

    “The Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad was in town, acting in a play at the Huntington Theatre, and Abaka wanted to welcome her and the cast to Boston. But at 24 years old, she couldn’t afford any local venues.


    Gaither shared with her that the center had once served as a social hub when celebrities performed in the theater district, hosting talent like bandleaders Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. Abaka’s welcome party was a chance to bring that back, and Gaither said he’d partner with her for the event. 


    While Rashad couldn’t make it to the celebration, Abaka says, she had a great time with the other cast members and connected with Gaither afterwards. She remembers he said, “You’ll be ripe and ready when we need you.”


    “In Akiba, with whom I’ve been in conversation for almost a decade,” Gaither said, “I saw someone who very much shared the vision that had been so inspiring to me, but was prepared to tailor that vision for a new millennium,.”


    After dedicating more than half a century to the center, Gaither says it will be hard to walk away. He plans to stay involved, though not directly. With his new free time, he said, he’s looking forward to writing and traveling. The Caribbean, Senegal, and Ghana are on his list.


    “Every organization needs change,” Gaither said. “No matter how devoted you are or how good you are, you have to roll over and make space for the new future.”


    Akiba is currently immersed in her work teaching theatre at a public K-8 school in Roxbury, where she was recently recognized with the Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll. Since 2020, the award has honored more than 150 educators who have gone “above and beyond” to support their students with more than $140,000 of educational support granted.


    Matt Shuman, the former instructional transformation coach at Abaka’s school, nominated her for the award. He works with teachers to improve instructional plans, and he noted that working with Abaka has completely changed his perspective.
    “She is a jewel for the city,” the fifth-grade teacher said. “She is continuing a beautiful chain of leadership [at the NCAAA], and I couldn’t imagine a better person for it. I’m excited to bring my students to visit her.”


    Abaka’s role as executive director will be made official after a fundraising campaign. She will oversee the center’s visual and performing arts programs, including its 55th annual production of “Black Nativity, ” an African-American gospel rendition of the classic nativity story, adapted from Langston Hughes’s 1963 production. 


    As for the future of the NCAAA, Abaka says fortification of the center’s infrastructure is a priority. The museum’s first floor is undergoing renovations to include restrooms and improve ADA accessibility. Renovations will continue to the third and fourth floors, Abaka said, and will hopefully open to the public in the near future. Once infrastructure is reinforced, priorities will shift to sourcing diverse talent and growing the center’s board, donor base and philanthropic community.


    “Arts allow us to see ourselves and experience each other in unexplainably spiritual and divine ways that are integral to managing and understanding the human condition,” Abaka said. “Growing up in Dorchester, such a beautiful arts town, I never felt like I didn’t belong. That’s what I want to instill and pass on.”


    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Mejia says second-place finish is proof of ‘grassroots’ prowess

    By Madyline Swearing

    Despite a lack of endorsements in a City Council campaign that she says some considered “adversarial,” Julia Mejia amassed nearly 17 percent of all votes in an eight-way race last week, securing a fourth term as an at-large councillor.

    Mejia said it was risky — and unconventional — to run independently without alliances. But as a “grassroots” campaign, she added, running without the backing of an incumbent leader was more than political — it was personal. 

    “I don’t do political endorsements, because it undermines democracy, and I’m not a king or a queen maker,” Mejia said. “My strategy is to demonstrate that real people have real power if we are intentional about building it.” 

    The Dorchester resident finished second to Ruthzee Louijeune with 47,422 votes, according to unofficial election results. JD Moore, her campaign’s policy and communications director, noted that most of her community outreach was done via social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, WhatsApp group chats, and traditional canvassing.

    Moore said initiatives like “Day in the Life” videos, which showed the behind-the-scenes action of running a campaign while serving in office, brought a level of “authenticity” that was effective in connecting with voters and involving them in the process.

    Mejia serves as chair of the council’s Committee of Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility, and as vice chair of the committees for Education, Housing and Development, and Labor, Workforce and Economic Development.

    “Democracy was on the ballot, and my seat was very much at risk because I didn’t have any of those resources or money,” Mejia said. “I think my campaign could be a really good case study for grassroots, especially what’s happening on the national scale in terms of how people feel about elected officials.”

    She raised $124,095 in campaign contributions, according to the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). Of the four incumbent at-large candidates, Mejia raised the second-highest amount of contributions, OCPF reports show.

    Her campaign ultimately lacked the funds for mailers and advertisements, so social media were used “strategically” in place, with most of the contributions wspent on core staff members, Moore said. Volunteers were not paid.

    Mejia’s core team comprised Moore, a deputy and primary campaign manager, a field manager, and a volunteer base. Moore, Mejia’s field director, and her deputy campaign manager all graduated from Boston public schools within the last five years, which, Moore said, was necessary in creating an “intergenerational” team.

    Mejia was the first in her family to graduate from the BPS system and college. She immigrated to Dorchester from the Dominican Republic when she was five years old.

    “Our field director was 19, and then we had folks all the way into their 50s and 60s,” Moore said. “It was pretty intentional.”

    Last week, Mejia said she would seek election as the City Council president, a post she sought in 2023 as well. On Monday this week, the news site MassterList reported that Councillor Gabriela Coletta Zapata of East Boston has secured the votes needed to win the presidency.

    “We’re a body of 13, and there’s a need for all of us to be in communication and in community around who is going to be the leader of our body,” Mejia said. “I wanted to create an opportunity for democracy to play out publicly and to help educate our constituents about what is the City Council president’s role, how it works and why it matters.

    In her next term, Mejia plans to focus on establishing a collaborative co-governance model while continuing to pursue policy goals concerning education and housing.

    “I always tell people…even if they don’t vote for me: Just put their own name on the ballot,” Mejia said. “Politicians start paying attention to the neighborhoods that are voting…that changes the way they treat us.”

    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on November 11, 2025.

  • House History project earns DHS a preservation citation

    By Madyline Swearing

    Lisa Murphy’s house on Moultrie Street sits on land once cultivated by descendants of Dorchester’s first English settlers. Though she has lived there since 1998, Murphy didn’t learn this until 2023, when she asked the Dorchester Historical Society (DHS) for help.

    The society’s House History Research program provides Dorchester and Mattapan residents with comprehensive reports of their home’s histories. Some accounts date back to the colonial and federalist era, but more often they include details about the architect, builder and owners in much later times.

    Since 2020, nearly 600 house histories have been recorded.

    Run entirely by volunteers, the society collects, preserves and circulates historical facts about Dorchester. The House History team, which includes Earl Taylor, Marti Glynn, Vicki Rugo, Kayla Skillin, and Kit Binns, was formally recognized on Oct. 21, with a Stewardship Award at the Boston Preservation Alliance’s 37th Annual Preservation Achievement presentation at Artists for Humanity in South Boston.

    The citation recognizes a preservation initiative without a definite end.

    “This really stands out, because unless you share the history of all, you only learn the history of some,” said the non-profit alliance’s deputy director, Matthew Dickey. “It just shows how much of a melting pot Dorchester is and continues to be, and it’s really cool to be rooted in the history that surrounds you.”

    Winners are selected based on the project’s quality of execution, creativity, innovation, and public impact, among other factors. Past awardees have included WGBH’s “The Big Dig” podcast, Joseph Bagley’s book “Boston’s Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them,” and The History Project’s “Stonewall 50” walking tour.

    Dickey says he encourages a variety of projects to apply, including those from the Dorchester Historical Society, where he sits on the board of directors — though he says he is not part of the awards selection committee or process.

    “We’ve learned a lot just about Dorchester’s history in general, and we’ve shared what we can,” said Earl Taylor, the historical society’s president. “To be recognized for that effort … it’s just great.”

    Lisa Murphy had been searching in the Boston Public Library’s archives for the architectural plans of her house. For a $75 fee, the historical society analyzed tax records, building permits, marriage records, and census data to produce a 20-page report, dating back to the home’s construction in 1898.

    “We were very curious,” Murphy said. “This part of town has so much interesting history.”

    A plaque near the front door signifies it meets the historical society’s criteria for a “historic” home. The off-white oval marker includes the year of construction and the builder’s name, John N. Chute, in black lettering. Homeowners must apply separately for the house marker.

    Blocks away, Edward Cook has a similar plaque that lists a construction year of 1897 and architect John A. Block. Cook, a former board member of the society, was an “early adopter” of the house histories project in 2020. He says that while there wasn’t anything particularly captivating about his home’s history, it was nice to have the information.

    “It gives a sense of inclusion in the neighborhood, of rootedness and continuity in the house,” Cook said. “[Volunteers] have spent hours of their time and become incredible researchers, even though this wasn’t in their backgrounds. It’s an amazing resource for the community.”

    The awards ceremony is the Preservation Alliance’s largest fundraising event of the year, Dickey said, though what defines the event is its film project. Dickey interviewed 45 people among this year’s winners to create short films about each project, the people who completed it, and its associated history. For those who can’t attend in person, Dickey says the films will be available online by mid-November.

    Other honorees include the Twelfth Baptist Church, the Curley Community Center, The Pryde independent living apartments, Harvard Medical School’s Francis Countway Library of Medicine, renovations to City Hall, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground’s gravestone conservation.

    “We’re from all walks of life, but what ties us together is the curiosity to look at a topic and try to figure out all the aspects of it,” Taylor said. “Most houses may not have extraordinary events or people connected to them, but they are part of history, and they tell the story of what people were doing at any particular time.”

    For more information on the DHS House History program, go here.

    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on October 23, 2025.

  • Codman Square’s Memory Café gives the forgetful the space to feel invited

    By Madyline Swearing

    Once a month — when the weather is right — volunteers, seniors, and caregivers gather in a room at the Codman Square Library, where handmade quilts adorn the walls. The space is open to anyone, and diagnoses are never asked for, but the two-hour block is intended to connect those who struggle with forgetfulness. 

    This Memory Café, one of two in Boston, is modeled after a program that originated in the Netherlands in the 1990s. The program began here in 2022, six years after Boston pledged to become a dementia-friendly city, aligning itself with the World Health Organization’s framework for community living.

    Though the rain on this day has kept regular participants at home, a team of volunteers keeps the festivities going. They break bread, issue handwritten nametags, and trade life updates in a round table, sharing news about weddings and upcoming cultural celebrations. 

    It isn’t just the programming that’s intended for older adults. Volunteers at the Memory Café are typically retired seniors who have been matched with the program by Boston’s Age Strong Commission, which provides resources to people 55 and older.

    One volunteer is Eve Baptiste, who made her way to Dorchester from England and, before that, the West Indies. After watching her family members struggle in inadequate senior living facilities, Baptiste says she became inspired to help make a difference. 

    “Our role is to make people feel comfortable and invited,” Baptiste said. “We also recruit people in the neighborhood to join us, and check in on people when we don’t see them.”

    Overseeing it all is Corinne White, the city’s dementia-friendly coordinator, who also leads a Memory Café in Jamaica Plain. Though she is a few decades younger than the participants and volunteers, White says connecting this community is important, especially in Dorchester.

    Dorchester’s largest age group, encompassing nearly a fifth of the population, comprises individuals aged 60 and older. More than a third of the neighborhood’s population is Black. White says both of these factors have influenced the café’s location in Codman Square. 

    “The number one risk factor for dementia is age, and it disproportionally affects Black Americans, who are two times as likely to develop dementia compared to a white American,” White said. Research hasn’t been able to identify why Black Americans are particularly affected, though higher rates of cardiovascular disease may play a role, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

    Cafés typically begin with complimentary breakfast — this month featured fresh pastries, fruit, and coffee — before a round of introductions. For the quieter participants, White says she keeps a deck of cards handy with simple questions to stimulate conversation. The last hour is typically reserved for stimulating activities such as seated chair yoga, educational forums, and musical guests.

    The music-based activities are especially impactful, allowing participants to feel nostalgic and come out of their shells, says volunteer Keither Lennards. The Brocktonian has been with the cafés since its inception, after 16 years of volunteer work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.


    “It has given the opportunity to bring together seniors with different levels of memory care,” Lennards said. “They’re with this guy who would come and wouldn’t speak to anyone. Suddenly, one day, we couldn’t get him to stop.” 

    This month, longtime musical partner John Poirier played a selection of oldies classics from Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash. Volunteers requested songs, sang along, and danced with visitors who flitted in from the library. 

    One such visitor was Victor Rodriguez, a Codman Square resident who has volunteered in senior programming for 38 years. Rodriguez connects primarily with Spanish-speaking participants, all in an effort to give back to the community that has given him so much, he says.
    “We want to make sure they’re treated with respect and enjoying their home away from home,” Rodriguez said. 

    White says that besides adult day cares, there aren’t many opportunities for people with dementia to be around each other and interact. There are also few spaces for caregivers to interact with their clients in a relaxing atmosphere, away from medical spaces, she says.

    While a lack of transportation and weather may complicate participation at times, White says she hopes her consistent presence at the library will encourage the community to recognize the café as a safe and open space. She’s currently working toward expanding the cafés across the city, to be run by their own volunteer groups. 

    “People would’ve been devastated without the community they’ve made here,” White said. “We need to be here for when they’re ready to come.”

    This story is the result of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on October 22, 2025.

  • Work starts on Grove Hall’s full-service community center

    By Madyline Swearing

    Construction of Dorchester’s first stand-alone community center officially began last Wednesday (Oct. 15), three years after the location in Grove Hall was selected. Elected officials and community members celebrated the center’s planning, viewed building designs, and listened to a DJ play Michael Jackson and Prince on the site’s vacant lot.

    Part of the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, the Grove Hall Community Center will be Dorchester’s first full-service city-run center outside of a school building. The building will occupy a city-owned lot that sits across the street from the Grove Hall Library and Senior Center. 

    “For too long, Dorchester’s BCYF centers have been makeshift, shoehorned into leftover space,” said Mayor Wu. “With today’s groundbreaking, we’re making it clear that every neighborhood deserves a state-of-the-art community center that they can be proud of. It’s time to offer the level of programming that the families of Dorchester and Grove Hall deserve.” 

    The 41,000-square-foot facility will feature a pool, a technology lab, a teaching kitchen, and separate teen and senior centers. The $65 million project is funded through the city’s five-year capital plan.

    Because it’s a stand-alone facility, visitors and resources will not be restricted to school hours, allowing for more programming through BCYF. The center can also double as a temporary emergency shelter and a heating and cooling station.

    Designs for the center were finalized through a series of community meetings and feedback forums, including a 3D model viewing at the library. BCYF Commissioner Marta Rivera said the “historic” day would not have been possible without the continuous input from participants at the senior center and students from Dr. Albert D. Holland High School of Technology.

    High school junior Kingston Mills was chosen to represent the school at the groundbreaking ceremony. A Roxbury-Dorchester native, Mills said growing up in the neighborhood instilled a sense of resilience and community in him, which he says will continue to be fostered at the center.

    “Our youth may be 30 percent of the city’s population, but we’re 100 percent of the future,” Mills said. “Continue to invest in us. We’re worth it.” 

    Michael Kozu, co-director of Project RIGHT — which promotes neighborhood stability and economic growth within Grove Hall — said the development of the center can serve as a lesson to young people on how to push back against the status quo and work for what you believe in, despite roadblocks. 

    “Our job is not finished,” Kozu said. “We still have to fill the void for the next two or three years, developing prevention activities until the community center is built.”

    Cynthia Grant-Carter, a Dorchester resident of 30 years, says she is excited to have a space where community members can gather with their friends and family, without having to travel elsewhere.  

    Connie Forbes, a Grove Hall resident, said establishing the center has been an “uphill battle,” but she’s excited that the moment is finally here. “Finally,” she said. “We’ve fought so hard to have this for the community.”

    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on October 22, 2025.

  • What to know about Bluebikes’ expansion in Dot, Mattapan, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain

    By Madyline Swearing

    Boston’s bike share system is expanding throughout Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, with 20 new Bluebikes stations to be installed in those neighborhoods. City officials hosted an open house on Oct. 1 at the Marshall Community Center, where residents reviewed proposed site maps and offered feedback on potential station sites (see map below for specific locations).

    Here’s a look at the details of the initiative.

    What is Bluebikes, and how does it work?

    Bluebikes is a publicly owned bike share system that lets anyone rent bikes from docking stations. The system operates in 13 municipalities and has 337 stations in Boston.

    Payment plans include 30-minute rides for $2.95, $10 day passes, monthly and annual memberships. Passes and memberships can be bought on the Bluebikes app and website, or at a station kiosk.

    Boston saw 2.6 million Bluebikes trips in 2024, 11 percent of which started in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain.

    What is the Bluebikes expansion plan?

    Last year, Mayor Wu and the Boston Streets Cabinet — consisting of the Public Works and Transportation departments — announced plans to add 100 new Bluebikes stations throughout Boston’s neighborhoods to meet a rising demand.

    This is all part of Go Boston 2030, the city’s transportation plan to improve safety, expand access, and reduce emissions. Launched in 2017, the project’s initiatives have included extending MBTA service hours, building neighborhood “slow streets,” and ensuring each household in Boston is within a 10-minute walk of a public bike share station. About 89 percent of households meet that criteria, according to the Streets Cabinet.

    “The objective is to make it convenient and reliable for people to get around the city by bike,” said Boston Bikes Director Kim Foltz. “Biking is a sustainable and affordable form of transportation and is a good connection to other transit.”

    What has already been done?

    The expansion has been implemented in phases, beginning with the MBTA Red Line diversion in 2023. The first phase involved the addition of eight new bike stations in Dorchester and Mattapan, and 31 docks were added to existing stations.

    Since last year, the city has received more than 2,600 comments offering feedback on proposed bike station sites, compiled from open houses, emails, and survey responses. So far, nearly 80 of the 100 new stations have been installed across the Beacon Hill, Downtown, South Boston and Allston neighborhoods, to name a few.

    Where is the project now?

    The initiative is in its fourth phase, focused on adding 20 new Bluebikes stations throughout Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. The Streets Cabinet aims to install two to four stations in Dorchester, two to four in Jamaica Plain, two to five in Mattapan, and four to seven in Roxbury.

    Boston Bike Share Planner Louisa Gag said proposed sites were chosen for their visibility, clearance of utilities, and potential accessibility for a Bluebikes service van. Gag said it is a priority to put docking sites within half a mile of an MBTA station.

    Other requirements include access to at least four hours of sunlight each day, to charge the sun-powered docking computers, and ensuring sites leave at least 5 feet of sidewalk space for pedestrians and 1.5 feet of clearance from the street curb. Off-street sites were favored overall, as they don’t disturb parking and don’t need to be removed for snowplows in the winter.

    Sites may be installed on public or private property, which can include plazas, residential neighborhoods, sidewalks, parking lanes, and libraries.

    Residents are invited to attend open houses where they can review maps of potential docking locations, offer feedback and ask questions. There will be two events in Mattapan this month, on Oct. 28 at the Mattapan Library and on Oct. 30 via Zoom.

    Feedback forms will be offered in person at each open house or can be accessed on the city website until Oct. 31.

    What is the timeline for the project?

    The Streets Cabinet will accept suggestions for new bike stations until Oct. 31. They will be reviewed and considered over four weeks. Site lists will be narrowed, and permits will be filed. Installation is expected to begin in January.

    What other programs does Boston Bikes offer?

    Boston Bikes offers community workshops like adult bike lessons, youth biking programs, and community ride events. Cyclists can arrange to have their bikes repaired at no cost or learn how to fix them independently during community workshop events.

    Discounted bike passes and e-bikes are available for residents, new riders and those who are income-eligible.


    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on October 17, 2025.

  • “White Raven, Black Dove,” a new opera animated by its performers, and a computer, debuts at Strand

    By Madyline Swearing

    Inside a sprawling Brookline home, where koi swim in an in-ground living room pond and a pet pig named Mazipan can be seen through sliding glass doors, a troupe of performers flit around a makeshift stage, rehearsing a battle of futuristic proportions.

    The scene is set in the years after the Sixth Extinction — a human-made climate crisis that has left the planet Earth a dystopian wasteland —and a new opera, “White Raven, Black Dove,” which is scheduled for a three-day run at the Strand Theater this weekend (Sept. 26-28), tells the story of the segregated Silvers and Onyx, who are faced with building a new world.

    Steeped in international mythology, the opera combines live performance with computer-generated animation to explore themes of race and climate change.

    As a self-proclaimed “activist” performance company, White Snake Projects produces only original operas by living creators as a way to “authentically” explore societal issues, says Cerise Lim Jacobs, the company’s artistic director and founder.

    “Art can be used as an instrument of change,” Lim Jacobs said. “It doesn’t have to be didactic and burdensome, but fun and immersive.”

    The company was founded in 2018 following the success of Lim Jacobs’ first opera, “Madame White Snake” — a retelling of an East Asian folktale — which won a 2011 Pulitzer Prize for its composer, Zhou Long.

    An immigrant and woman of color, Lim Jacobs says her values “totally permeate” the company and its work.

    As rehearsals continue inside her Brookline home, haunting vocals detail the discord between the identity-bound light-skinned Silvers and dark-skinned Onyx, and reveal how a scarcity of resources has driven the two groups apart. Amid the devastation, characters Raven and Dove serve as proponents of change.

    Shows are produced thematically each year. With last year’s general election, the company’s theme was voting rights. This year the environment has taken center stage. Lim Jacobs says recent federal funding cuts to organizations like the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration helped influence that decision.

    “What could be more timely?” Lim Jacobs said. “It cannot be more urgent. The whole thing is frightening.”

    Beyond advocacy, Lim Jacobs says, a main objective of White Snake Projects is to modernize opera and make it appealing to younger generations. One way is through the integration of cutting-edge technology in operatic settings.

    For the company’s director of innovation and computer-generated imagery (CGI, Curvin Huber, this means applying gaming technology to live performances. A professor at the Lesley University College of Art and Design, Huber has worked in the 3D industry as a generalist for about 30 years. His expertise with Unreal Engine, a game development creation tool, has optimized White Snake Projects’ scene designs.

    With Unreal Engine, photorealistic graphics can be created and modified in real-time, creating a speedier design process. Once the 3D imagery is generated, it can be projected on stage in any format.

    “The advantages are that it can build content quickly and we can make changes as needed,” Huber said. “It allowed for a more efficient pipeline.”

    While Huber has logged almost 100 hours working on “White Raven, Black Dove,” the base work was done by Lesley design students, who spent three semesters working with the creative team to produce the 2D animations and 3D illusions that make up the set.

    As part of Lesley University’s internal internship program, which matches students with local clients, students are assigned to specific teams, depending on their skill levels and interests. Derek Hoffend, professor of game design and immersive technology at Lesley University, serves as the students’ project manager.

    “They could be doing drawings and concept studies for character and environment designs,” Hoffend said. “Some do game engine work, where they’re building 3D environments in Unreal Engine.”

    Huber says he then acts like a cinematographer, polishing and refining students’ work to make it production-ready. “It’s a great experience for them — they get to see how it works,” he said. “We force ourselves to take a step back and ask what we want visually and what’s the best way to tell a story.”

    Hoffend says the opportunity for students to see the physical manifestations of their work has been beneficial for them both creatively and intellectually.

    “They really appreciate having a client,” Hoffend said. “They’re used to doing things in the classroom, but to see something that gets out into the world that’s also politically interesting is important.”

    In times of increased political divisiveness, Lim Jacobs says, the company has to consider the implications of its work more than ever before. And while funding may have been cut, production levels haven’t.

    “People have to feel hope, otherwise they’ll give up,” Lim Jacobs said. “We make work for our community. I hope they come and feel inspired to do a little something.”

    See “White Raven, Black Dove” at the Strand on Sept. 26 at 8 p.m., Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m., and Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. A talkback with a member of the creative team will follow each performance. Tickets are “pay what you can.”

    This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

    This article was originally published on September 24, 2025.