Chapter 510 presents...
“Oakland Belonging: The Voices of Swan’s Market,” a self guided audio tour created by youth in Oakland, California.
How do we reflect past, present, and future stories into the built environment? How might this process enable placemaking, placekeeping and belonging?
Holding these ambitious inquiries closely, a group of curious high school students gathered in January of 2022 at Chapter 510 in Oakland, California. Thus began a nine-month exploration of Swan’s Market, a local landmark with a rich history. Led by teaching artist and audio producer Elena Botkin-Levy, students used audio storytelling as a method of collecting and archiving stories of place, belonging and disbelonging. Within this audio tour you will find windows into the lives of the human beings who live, work, and connect with Swan’s Market.
Go ahead; explore for yourself.
Oakland Belonging Youth:
Karol Suarez, Phoebe Lefebvre, Olivia Richardson Feldman, Citlali Sanchez Udovic, Isis Pascual, Leila McCullough, Fernando Barrera.
We gratefully acknowledge the wonderful people who came together in support of the Oakland Belonging students:
Elena Botkin-Levy, Lead Teaching Artist/Producer/Editor
Vernon Keeve III (Trey), Teaching Artist
Alicia Crawford, Producer/Editor/Sound Engineer
Jahan Kalighi, Program Director
Marabet Morales, Program and Community Manager
Advisors:
Emily Weinstein, City of Oakland Deputy Director for Housing & Community Development and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader. Laura Crescimano SITELAB Urban Studio.
Guests:
Pendarvis Harshaw, Emily Foster, Joshua Simon, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, SITELAB Urban Studio, Michelle “Mush” Lee, and Jacob Simas