Our Story

Beginnings

Founded in 2002, Movement City was the merger of Hope Street and Lawrence CommunityWorks’ youth program: Lawrence Young Professionals Network. Although the name had changed, our mission stayed the same: to give the young creatives of Lawrence a safe space for mentorship and to find themselves through music, art, creative writing, and dance. Everything else created in the years to follow has been thanks to our youth members. At Movement City, we provide a platform for young people to produce and curate showcases that highlight their hard work, host youth-led open mics, attend social justice and mental wellness workshops, and support collaborations that offer our youth a stage to perform in front of the community.

A young man sitting beside a display of framed photographs and a name tag that reads 'Elvis Cabral'. The display features black and white photographs of various scenes, and the man is wearing a black blazer, a purple shirt, and jeans, seated on a low stool, looking at the camera.
A group of young women sitting at a long table in a room with a brick wall, some with notebooks and water bottles, others with papers and snacks, attentively listening to a woman standing on the right side.

Our mission

Movement City is a safe inclusive space first, the art and creativity come after. We’re rooted in making honest connections with our creatives, allowing them to find themselves through the relationships they make here with friends, mentors, and through their art. We encourage our youth to have the confidence they need to perform or collaborate with partner organizations in order to become creative leaders in our community.