On the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, its legacy as the birthplace of American protest will be showcased in the upcoming Raising Voices Festival.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, one of the most influential protests in American history, Boston-based Revolutionary Spaces will host the Raising Voices Festival from September 23-24. 

In a press statement, the organisers say that the free, multi-disciplinary festival in the heart of downtown Boston will celebrate music, art and the power of protest. 

Featured artists include arts educator Chanon Judson, co-artistic director of dance company Urban Bush Women, vocalist, actor and composer Grace Galu Kalambay, vocalist and songwriter Pyeng Threadgill, trumpeter, bandleader and composer Frank London and Porsha Olayiwola, the current poet laureate of Boston.

The organisers say that guests will witness a show navigating the footsteps of iconic revolutionaries, featuring a range of performances and attractions from local and national artists and community partners. 

Revolutionary Space’s Washington Street campus, from the Old State House to Old South Meeting House and beyond, will be activated with experiences for people of all ages, says the statement. 

It adds that festival-goers will encounter musicians, dancers, actors, poets and artists, as well as community pop-ups, food vendors, sidewalk and storefront activations and a family area with a sensory-friendly zone. 

“The Raising Voices Festival was created to uplift and celebrate voices of revolution from the past, present and future. As we prepare to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party later this year, we honour Boston’s rich history as the birthplace of American protest and the cradle of change that has shaped our nation. Revolutionary Spaces is proud to set the stage and amplify diverse voices and the spirit of revolution, and to engage the Greater Boston community in this important conversation around democracy and free speech,” says Revolutionary Spaces President & CEO Nathaniel Sheidley. 

Along Washington Street will be the Raising Voices’ Artist Village with the fine arts and crafts of local creators on display. Those are available for purchase as these artists explore mutual aid as a form of protest through community-building, say the organisers.

They add that summer street will also feature a beer garden hosted by Democracy Brewing, a downtown Boston-based, worker-owned brewery and pub. Other food and beverage vendors will cook up delicious eats at the Boston Irish Famine Memorial on Washington Street, while highlighting food activism and food insecurity issues.