WEST CHESTER, PA — Powerful storytelling, youth-created film, live art, and community healing will take center stage in West Chester this summer as Arts Holding Hands and Hearts prepares to host its Fourth Annual Restorative Justice Open House.
The June 18 event at Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center will feature the premiere of Invisible No More: Part 2 – Walk In My Shoes, a short documentary created by youth participants in AHHAH’s Restorative Justice Filmmaking Program.
Organizers say the evening is designed not only as a film screening, but as a celebration of youth empowerment, creativity, and restorative justice through art and community connection.
Youth Stories Take the Spotlight
Created through AHHAH’s filmmaking initiative, Invisible No More: Part 2 – Walk In My Shoes gives participating students an opportunity to share personal experiences, challenges, and perspectives through documentary storytelling.
Guests attending the open house will also be able to meet the student filmmakers and photographers behind the project, view the Justice Restored 3.0 traveling art exhibit, and participate in interactive community activities throughout the evening.
“This is more than a film screening—it’s a celebration of transformation, truth-telling, and youth leadership,” said Jan Michener, executive director of AHHAH. “Our youth are reclaiming their narratives and becoming powerful agents of change through restorative practices and creative expression.”
Art, Conversation, and Community Healing
The event will include music, food, community conversations, and a live digital interaction where attendees can respond to the film and share reflections in real time.
Certificates and gifts will also be presented to participating student filmmakers during the evening.
Filmmaker Alyssa Jade, who collaborated closely with the youth participants, said the project reflects the courage and openness of the students involved.
“Collaborating with these young people was an honor,” Jade said. “They opened their lives, their struggles, and their hearts to tell stories that truly matter.”
Building Momentum for Future Programs
The open house will additionally raise support for AHHAH’s ongoing restorative justice and community-building initiatives, including the next phase of its Community Peacekeepers Restorative Circles program.
Justin Brown, CEO of JB Trainings and the event’s master of ceremonies, described the initiative as a meaningful investment in young people and their futures.
“What AHHAH is doing through restorative filmmaking is what every community needs—real conversations, real youth leadership, and real investment in justice,” Brown said.
Event Details
- What: Fourth Annual AHHAH Restorative Justice Open House
- When: Thursday, June 18, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
- Where: Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 N. High St., West Chester, PA 19380
- Cost/Tickets: Free and open to the public
- More Info: https://www.AHHAH.org
Community members attending the event will also have opportunities to support AHHAH’s work through sponsorships, donations, and engagement with the organization’s youth arts programs.
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