The Freedom Cafe is grateful and excited to be working with Devin for their summer fellowship. Here’s a bit about Devin, the fellowship, projects and why they pursued working with The Freedom Cafe.

What is the Winant Fellowship?
The Winant Fellowship is a fellowship program designed for undergraduate students passionate about public service. Fellows are NH residents given the opportunity to serve their communities through a summer-long internship at a NH-based nonprofit organization or government agency of their choice. The program is named after Governor John G. Winant and was created by the University of New Hampshire in 1982.

Why Did You Want to Work with The Freedom Cafe?
The Freedom Café is such a special place to me, and I want to support their work! I have met so many kind people here, and the space always feels welcoming. I think the Perform for Freedom open mic nights are so cool, and they showed me that music and art are truly valued here. As a music education major, that’s been particularly meaningful to me. I love the collaborative, community-centered environment, and I’m really excited for the projects I’m working on this summer!

Tell Us About Your Summer Project Goals
My largest project involves coordinating the installation of acoustic sound insulation in The Café which will improve hearing accessibility and sound quality for Perform for Freedom open mic nights. I’m super excited to hear live music in the space, and for folx to have an easier time hearing one another! The installation will be the week of July 10th, and we’d love all the help we can get; let us know if you’re interested! The project I’m most excited to be working on is expanding The Café’s impact on the music community. My goal is to connect with local artists and promote the amazing art being created in the local art scene, and I hope to even be able to incorporate local art in our space, as well!