The group, which for three years has been working on a vast multimedia project chronicling the history of Chapel Hill's historically black neighborhoods, was putting together a traveling stage version of the piece, "Because We're Still Here (and Moving)," to perform at local middle schools.

Lynden Harris, the artistic director, and Kathy Williams, the performances director, were working with 16 UNC students -- none of whom had any stage experience -- and six community members, on a frantically tight deadline.

At right about the same time, UNC's Frank Porter Graham Student Union approached them to ask whether they'd be interested in putting up the big visual exbihit portion of the project in the Union's Great Hall.

"I thought, 'There is no way we can pull that off right now,'" said Harris, who founded Hidden Voices six years ago to bring to light the stories of often-marginalized individuals and populations.

"But they told me that 10,000 students and their families on freshman orientation would be coming through and viewing it," Harris said. "And I thought that if we have an opportunity to have that many people learn a little more about the history of Chapel Hill, we can't pass that up."

So they cut out even more hours for sleep and, in collaboration with the Union and the Campus Y, installed the exhibition. Featuring a huge walking tour map of the historically black neighborhoods and almost 100 images -- family photographs, newspaper clippings and other items -- the exhibit was indeed seen by some 10,000 students and their families over the summer.

Now it's almost time for the piece to come down, in preparation for being exhibited at other venues. Hidden Voices will celebrate the installation Tuesday evening in the Great Hall with "Dancing With the Starlite," a community event featuring live music, dancing, light Southern fare and stories told by some of the longtime residents of the neighborhoods.

James "Bubba" Norwood, a local drummer who played with Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and The Monkees, will perform, accompanying gospel singer Jennifer Evans and others.

"Jennifer is a community member and an absolutely amazing gospel singer," Harris said. "Hold onto your hats, because she is something else. And we'll have some R&B and some spoken word pieces, some dancing, some sweet potato pie. It'll be a lot of fun."

"Because We're Still Here (and Moving)" grew out of a project that had local teens and students interview longtime residents of Northside, Pine Knolls and other historically black neighborhoods. What resulted was 150 years' worth of stories of remarkably close-knit, vibrant communities with names such as Tintop and Pottersfield, of long-gone places like the Starlite Motel and the Orange County Training School, and of the people who lived, worked, raised families and died there. Hidden Voices, along with community members and dozens of UNC students, turned those stories into stage productions, video and visual arts works, a walking tour and more.