An ambitious two-year project chronicling 140 years in the lives of the traditionally black neighborhoods of Chapel Hill and Carrboro will come to fruition this week and next at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

"Because We're Still Here (and Moving)," a multi-media initiative by Hidden Voices, will unfold in a series of events starting Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. with a photo exhibit, community mapping project and walking tour map. Next week, opening on Feb. 15, residents and performers will present the debut stage production, using music, narrative and movement to tell the stories of the black communities.

Hidden Voices, directed by Lynden Harris, is a nonprofit organization that provides avenues for expression -- via stage performances, multimedia projects and other outlets -- by individuals and groups that typically get little attention from mainstream society.

"Because We're Still Here (And Moving)" is the most complex project the group has ever tackled, Harris said. For two years, Hidden Voices worked with local residents, photographers, students, and artists in an effort to uncover and highlight local black history.

Initially inspired by EmPOWERment and the Fenwick Foundation's request to assist local teens in gathering elders' stories, "Because We're Still Here (and Moving)" blossomed into a multi-year exploration of a community whose 140-year existence has been profoundly impacted by local development and ongoing university policies.

The project brings to life the stories, histories, places, images, and music from the local African-American communities -- places with names like Tin Top, Windy Hill and Pottersfield.

The community premiere is Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at The ArtsCenter, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Friday's cvents will include:

• Photography Exhibit. A collection of contemporary images of neighbors, businesses, and churches, with text panels and archival references, and scrapbooks with photos and notes by residents and UNC students.
• Community Mapping. Did you call The Knolls Ponderosa? Where exactly was The Cut? Who swam at the Catfish? Everyone is invited to participate in this interactive, hands-on map creation. Add your own photos, post-it notes, names, and references to the wall map. An ongoing and updated reflection of community input and history, with Geraud Staton as mapping artist-in-residence.
• Walking Tour Map. A self-guided tour map highlights places and events that made these neighborhoods a community for 140 years. The tour includes the old Quaker School for freed children, the first silent movie house, Susie and Bynum Weaver's Store, Pottersfield, Sunset, Tin Top and more.

On Feb. 15, the performance debut of "Because We're Still Here (And Moving)," by Harris and directed by Kathryn Williams, will will include shows at 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Stories, music, rap, and movement will trace the history communities through the last 140 years.

School morning shows cost $6. All other events are free and open to the public.