CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF WIDE ANGLE

MEET THE AUTHOR

Ali Thomas is a multimedia creative dedicated to using her love of storytelling to uplift and educate urban communities about arts education. Ali has worked with the Baltimore office of Promotional Arts as a youth leader and directed short films and poems with Towson University's black theater Union, her writing has been recognized in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards while attending Baltimore City College high school. Now attending Morgan State University, majoring in theater Arts Ali aims to use creative storytelling to unite the urban community and uplift her peers.

This October, Wide Angle Youth Media celebrates 25 years of amplifying youth voices, creativity, and stories in Baltimore. As we mark this milestone with a community celebration, we’re also looking ahead to the future. To honor this moment, we asked our students and staff to reflect on the power of inspiration, creativity, and community and to share their hopes for Baltimore and the future of Wide Angle. Their words remind us why we do this work and what’s possible when young people are given the tools to tell their own stories. We can’t wait to keep creating, collaborating, and imagining what’s possible with you.

 

Arianna Lewis, MediaWorks Intern 

Christian Lewis, Assistant Media Instructor and Equipment Coordinator

Mathilde Mujanayi, Assistant Media Educator

Mathilde Mujanayi, Assistant Media Educator

How do you turn inspiration into action?

  • “I turn inspiration into action through motivation and momentum, so using my motivation, I get through everything that's difficult and tedious, and my momentum keeps me going and making sure that I'm constantly working so that I don't forget about it or leave it alone.” - Arianna Lewis, MediaWorks Intern 

  • “I think you find like-minded people, people who have the same want or aspiration to take an idea and make it reality. It's just finding like-minded people, because community is necessary.” - Christian Lewis, Assistant Media Instructor and Equipment Coordinator

  • “There is a myth in Greek mythology where you have these little angels or cherubs, and they're all ideas. They dangle with you, or fly around you, and they rest with you. But at any point in time, they can choose to go somewhere else, and so they're with you for an opportunity amount of time. You can grab onto it and actually make the idea occur, or if you don't grab onto it within the appropriate amount of time, someone else is gonna put it out there. Even if someone else has made it, you’re perspective will always be unique and valid.” -Mathilde Mujanayi, Assistant Media Educator


How can media and creativity continue to impact Baltimore?

  • “Youth and adults can intertwine their ideas and work together to create something for our city because I feel like as youth, we are able to do so much more than what we believe we can do. So, if we had mature help from an adult, we can turn our dreams into reality.” - Loyal Shird, MediaWorks Intern

  • “To have someone who knows themselves, their people, and their history, and has the human context of having lived within the conditions that exist here [in Baltimore], and being able to tell their own story, that’s why we need media. That’s why it should exist within these particular hands.” - Mathilde Mujanayi, Assistant Media Educator


As Wide Angle celebrates 25 years, what do you hope the next 25 will look like for the org and the young people it serves?

  • “I think it would be cool for Wide Angle to build something that could exist for 200 years. I would like it so you can’t talk about the Baltimore art scene without having to talk about Wide Angle. Like the way people talk about the Harlem Renaissance or the Chicago Renaissance. It’s already students making waves with the work they’re doing, and I could see them having major placements and interviews and being like, ‘Oh, where did you study some of this stuff?’ and the answer being Wide Angle Youth Media. - Christian Lewis, Assistant Media Instructor and Equipment Coordinator 

  • “I wonder what it would look like to involve adults too—through mentorship, classes, or volunteer opportunities. Wide Angle could grow into a holistic community, not just a program for youth but something families are actively a part of.” - Mathilde Mujanayi, Assistant Media Educator

The voices of our students and staff show just how powerful inspiration, creativity, and community can be, not just for Wide Angle but for Baltimore as a whole. For 25 years, we’ve witnessed what happens when young people are given the tools to tell their own stories. This work is about more than art; it's about building connection and possibility. As we step into the next 25 years, we invite you to join us in celebrating and continuing to shape a future where every young person’s story has the power to inspire action. 

Join us on October 18, 2025, for a festive night of media making, dancing, drinks, local art, and more. Get your tickets now - we can't wait to see you there!

Wide Angle Youth Media