On June 7, 2024, Penn Live Arts will present a city-wide sound installation, partnering with Penn’s Office of the Chaplain, Interfaith Philadelphia, and many churches, synagogues, mosques,  including the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral and other community partners to ring bells and make other sounds for 5 minutes beginning at 1:00 p.m

These five minutes represent the 1 in 5 Americans who have had a family member killed by gun violence and serve as a call to action, a warning, and a sonic device to disrupt the environment for Philadelphians, inviting them to stop, reflect, and learn more about this tragic issue.

Sound has always been used to alert communities to danger, warn of an impending disaster, or to call neighbors together to share in moments of reflection, worship, or celebration. Truly, no city in America is more connected to the imagery, history, and symbolism of the bell than Philadelphia; through this sonic mechanism, we hope to uplift those individuals and organizations in our city that are working to change conditions and circumstances for the better.

At 12 Noon, the Cathedral will host a social justice service with the Reverend Chaz Howard, Chaplain of the University of Pennsylvania, presiding. At 1:00 p.m. the Cathedral bells and the bells of other houses of worship throughout the city will toll for 5 minutes.  A luncheon will follow along with the opportunity to learn about the gun violence initiatives being implemented by organizations participating in this event.  These organizations will have information tables set up in the Cathedral beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Also on display in the Cathedral will be Souls Shot Exhibition. The Souls Shot Project links fine artists with families or friends of victims of gun violence. The artists meet with the victims' loved ones to learn about the lives they lived. The goal is to present diverse works that in some way relay graphically, or through narrative, the essence of the person being portrayed.

https://www.soulsshotportraitproject.org/