Dream Out Loud Center, Inc.

Our Dream Out Loud Center instructors Lexie Cousineau, Xavier Fernandez and Aim Benson were excited to attend this year's MASSCreative Creative Sector Summit at the Zeiterion! By participating in workshops and panels such as Community Connections, The Creative Sector in the Economy and Making Space for Art, they were able to interact with fellow creatives for a day of peer learning, skills-sharing and community building.

In Lexie’s words about the experience, “The MASSCreative Sector Summit reminded local and aspiring artists that making a change in your community isn’t as impossible as one may originally assume. Meeting so many local and regional people with the same connection to the arts was refreshing and affirming that creative careers are such a strong presence in Massachusetts. The summit panelists offered an astounding amount of resources and networking opportunities for individuals across the state to flourish in their creative endeavors, big and small. I’m so glad that even in tough times, artists find a way to help each other grow. I hope that this giving community will continue to provide these same opportunities for our Dream Out Loud students in their future creative pursuits.” Special thanks to Women’s Fund SouthCoast for sponsoring Lexie’s ticket to attend!

Xavier reflected, “I learned a lot about the issues that creatives face in this state, such as displacement, how we can help to stop it, and resources we can use to help. Another important thing I learned is the impact art has everywhere, and how much untapped opportunities there are for artists because they aren't looking in some places.”

Thank you MASSCreative for a wonderful day! Dream Out Loud is proud of our 25 years helping to inspire and actualize the creative dreams of New Bedford youth, and we are excited to continue this important work with all of these remarkable people and organizations.

Looking for an awesome, FREE creative outlet for your kids this summer?

Dream Out Loud Center, Inc. in New Bedford is opening applications for their Creative Careers Summer 2026 Program!

This is a completely FREE 7-week program designed for youth in grades 5 through 12.

From July 7th to August 20th, students can dive into hands-on creative industries right here in the studio. Space is limited, so you will want to act fast!

Key Dates & Deadlines
Informational Open House & Sign-Up Day: Thursday, July 2nd from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Application Deadline: Thursday, July 2nd by 7:00 PM

🎼 Classes Offered (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Options)
Songwriting: Work with instructors in a real recording studio to write lyrics, compose music, and record an original track (Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, or Rock!).

Music & Digital Production: Learn the basics of beat-making and instrumental creation using pianos, drum pads, and studio gear.

Digital Art & Graphic Design: Level up drawing skills for comics, manga, or anime-style fan art using drawing tablets and Adobe Photoshop.

Creative Writing (Wednesdays only): Explore poetry, descriptive writing, drama, and fiction to craft original stories.

Class times run from either 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM or 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM depending on the subject.

Where: Dream Out Loud Center | 127 W Rodney French Blvd, Suite 2-64, New Bedford, MA
How: To lock in a spot, grab the application from the flyer, fill it out, and email it to [email protected].

Have questions? Drop by the Open House on July 2nd or email the team directly at [email protected] to give your teen an unforgettable, creative summer!

We are currently recruiting for our FREE Summer Creative Careers Program for middle and high school youth who are interested in songwriting, digital music production, creative writing, digital art and graphic design.

Classes start on July 7, 2026 and will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:00pm - 6:00pm, and 6:00pm - 8:00pm through August 20th.

The application deadline is Thursday, July 2nd by 7pm.

You can mail completed applications to Dream Out Loud, 127 West Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford MA 02744 or email to [email protected] (preferred).

We are also having an open house sign up session on Thursday, July 2nd anytime from 3pm - 7pm. Dream Out Loud is located at the Kilburn Mill, 127 West Rodney French Blvd in New Bedford, Suite 2-64.

Please SHARE with any youth who may be interested!

A HUGE thank you to TFed - Taunton Federal Credit Union for their generous $500 donation to Dream Out Loud Center! This contribution was made possible by TFed’s Dress Down Program, an initiative driven entirely by their staff, who nominate and vote on local organizations to support each month. We are so appreciative to be selected as a recipient, and we know this donation will certainly brighten the hearts of our artistic New Bedford area youth!

Check out the art portfolios from our Spring Creative Careers Program, featuring student artists Laura (age 15), Emily (15), Alex (15), Ke’Juan (14), Jullian (13), Myah (14), Nolan (14), and Frannie (13).

Students focused on creating original pieces that reflected the theme of culture this semester. They were given complete creative freedom on how they chose to interpret the theme and were very unique and diverse with their creative perspectives.

We’re so proud of all their hard work!

Congratulations to our Executive Director Tracy Furtado Chagas on her recent professional venture to the Université de Lorraine in Nancy, France to represent Bristol Community College! Tracy was selected to attend the Twentieth International Conference for Literary Journalism Studies, which is devoted to the scholarly study, teaching, and practice of literary journalism.

As the founder of Dream Out Loud Center’s Creative Careers Publication Program, Tracy has devoted 25 years working to offer quality professional journalism opportunities to our New Bedford area youth. This experience will positively enhance future programs and serve as an inspiration to our students and staff!

We concluded our Spring Creative Careers Program with a student celebration to share their final projects and recognize all the hard work accomplished this semester and throughout the school year. Stay tuned for information coming soon about summer program opportunities!

Congratulations to our music program instructor and alum Lexie Cousineau on graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bristol Community College!

Lexie earned her Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Behavioral and Social Sciences, and plans to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree this Fall at UMass Dartmouth. While at Bristol, she spent two semesters as a peer writing tutor in the New Bedford campus’s library, and earned the Jeannette Denning Writing Award for Non-Research Based Writing for her writing efforts. She plans to continue working as a Writing Center Tutor for Bristol as an alumni, as she is very passionate about the community that the school harbors.

We are incredibly proud of all your accomplishments Lexie and can’t wait to see the exciting opportunities your future holds!

Our students and staff enjoyed a special field trip outing to Hatch Street Studios Spring Open Studios event! Youth were able to engage with local resident artists, view their showcased work, and connect with New Bedford’s creative community.

As most of the students had never attended an art show or gallery before, it was an enlightening experience for them to be exposed to different mediums of art such as pottery, fabric and wood. The featured artists were delighted to welcome our young artists in their space and felt inclined to speak with them to offer words of wisdom and encouragement. Students were also able to view UMass Dartmouth's 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, showcasing the work of graduating Master of Fine Arts students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, which provided insight to our youth for potential educational pursuits.

Special thanks to the City of New Bedford’s Invest-in-Kids Program for making this incredible event possible! Also, great job to our student photographer Ella, age 13, for capturing this exciting artistic adventure!

We are excited to welcome our newest art instructor Aim Benson!

Aim is a recent graduate of Bristol Community College, earning a Liberal Arts Behavioral Social Science degree, with long term goals of pursuing a Master’s in Library Science after getting their Bachelor’s in either History or Art History. They have experience in art-specific education from attending an art high school in Providence, learning how to utilize artistic concepts and language to facilitate critiques.

Aim hopes to help their students at Dream Out Loud learn how to look at and talk about art through critiques. Aim enjoys learning where their students are in their artistic journeys and helping them grow artistically, through offering tailored feedback on students’ pieces while keeping their students’ art styles in mind.

Aim has a specific interest in collage and graphic design, having led Bristol Community College’s student newspaper The Hawk’s design, along with creating posters and marketing materials for past jobs. Aim also volunteers on the art committee of a local roller derby league, creating and formatting marketing materials to aid in recruitment.

We are so glad to have Aim as part of our Dream Team 2026, leading the next generation of creative youth!