Louisville officials on Tuesday will launch an events series aimed at finding ways to curb violence among young residents.SpreadLoveLou will consist of four events in four days. The idea is to bring together teenagers from across the community to showcase artistic talents and share opinions on what is needed to prevent violence from happening, city officials said.Anthony Smith, the director of the Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods in Louisville, said in order to “save our community and our young people” an ongoing conversation on violence must exist.“The more you bring people together and give people voices and give people opportunities, you decrease violence because people feel more connected and engaged in their communities,” he said. By bringing different demographics of young people together, community events such as these help teens find alternatives to violence, Smith said.“Our goal really is to showcase some of the young talent in Louisville, let them speak their words and talk about some stuff, highlight some organizations that are doing good work in Louisville and really just help young people find their voices in other ways,” Smith said.The series was conceived after a rash of teen violence downtown in March.Here is a schedule of the weekly events:May 13: Theater at Metro Hall / Understanding / 6:30-9pBBOY Performance w/ DJ Bedrock + screening of“BBOY for LIFE"May 14: Nucleus on Market St. / Mindfulness / 5-7pPoetry reading + Live MusicArt Opening featuring Andrew Cozzens, Sara Pitt, Chris Radtke, Michael Ratterman, Josh Miller, Letitia Bajuyo, and more sponsoredMay 15: The Academy at Shawnee / Peace / 5-7pPoetry reading + Live MusicMay 16: Steps of Metro Hall / Compassion / 5-7pPoetry reading + Live Music
