With THE DECLARATION PROJECT, visionary pianist Lara Downes marks the 250th anniversary of the United States by gathering together American communities to participate in civic engagement and find common ground in exploring the core essence of our founding promise: the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

In Fall 2024, Lara began traveling to communities nationwide, in partnership with a broad consortium of performing arts, educational and civic institutions, to carry out immersive community-activation residencies centered on reflection, deep listening and self expression. Engaging with multi-generational communities in the form of round tables, conversations, generative writing workshops, and collaborative creative expression around the prompts Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, Lara is gathering a kaleidoscopic array of American voices to actively reimagine the promise of our future, reflecting in their own words on the magic and mystery of life, the ongoing quest for freedom and equality, and the radical power of joy. 

This work will be featured in an NPR documentary series, and will culminate in the world premiere of Lara’s multimedia concert DECLARATION in New York in the Summer of 2026.