Tectonic Theater Project
On 6 October 1998 Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His torture and murder became a watershed historical moment in America that highlighted many of the fault lines in our culture.
A month after the murder the members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play "The Laramie Project". The piece has been seen by more than 30 million people around the country.
Matthew Jay
On 10 October 2008, on what would have been Jay's 30th birthday, a tribute concert was held at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London to celebrate the music of Matthew Jay. Artists including Jay's backing band, Starsailor frontman James Walsh, Squeeze frontman Chris Difford and Passenger (Mike Rosenberg) each performed one of Jay's songs, as well as showcasing their own work. All profits were donated to Amnesty International and UNICEF.