Description
“The ability to shape your own narrative, rather than have others shape it for you, is ultimately what matters most. The power of the story lies in the hands of the storyteller. Almost any experience can be reshaped, any destiny re-imagined, if those who have lived it tell their own stories.”
— Aminatta Forna
What do we value most as artists and storytellers? How can we use our art to amplify new narratives? And how can we work together as a collective to be the change we want to see? Join us for an interactive, generative, and collaborative workshop facilitated by Javan Howard and Michele Kotler from Community-Word Project (CWP). We’ll play with words and ideas, while exploring the ways in which we can use art to examine our existing realities and reimagine new ones.
Community-Word Project’s mission is to facilitate culturally responsive, multidisciplinary art programs for students, teaching artists, and communities to develop and amplify their voices and creative skills. CWP envisions a world where all artists and learners work together to recognize and celebrate the power of their creative voices to manifest a more equitable future.
Javan Howard-Presenter Bio:
Teaching Artist Project Co-Director of Curricula, Mentorship and Facilitation.
Javan Howard is a poet and writer from the Bronx, NY. He is a Teaching Artist Project Lead Mentor, and a Teaching Artist for Community-Word Project. Jay believes that the lived experience is the ultimate teaching tool and uses poetry as a social forum to foster discourse about love, culture, and identity. He has facilitated workshops with The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Voices UnBroken, Community-Word Project and Wingspan Arts. Howard participates in open mic events under the moniker “Righteous Teacher.” His work has been featured online at Black Heart Magazine and Brooklyn Stories Vol. 13.
To read more of Howard’s work visit: www.javanjhoward.com
Michele Kotler -Presenter Bio:
Founder and Executive Director.
Michele Kotler founded Community-Word Project (CWP) in 1997. She is a graduate of the NYC public school system. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and her MFA from the University of Michigan, where she also taught creative writing. Michele founded CWP to ensure that NYC public school students have structured time during their school day to develop their creative and critical thinking skills through art. She also wanted to provide artists the opportunity to give back to the community and support themselves by transforming their creative process into teaching tools. Community-Word Project’s Teaching Artist Project (TAP) continues to strengthen the field of professional teaching artists. She is proud to be a part of the NYC arts-in-education community and the national Writers in the Schools movement.
