A collaboration was requested from Ben Fink and Nell Fields, that I had formally worked with through Roadside Theater. Ben introduced me to Elisabeth Cohen, brilliant K-12 humanities teacher in New York City, who is a very close friend of a very close friend, that is from here in Letcher County. Elisabeth who has a deep interest in cross-cultural work. Ben who has spent several years here in Letcher County working with Appalshop and Roadside Theater Company. Nell who is from Letcher County and is an avid part of the Cowan Community Center, Letcher County Farmer’s Market, and the grandmother of several of my 4-Her’s.

Elisabeth spent months planning and fundraising (successfully!) for an art-making-based exchange between a group of her students in New York City and a group of students in Letcher County. Elisabeth has a group of students eager to meet and make art with young people in East Kentucky.

So, Ben was approached with would you be up for a Zoom with me, Elisabeth, Nell, and myself, to see if we can rescue this collaboration and find new partners in EKY? I was so excited to have been asked to join this group of people that have so much talent in the ARTS.

We aim to recruit about 10-15 students each. We'll meet weekly from 3:30-5:00, for 3 weeks:

-During the first week each group will do a story circle.

-During the second week we'll listen to each other's recorded story circles and debrief them.

-During the third week we'll do a combined story circle together, with the two groups.

Following that, the students will have the opportunity to continue meeting for another 5 weeks (same time). If they opt to do that, they will be able to work in mixed groups of about 4 on a project more or less of their choice and be mentored by members of their communities. It can be an art project, or a community action project, etc.

What is a story circle? 

In some form and fashion, people have been sitting around telling stories since we learned to talk 100,000 or more years ago. Socrates believed the living word has a soul of which the written word is properly no more than an image — and he refused to write down any of his thoughts!

In a story circle you will mostly listen: the point is to listen intensely and meditatively, creating a space where all voices can be heard and valued equally.

We will agree to as a group, based on what we are working to learn and create together then this what we tell a personal story about.

After the facilitator gives the prompt, we’ll spend some time together in silence, until someone is moved to begin with a personal story that responds to the prompt.

 Once the first person is finished, the person to that person’s left will tell a personal story that in some way responds both to the prompt and the story the first person told. And so on around the circle: each person will tell a story that responds to the prompt and the stories that have come before. When it gets to be your turn, you’re welcome to pass. We’ll come back around in the circle at the end to offer everyone who passed another chance to tell a story.