The Power of Storytelling in Texts and Textiles

A Dialogues Seminar

This special, free seminar will explore a vast topic that lies at the heart of the  humanities: How do stories shape our perceptions of histories, cultures, and ourselves? How do we modify or create narratives in service of different agendas? How can telling stories empower people?

Featuring literary scholar Tanya Shields and art historian Victoria Rovine in her first program as CPH director, this seminar will incorporate specific examples from Africa, the Caribbean, and the American South to examine the complex ways we use storytelling to understand and mold reality—through literature, theatre, and oral tradition, as well as through dress, clothing, and textiles.

TOPICS & SPEAKERS

Storytelling and the Blurred Histories of Plantations in the Caribbean and American South
Tanya Shields, Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies

“Reading” Clothing: Cross-Cultural Meaning Making in West Africa
Victoria Rovine, Director, Carolina Public Humanities and Professor of Art and Art History

How do stories shape the way we relate to each other, to our memories, to events? How do stories help us understand our our world?
Panel discussion, which will be followed by small group conversation for in-person participants. A new format for this seminar, only.

DETAILS

DATE & TIME:  Saturday, September 28, 2024 | 9:00am-12:30pm

COST: Free. Advance registration required. Light refreshments will be served.

LOCATION: Chapel Hill Public Library or online.

**In-Person Registration for this event closed on September 27 at 3pm**