Narrative Initiative 2017-2020

We frequently recount ideas about ourselves, our work and our histories, through storytelling. It is difficult to view culture, particularly western culture, outside the lens of narrative. Whether the mythic journey of the hero, or the anti-hero, produces a clear understanding of reality, or is detrimental to reality, the narrative arch has become a frame for understanding nearly everything about contemporary life. The Center for the Arts in Society has selected Narrative as the theme for its next three-year initiative (2017 to 2020.) We will approach this topic with the idea that all aspects of human expression and production are embedded with stories. Fiction, non-fiction or experimental forms, locate narrative as a practice that can be created or unpacked from an individual image, literature, a gesture, sequential media, an object, an interaction or other lexicons of life. The CAS Narrative Initiative is coordinated by Felipe Gomez from Modern Languages and Richard Pell from Art. During the Narrative Initiative, CAS will undertake three faculty-led projects that involve analysis and production in their events and activities.

Felipe Gómez and Rich Pell Discuss the Narrative Initiative

Above photo, courtesy John Carson