Narratio x Clemson: An April evening of art and stories from resettled refugee youth

Multiple entities are sponsoring an evening of art and stories from resettled refugee youth in the Humanities Hall auditorium on Thursday, April 11.

Every Campus a Refuge at Clemson University is hosting Narratio: Art and Stories beginning at 5 p.m. Narratio’s flagship program, the Narratio Fellowship, is an annual storytelling and leadership program aimed at providing refugee youth with the tools and resources to share their narratives and creative works on the world stage. Guests will experience photography, film and poetry created by Narratio Fellows and will learn more about the program from fellowship co-founders, Ahmed Badr and Brice Nordquist.  

“We are delighted to welcome Narratio to Clemson,” said Angela Naimou, an associate professor in the Department of English. “Narratio is part of a larger movement to amplify the power of artmaking and storytelling by young people. Creative expression is essential to everyday life, and that is no less true for youth who undergo the deep shocks of war, forced migration, family separation, disrupted education and livelihoods, or the experience of growing up a in new place and another language.

“Too often refugee experiences become fodder for news cycles or election debates. How can we help young people create stories and art on their own terms? We invite our campus and area community to join us in learning more about these young artists and the role of the arts and humanities to the world’s youth today.”

A pre-event reception for the Thursday event begins at 4:30 p.m. outside the auditorium.

Friday’s events

A lunch event and storytelling workshop will happen on Friday, April 12. At 11:30 a.m., a lunch conversation on publicly engaged arts and humanities will take place in the Brown Room in the Robert M. Cooper Library. Badr and Nordquist will meet with educators to share experiences on strengthening publicly engaged arts and humanities at their institutions.

Space is limited but open to campus members. Lunch will be provided. Register online in advance here. Anyone with questions can email Naimou at anaimou@clemson.edu.

An interactive storytelling workshop will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Room 208 of the Watt Family Innovation Center. The workshop will focus on the power of storytelling to build and transform communities through the Narratio method of object-based storytelling, which was developed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This method enables resettled refugee and immigrant youth to shape and influence the global conversation around displacement, immigration and cultural production.

Space is limited and the workshop is open to all ages. Families, University students and employees and area residents. Register online here.

The events are co-sponsored by the Humanities Hub, Department of English, Department of Languages, Global Learning Institute, the Graduate School, Pathways in the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative, PPGA, the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business Inclusive Excellence Council, Engineers Without Borders (Clemson Chapter), Council on Diversity Affairs, Tau Beta Pi, Muslim Students Association, Aurantiaco and The Pendulum.