Fall 2022

Storytelling for Social Change

HIV in Richmond, Virginia Workshop

Community Resource Package

Introduction to Community Resource Package

Welcome to the “Storytelling for Social Change: HIV in Richmond, Virginia Workshop,” an arts-centered-workshop designed to facilitate the sharing of powerful stories of people living with HIV, affected by, and advocates. This workshop was co-created and co-facilitated in fall 2022 by students from two courses at the University of Richmond: FYS Dances for EveryBody and HIV in Richmond: Documentary Theater Project. They worked in partnership with Jihad Abdulmumit and Cristina Kincaid (Health Brigade), Zakia Mackenzie (Nationz Foundation), Deidre Johnson (Ending Criminalization of HIV and Over Incarceration in Virginia),  as well as Lindsay Bryant and Eric King (Nia). We want to give a loud shout out to Jihad Abdulmumit who offered his insight and provided feedback to students throughout the entire creative process.

Throughout the semester, we turned to the expressive language of the body to address social justice issues and activate meaningful conversations about people living with or affected by HIV. Richmond has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the country. This is a disease that disproportionately affects people of color. Richmond’s AIDS crisis is exacerbated by high concentrations of poverty and a lack of sex education in the public schools, as well as the opioid epidemic. The arts have served as a generative medium for healing and activism. How can the performing arts, in particular dance and theater with their emphasis on the body, action, and meaning, serve as a practice of individual and collective freedom? How do we nurture collaboration and set the stage to imagine and co-create a more just and equitable world?

Workshop Stages

Part 01

Somatic Practice

Created by Haley Gladden, Liv Prior, Eleazar Continanza, Joah Zhao, Soliday Yon, and Veronica Wang

(15 minutes)

Activities

Name of Exercise
Healing Hands

Time
5 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Energy Passing

Time
5–8 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Group Breathing

Time
~4 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Closing

Time
Dependent

Statement of Intent

Excerpt

We’re going to kick off this event with some somatic practices. And some of you might be wondering, what is somatic practice? Somatics describes any practice that uses the mind-body connection to help you listen to your body in areas that are in pain, discomfort, or imbalance. We think we listen with our ears, but our whole body, including our mind, is actually actively listening as well. Somatic practices involve a combination of movement and breathing techniques that help guide you toward healing and wellness.

Why is it important that we do somatic practices? Well, this mindfulness practice is widely used in fields such as yoga, dance, theater, meditation, and pilates. Its purpose is to engage the relationship between mind, body, brain, and behavior. We want you to start this workshop today by engaging all parts of your body, including your mind, and letting go of negative thoughts and energy. We want you to be fully present with your body, with us, and everyone in this room.

Part 02

Movement Practice

Created by Maggie Crowe, Caroline Donohoe, Yudong Liang, Damien Liebov, Devin Morgan, and Mayen Obot

(25–30 minutes)

Activities

Name of Exercise
Heartbeat Walk

Time
5 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Walking Transition

Time
3 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
The Human Knot

Time
15 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Closing Reflection

Time
3 Minutes

Statement of Intent

Welcome to the movement portion of the Storytelling for Social Change workshop.  In this section, instructors lead participants through various movement activities that are intended to simultaneously enhance each person’s sense of identity and build a strongly connected community.  Movement and dance have the power to guide people in discovering and conveying their inner feelings, thoughts, and experiences.  In this workshop specifically, the movements used are aimed to establish trust and allow for the creation of physical portraits of personal experiences.  The use of physical portraiture as a conduit for conversations about HIV was largely influenced by the works of dance artists Anna Halprin and Bill T. Jones and HIV activist Wilnette Cunningham.  This movement section was organized to work in collaboration with the “Storytelling” exercises in the next part of the greater workshop experience.

Part 03

Storytelling Activity

Created by Corrine Manderino, Mohamad Hussein, Dalin Sao, Julia Muniz, Parizad Irani, and Doro

(30–35 minutes)

Activities

Name of Exercise
Welcome and Orientation to Storytelling

Time
2–3 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Drawings of Falling and Flying

Time
4 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Gestures in Tension

Time
7 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Sharing

Time
10 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Collaborative Creation

Time
5 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Gallery Walk

Time
4 Minutes

Statement of Intent

In this portion of the workshop, we apply the somatic and movement practices to personal storytelling. This shift requires preparation, so we begin by orienting our participants to the objective and language we will be using. To empower our participants with knowledge and support in preparation for the following exercises.

Part 04

Discussion

Created by Gareth Woo, Isaac Lee, Julia Brittain, Grace Morocho, Lily Strauss, William Bautista Corcios

(15 minutes)

Activities

Name of Exercise
Open Discussion on Storytelling Activity

Time
5–8 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Group Reflection on Workshop

Time
5 Minutes

Statement of Intent

In this portion of the workshop, we hope to provide the space to successfully discuss the drawings and flying/falling activities just completed. The discussion is an important part of this activity because it gives us the space to internally reflect and process with one another about the activities we just experienced. In preparation for this workshop, we had the wonderful opportunity to work with Deidre Johnson, an HIV activist who has been a force in HIV awareness in Richmond, VA. Deirdre was first diagnosed with HIV in 2000 and has since then, set out to share her medication journey through social media with the hashtag #MedsWillMakeMeDance. She is the co-founder of Ending Criminalization of HIV and Over Incarceration in Virginia (ECHO VA), which recently succeeded in removing HIV-specific criminalization in VA in 2021. Deirdre’s openness and emphasis on education guided us as we planned our discussion prompts and activities. We hope that we can channel Deidre’s energy for the discussion of the group as a way to keep us open and honest about the things we have experienced today, as participants of the workshop.

Part 05

Closing

Created by Sanjna Kaul, Allie Mock, Aiyah Adam, Kiara, Dylan Ross, Sai Dulam, Shruti Sathish

(15 minutes)

Activities

Name of Exercise
Guided Meditation

Time
5–7 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Sharing Out

Time
5 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Visualizing Your Breath

Time
8 Minutes

—

Name of Exercise
Thank You

Time
1 Minute

Statement of Intent

We are now at the closing section of this workshop. Our intentions are to close in a way that brings a sense of harmony and leaves people with a feeling of future direction. We are fortunate to have Jihad Abdulmumit as a community soundboard, and he has exemplified the connections between the arts and HIV advocacy. From him, we gain inspiration through his work as an HIV educator and are grateful for his valuable insight. The structure of our closing starts with a guided walking meditation, followed by a short discussion, and ending with a breathing exercise.