upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

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Grantee Recap from the Allied Media Conference in Detroit

By Lynda G. Black 
Summer 2015

As an artist, does my work exploit another person's experience? Am I taking advantage of someone’s misfortune for my own gain?

These questions and more remain with me after attending the Allied Media Conference 2015, an amazing forum for media makers engaged in social justice. The four-day event, which was held in Detroit, MI in June, brought together an incredible mass of over 2,000 people to share their work, teach, and collaborate with others about effective social justice strategies.   

My interest led me to sessions about storytelling and story-sharing. In one such session, a presenter discussed her experience completing her organization’s grant application, which included an anecdote from a local community member. “I give you my story. Now, what do I get in return?” that same community member asked her. The admonishment forced her to revisit her process. Another presenter recited a comment someone made to her during a community meeting. “They only discriminate when they get your story.”

I rarely use names or detailed stories to accompany my fiber work. It’s mostly a few sentences inspired by a stranger or a prominent news story – as in the case of the frequent police brutality events. I never connected their lost with my gain.

As artists, stories are often a profound source of inspiration, a part of our process. And, of course, stories are its own art form. Sometimes they are intended for grant applications. Whatever their use, they can be a powerful tool for connecting, healing and conveying ideas. And more of us are recognizing the power of the medium and using it.

So if we use stories in our work or if they are our work, here a few questions we might want to consider.

Am I being ethical in storytelling and story-sharing?
As artists, how do we make the story process or our use of stories more democratic?
How does one create trust when “mining” a story?
As artists engaged in social change, are we remembering and giving back to the people that inspired our movement and from whom we may have capitalized? Should we?
What challenges do I experience when I engage in storytelling and story-sharing?

Maybe some of these questions apply to you. If so, let’s talk about it.

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