Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging, a big city, big ideas experience May 5, 2023 By Collegeville Institute Leave a Comment The Collegeville Institute’s first regional workshop for the year, Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging through the Personal Essay, finished up late last month. It took place from April 16 – 23. Led by Enuma Okoro, 9 participants as well as Collegeville Institute Director of Program Services Carla Durand experienced 7 days of writing and reflecting in New York City. This is the first time that a Collegeville Institute workshop has been held in New York, hosted by General Theological Seminary, located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging participants and leader pose for a picture. Top row, left to right: Enuma Okoro (workshop leader), Jamie Eaddy, Pie Martinez. Second row: Marina Gross-Hoy, Katie Murchison-Ross, Olivia Bethea, Bottom Row: Sucharita Mukherjee, Prasanta Verma, Flora Keshgegian, Joyce del Rosario. The issues of identity, home, and belonging were central to the workshop, and applicants were encouraged to highlight their personal experiences which related to these themes. The workshop sought to empower writers with the skills to tell their stories and engage these issues for themselves and a wider community through writing. Activities included introducing participants to works of art and to traditional and modern personal essays. Writers used as examples included James Baldwin, George Orwell, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Dina Nayeri. The participants were also able to explore New York City, have time for their own work, and group and self-reflection. Like this post? Subscribe to have new posts sent to you by email the same day they are posted.
