Storytelling for advocacy
Somewhere between stands of peach trees and a water tower that said Butler, Georgia, my phone buzzed violently.
Emergency alert! Tornado warning in this area. Take shelter immediately.
Outside, the clouds hung low, and flat farmland stretched towards the horizon. It was a stark contrast to the towering oaks and Spanish moss Monica and I had driven through just that morning in Savannah. As we inched farther west, the landscape had grown increasingly sparse.
Panicked and naive, I did the only thing I knew how: I googled.
Me: Can you outrun a tornado in a car?
Google: Do not attempt to outrun a tornado in your car! If the tornado is close and there are no nearby structures, abandon your car and seek shelter in a ditch.
We scanned the roadside for a suitable ditch to crawl into, one big enough for us, our camera equipment and lights. If worse came to worst, we would roll into a wet ditch, lie on top of our gear and hope for the best.
“Well, look on the bright side,” Monica said.
“And what’s that?” I asked
“At least we’ll have content for our blog!”
...
By the time we reached our destination in Columbus, the skies had cleared and the tornado that could have been never came to pass. Relieved but slightly shaken, we pulled into the parking lot of a small Presbyterian church where Jessica, a theater maker and disability rights advocate, was waiting to share her story.
Jessica Winowich, Columbus
In the hush of the church nave, she told us about her love affair with theater, her struggle to find belonging in her church and the meaning of visibility for people with disabilities. By the time she had finished, my frayed nerves were but a faint memory in the rearview mirror. Jessica’s storytelling had transported me entirely.
Stories, as we’ve come to learn, have the power to not only transport but also persuade. They can sweep us away to another time and place and help us see life from a different perspective.
This belief is at the heart of Treasure Maps: The Georgia Storytelling Roadshow, a pop-up, outdoor theater event that featured ten people across the state navigating life with disabilities. The roadshow, the latest from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ Storytelling Project, is part of a larger advocacy effort that ensures people with developmental disabilities can live life on their own terms.
Earlier this May, Monica and I traveled to eight cities with our friends StoryMuse and Resurgens Impact Consulting. Along the way, we met an Elvis tribute artist from Athens, an aspiring restaurateur in Dunwoody, a jewelry-maker from Dawsonville and a Special Olympian from Lawrenceville.
Two weeks ago, the full film was screened live in our hometown Atlanta, the last of six shows around the state, complete with a drumline performance by the Seed & Feed Marching Abominable Band. (Photos: StoryMuse / L’Arche Atlanta)
Now that the roadshow has come to a close, we’re excited to share these stories with you online. You can watch the trailer below and selected stories on our Vimeo page. You can also watch the full show here. Please share and, if the spirit moves you, drop us a line. We can’t wait to hear what you think.
-Steph