Fanshen has facilitated workshops and/or delivered keynotes for the following businesses and organizations:
Inbound
SXSW
Social Innovation Summit
University of Michigan School of Education
Northern Illinois University Social Justice Camp
Queen Lili’uokalani Trust iHuddle
Henry Street Settlement
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
YWCA of Greater Atlanta
World Fellowship Center
ANCINE – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Kennedy Center – Turnaround Arts
Naropa University
Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference
Babson College
Life is a Verb Camp
Boston Court Theatre, Pasadena, CA
Southern Company Gas
Kellogg Foundation AAC&U TRHT
Millsaps College
Our workshops can be customized for ages 10-13, 14-17 and adults (we will also consider multi-generational groups). Specific outcomes can be tailored for the needs of participants (i.e. Educators, Social Workers, Students…). Our Keynote is for ages 17+
Please fill in our ‘Book the show’ link and specify that you’re interested in our workshops or keynote. Our Booking Coordinator (booking(at)onedropoflove(dot)com) will be in touch shortly to discuss scheduling and fees.
Workshops (2.5-3 hours):
Narrative as Resistance
In this workshop participants will build a common understanding of current terms and concepts around diversity, equity and inclusion. These concepts include: racial/class/gender identity, invisible identity, intersectionality, privilege, whiteness, white fragility and using storytelling in pursuit of social justice. The second half of the workshop focuses on committing to specific action items in pursuit of social change.
Intersecting Identities: Historical Context, Personal Narrative and Identity
In this workshop participants will work to come to a common understanding of current terms and concepts regarding race, class and gender. They will also complete a short form visual narrative representing their own and others’ perceptions of their intersecting identities. Concepts discussed include: racial/class/gender identity, invisible identity, intersectionality, privilege, whiteness, white fragility and using storytelling in pursuit of social justice.
WRITING/PERFORMANCE:
Exploring the historical context of our personal narratives and creating characters for solo performance
Through a series of exercises, participants will create a dialogue between themselves and another person. These dialogues will connect the participants’ intersecting identities with historical context. After, participants will explore physical and vocal traits of the characters in their dialogues, and perform short scenes. The workshop ends with a discussion on the use narrative as a means of social change.
Keynote (45-60 minutes):
Narrative as Resistance
A narrative is a powerful tool for social change. Stories can be used to build empathy, to inform, to move people to action, and as a tool for resistance. Stories can also cause harm, especially if they’re rooted in stereotypes or when they attempt to encapsulate entire groups of people without broader context. Using her mantra of truth-justice-love, Fanshen shares her evolution as a storyteller and how a narrative is an accessible tool that anyone can use towards advancing social justice.
