Join Simurgh Arts artists, Keagan Wheat and Aliah Lavonne Tigh, for the NOLA poetry Festival! They will be leading a generative workshop called, “Reflections on the Water: A Guided Ekphrastic Workshop in Response to Short Conservationist Film and Experimental Art Installations.”   Artists and writers Aliah Lavonne Tigh, Keagan Wheat, Liz Williams, and filmmaker Tiffany Westry Womack will present this incredible mixed media practice workshop. 

Focused on the sacredness and connectivity of water, this ekphrastic event is part short film screening, part immersive art exhibit, and part guided writing prompt.

WHEN: Sun, 04/13/2025. 2:00 pm

WHERE: Room 224, New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave

More about this New Orleans Poetry Festival Workshop:
The first half of our journey will begin with a screening of the film(22mins), What About the Drinking Water?, an empowering story of Southern conservation and successful community action. Workshop participants will then be guided through a structured and approachable writing prompt based on Tiffany Westry Womack's film.

For the second portion of this ekphrastic workshop, we'll explore connection and reflection as we write in response to a stunning water-themed immersive digital project by Liz Williams Trader, Mik Mitchell and Shani Kashani. 

This is a partnership between Houston and Asheville-based artists. We are meeting in New Orleans, and after Helene, all our artists now share an experience that many New Orleanians know well: ecological vulnerability and devastation. We gather with you to generate writing, yes, and also, something good and healing. This workshop is devoted to beauty, narratives of true community power, and to experiencing environmental joy. The workshop, lasting 1 hour and 50 minutes, is divided into two parts. Part I, the film-based portion (60-75 minutes), begins with a 10-minute introduction to the artists, followed by a 5-7 minute introduction to the film and an overview of the first writing prompt. The film screening and a community update from the director take 27 minutes, leading into a 25-minute guided writing prompt. Part II, the digital art portion (30-45 minutes), starts with a 5-minute introduction to the immersive digital artwork, followed by an 18-20 minute guided writing prompt. The workshop concludes with a 10-15 minute session for participants to share their work.

Simurgh Arts leadership will be present at the conference’s SWANA Writers Caucus, and we invite conference attendees who are South West Asian and North African Writers to join us for the caucus.

Details about the SWANA caucus meeting:
WHEN: Friday, March 28, 2025. 5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. PT
WHERE:Room 501 ABC, Los Angeles Convention Center, Level Two