Deaf Children’s Books: The Art of Visual Storytelling Through Disability & Race Conscious Lens

Member Price: $ 335
SummerWrite Weeks 4 & 5
August 2 – 13
10 sessions, 4 hours with lunch 12 pm-1 pm
Ages: 10 – 15
Deadline to Register: July 26, 11:59 pm
Instructor:  Stacy Lawrence

Calling future writers, visual storytellers, artists, & filmmakers! In this two-week camp, Deaf and hard of hearing campers have a rare opportunity to meet an impressive lineup of writers, visual storytellers, educators, and artists from all corners of the country to discuss their published work in American Sign Language on Zoom. Through thoughtful conversations about race, deafness, and disability, and by analyzing illustrations and identifying stereotypes in children’s books, campers will learn more about how and why racism, audism, and ableism happen in classrooms. They also will learn how edited interplay between different translations from ASL video clips and colorful English texts from these same children’s books support visual phonology during film projects. As a team, they will create and publish storybooks by developing stories in American Sign Language, making artwork on storyboards, editing footage of visual storytellers, and publishing their own storybook in MP4.

From a deaf perspective, we live in interesting times that include language deprivation and oppression. In this camp, special attention will be given to exploring audism, racism, and ableism in the classroom, how such histories and cultures influence the arts, and how activism can transform and impact communities. By the end of this workshop, campers will have developed advocacy, empathy, creative problem solving and critical thinking skills to go along with newfound technical expertise. The workshop will culminate in a digital showcase of original films to share with families and friends.

Stacy Lawrence is thrilled to be back at Writers & Books because: 1) her life was forever transformed by the Flying Words Project at W&B in the 1980s, 2) her children enjoyed classes at W&B when they were little, 3) she loved teaching ASL at W&B years ago, and 4) W&B is welcoming deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) children to a deaf filmmaking workshop again this summer! After the wonderful experience founding the first film camp in 2012 for Deaf and HOH teenagers on the east coast, and co-founding another film camp in 2019 with two leaders on the west coast, Stacy is happy to help individuals and communities establish their own youth programs!

Workshops are conducted EST via Zoom, a virtual platform that allows you to participate in exercises and contribute to group conversation. To participate, please register by the deadline using the ticket portal below, or go to Scholarships. Zoom links are emailed to registered participants.

Scholarships Available