OVERVIEW
Crafting Gaman is a collaborative art storytelling experience that will help participants learn deeply about important lessons related to the Japanese American World War II and post-war history in a hands-on, engaging environment. This experience is designed for an audience of approximately 30 people who participate in teams of four to six people per team.
This is a participatory art experience in which teams work together to create and utilize their art to help them craft a narrative about a specific family character. Each team’s stories contribute to an overarching historical narrative about a Japanese American family going through the wartime experience.
LOCATION AND DATES
In-person in the Los Angeles area, dates TBA
TARGET AUDIENCE
Anyone age 13 or older
PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE
Each team will be assigned a specific family character (father, daughter, etc.) about whom they will be creating a narrative throughout the entire experience.
The experience will be divided into four narrative segments that pertain to specific chapters in Japanese American incarceration history: evacuation, camp hardships, dealing with hardships (gaman), and the loyalty questionnaire.
In each narrative segment, each team will create a short story about how their assigned character reacts or behaves based on the situation or prompt. Teams will have a specific amount of time to complete their short story.
Teams will use physical and/or digital media to create 2D or 3D artwork that they can use to help tell their character’s story. Paper, pens, tape, glue, and other materials are provided on each table. Access to printers or other technology is also available.
At the end of each narrative segment, each team takes turns to share their story about their assigned character. Teams can decide on their own how they want to share their stories (e.g., one person talks, the entire team takes turns talking about each media piece, roleplay, etc.)
INSPIRATION
Crafting Gaman takes some of its design inspiration from The Gaman Experience project, which was an immersive history design project for elementary school students.
MORE INFORMATION
To get on to the sign up list or for more information about Crafting Gaman, please contact us.