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PieceWorks is a non-profit organization serving Deep South communities through public art and media programs, training, documentation, and outreach. We believe that stories are richest when local people raise their own voices and help interpret their own cultures. Such expressions create sustainable communities, which constitute the fabric of a healthy nation. |
PieceWorks takes a three-pronged approach to our mission: documentary film and video, community-based art projects, and outreach and advocacy programs. DOCUMENTARY FILM AND VIDEO WORK has the goal of introducing Southerners and the world at large to stories not often told in the South. We believe that local voices provide a richness and context that is often missing in film portrayals of the Deep South. Our projects range from oral history archives to student-filmed pieces to feature-length documentaries. In working with student groups, we encourage young people to take pride in the stories around them, to develop their personal voices, and to learn new skills that will serve them both inside and out of their communities. Such projects promote cross-generational perspectives that build stronger communities. COMMUNITY-BASED ART PROJECTS serve as an accessible method of personal development and cultural education. By initiating hands-on activities that incorporate the traditions of fine art, experimental approaches to art and object-making, visiting artists and other activities, PieceWorks hopes to tap into areas of the Deep South where creative freedoms suffer from lack of resources or priority. These collaborations also preserve a sense of the history and culture of the communities involved. Our goal is to help provide Deep South communities with the tools and inspiration necessary to maintain a strong level of, and outlet for, lasting creative expression. OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS of PieceWorks recognize that the process of storytelling through arts and media often encourages the community to begin to identify lingering problems and common concerns. The final facet of our mission is to work with local communities to move beyond identifying concerns and towards addressing those issues through positive solutions. This may involve a number of approaches: community development through grantwriting to secure funds for needed improvements, training in conflict-resolution and leadership development, education about possible resources, and networking with other communities to build coalitions and create a regional approach to responding to common problems. It is the goal of PieceWorks to provide previously unavailable or unused resources so that local communities can most effectively help themselves. Such support in turn creates a more viable state and region and generates even more support for local communities. |