Re/Storying Southern New England

A regional convening exploring how arts and humanities practitioners can navigate divisions, build partnerships, and meet this moment. Re/Storying Southern New England: Arts, Humanities, and Public Life is a half-day regional convening bringing together scholars, artists, humanities practitioners, and cultural organizations to explore the strategies and methodologies shaping public humanities and arts practice today. At a time when many communities are grappling with contested narratives, whose stories matter, and whose stories get told, this gathering will create space to share what we are learning through our work: how we exchange knowledge, navigate differences and divisions, build sustainable practices, and strengthen partnerships. We invite participants to engage with each other through presentations, facilitated conversations, and small-group exchanges on topics such as engaging publics across divisions, adapting to changing political landscapes, reciprocity and relationships, and defining success and impact. Participants will draw on their own and each other's expertise to compare approaches, examine shared challenges and opportunities, and consider how the arts and humanities can help us meet this moment. The convening is a follow up to The Co-Lab's 2024 (Re)Telling Conference and is being supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. KEYNOTE ADDRESS “Call and Response” Spencer Evans, Rhode Island School of Design Goals By the end of the convening, participants will leave with the following: • new strategies and approaches to inform their own practice and scholarship • a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping public humanities across the region • new connections that may lead to future collaborations and strengthen the field’s collective capacity When: Friday, October 30, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM Where: RWU Bristol Campus, Richard L. Bready Mount Hope Bay Sailing and Education Center Parking: Parking is available in Lot 11. For more information and to see the RWU campus map, click here. Questions? Reach out to Co-Lab Faculty Director, Liz Rosner, at [email protected].