During times of division and acrimony, how do communities come together to repair the harm caused by hate, work through trauma, and strive for a just future? How can art, creativity, and innovation play a role in building relationships, catalyzing change, and empowering individuals and communities? How can our work as citizens, students, scholars, and leaders promote policy and ideas that deliver true healing and justice? How does the AU community engage these questions as we struggle with acts of hate on our own campus? This university-wide colloquium will explore the role of creativity and innovation for healing and restorative justice. An intensive half-day series of sessions and community building will culminate with the first mid-Atlantic performance of award-winning composer Craig Hella Johnson’s transformative 2016 oratorio Contemplating Matthew Shepard by AU’s Chamber Singers.

Please mark your calendars now for this colloquium.
Registration (opening in early September) will be limited to 250 participants.

CALL FOR SESSIONS
We invite all members of the AU community to submit proposals on all aspects of this broad topic. As creativity and innovation are central, proposal types can take any form: papers, workshops, participatory teaching, master classes, panel discussions, installations, performances, or other formats. Presentations should focus on the work and impact of creativity and innovation for social healing and restorative justice. All ideas and topics related to the theme will be considered. Areas of interest may include, though are not limited to, examinations of current efforts, ways to reduce and prevent repetitions of harm, how individuals and communities react to acts of hate, and actions being undertaken from the grassroot to legislative levels.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019
• 250-word description, including names of presenter(s), goals and overall format of session
• Resume or CV of main presenter or principal organizer of session
• Ideal audience size and technology needs

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (stay tuned for details)
Katzen Arts Center
1:30 – 2:00 pm Registration  
2:00 – 3:00 pm Plenary 1: Arts for Healing (recital hall)
3:00 – 3:15 pm Break and Reflective Conversation
3:15 – 4:00 pm Workshops 1
4:00 – 4:15 pm Break and Reflective Conversation
4:15 – 5:00 pm Workshops 2
5:00 – 5:15 pm Break and Reflective Conversation
5:15 – 6:15 pm Plenary 2 (recital hall)
6:15 – 7:15 pm Reception with light dinner and a day’s reflections (rotunda)
7:30 – 9:15 pm AU Chamber Singers: Considering Matthew Shepard