Treasure Maps: The Georgia Storytelling Roadshow
Ambitious Storytelling Project Travels the State Chronicling the
Lives of People with Developmental Disabilities
ATLANTA, February 11, 2021 – Treasure Maps: The Georgia Storytelling Roadshow, the newest iteration of The Storytelling Project, a partnership between the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, L’Arche Atlanta, StoryMuse, and Resurgens Impact Consulting will kick off with a virtual workshop available to any and all people with developmental disabilities on Thursday, February 25 at 5p.
Following the introductory workshop, participants will be invited to apply to participate in the cultivation and creation of their virtual stories, which will then be recorded by the film company, Xerophile, The show, in the format of pop-up, interactive, drive-in theatre will tour to six cities across the state of Georgia – Atlanta, Dahlonega, Augusta, Savannah, Macon, and Albany – in late June and early July.
“The primary objective of this project,” said Shannon Turner, Founder & Creative Director of StoryMuse, “is to provide a virtual stage for the important stories of people with developmental disabilities, inviting their stories in from the margins to the center of our communities. But an equally important component is to provide education and advocacy to the general population and legislators around the Medicaid waiver, a vital funding structure which supports the lives of people with developmental disabilities so they can live independently.”
The Storytelling Project was created three years ago in partnership between the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and L’Arche Atlanta to increase public awareness and motivate Georgia legislators to act now for this remarkably underserved community. By providing living portraits of individuals struggling to receive a life-altering benefit, the project is endeavoring to expand cross-sector allies and garner voices of support outside of the developmental disabilities community.
There are currently almost 7000 people in Georgia on the Medicaid waiver waiting list.
While they wait for their applications to snake through the maze of confusing guidelines and procedures, Georgia residents and their families can live in exacerbated poverty, isolation, and emotional and physical distress. At the same time, people with developmental disabilities who have the Medicaid waiver have jobs (sometimes with supported coaching), their own housing, and full community integration.
Treasure Maps aims to paint a fuller picture of the complex, beautiful lives of these Georgia citizens who do not deserve to be sequestered in institutions.
Program details and more information about the showings across the state can be found as they emerge at www.larcheatlanta.org and gcdd.org.
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About The Storytelling Project:
The Storytelling Project, an initiative created by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and L’Arche Atlanta, works to create a meeting place for people to engage with the life stories of Georgia residents living with a developmental disability. The project provides a platform for participants to be known on a human level and to understand the policies that govern the extent of their own self-determination.
About GCDD:
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is the state's leader in advancing public policy on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to promote public policy that creates an integrated community life for persons with developmental disabilities, their families, friends, neighbors and all who support them.
About L’Arche:
L’Arche Atlanta is a member of the International Federation of L’Arche, founded in France in 1964. The Decatur-based nonprofit empowers residents with intellectual disabilities (IDD) to share their gifts by building communities where adults with and without IDD join together to create a more inclusive world through outreach, service and spirituality.
About StoryMuse:
StoryMuse provides unique strategies for personal, business, organizational, community and content development—everywhere it is needed. Shannon M. Turner, StoryMuse’s Founder and Creative Director, is an independent consultant who conducts workshops and provides coaching to individuals and organizations seeking to use true, personal stories for transformative potential.
Media Contact:
Irene Turner
Tel: +1 404 735 2705
SOURCES: The Storytelling Project, Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, L’Arche Atlanta
Related Links
story-collection.gcdd.org
larcheatlanta.org
6000waiting.com
storymuse.net/
