Companion Species Storytelling Workshops

media release: Tap into your inner storyteller and join Jen Rubin and Takeyla Benton for a 2 part workshop where you will learn the basics of how to find, craft and present stories that pull from your personal connections using artworks in the upcoming exhibition “Companion Species” as inspiration. We will discuss the five main elements of a story and how to discover them. By learning dynamic storytelling elements, you will gain the tools to craft short stories out of everyday experiences. Participants will learn how to turn an anecdote of something that happened to you into a story that illuminates a central truth about your life. This will be an interactive workshop with a mixture of mini-lecture, 1:1 dialogue, and small group work. After the workshop, a small selection of stories will be chosen for inclusion in the exhibition which runs from October 19th – January 9th, 2022. Your voice and story is unique - share it with your community!

Workshop dates. Please note that participants are required to attend both workshops.

• Part One: Thursday, September 30 – 5:00 – 7 PM, Chazen Museum of Art
• Part Two: Wednesday, October 6 – 5:00 – 7 PM, Chazen Museum of Art

Please prepare to arrive masked and bring paper and a writing utensil of your choice. Workshops will meet on-site at the Chazen Museum of Art, but may move to a virtual setting based on COVID-19 limitations.

Takeyla Benton's Bio:

Takeyla Benton is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Analyst and transformative melanated mystic dedicated healing from within. She's a mom, a writer and storyteller, intuitive tarot reader, Reiki Practitioner, Guided Meditation Coach, Life Coach and then some who is passionate about helping Black and Brown women find their purpose through the pain and reclaim their stories.

Jen Rubin's Bio:

Jen Rubin is the Executive Producer of Love Wisconsin, leads storytelling workshops around Madison, co-produces the Moth StorySlam, and author of We Are Staying: Eighty Years in the Life of a Store, a Family, and a Neighborhood. Jen is an obsessive maker of mixed tapes, quite possibly the best challah baker in town, and has worked for social change throughout her career.

Chazen Museum of Art's Covid-19 Policy: Effective August 5th, all students, employees, and visitors to campus are required to wear masks when inside campus buildings, including the Chazen Museum of Art.