Growing up in north Louisiana, Virginia Archer says she had a lot of potential to explore her artistic talents during her high school years. However, time and space weren’t so readily available.
“I was starving for creative opportunities [in high school],” she tells 225 in a feature from the current issue. “Those years weren’t fruitful. When I got to college, I stuck my nose in a book because I was so ready to start learning.”
Now, the LSU graduate and a few of her friends are giving creative opportunities to Baton Rouge elementary, junior high and high school students through the nonprofit New South Story Lab.
The idea behind New South is to foster storytelling with creative writing and visual arts. The nonprofit then hosts workshops in lower-income areas and at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s main branch on Goodwood Boulevard at no cost for interested students who sign up through New South’s website.
One year into development, New South has held two creative writing workshops thanks to the involvement of writers/mentors Nicholas Molbert and Samantha Bares. The setting isn’t like a formal classroom, Archer says.
“We want students to feel comfortable and free to say what they can’t say in a formal educational setting,” Archer says. “There are a lot of topics avoided in conversation and writing at school because of the vibe, big audience or authority figures being present. … There’s a lot of pressure to produce for a certain grade, too. There’s merit for that, but we want it to be more about creative growth.”
Up next for New South are more workshops, including one with photographer Jessi Arnold and filmmaking and creative writing workshops this fall.
Read the full feature. Send your comments to editor@225batonrouge.com.
