Deaconess Narrative Lab helps communities tell their stories

From neighborhood documentaries and photography to poetry and publications, the Deaconess Foundation’s nine-month Narrative Lab is helping St. Louis artists and storytellers challenge prevailing narratives about Black communities and advance racial equity. Participants showcased their work Tuesday at the foundation’s headquarters on Vandeventer Avenue, presenting films, visual art, publications and other creative projects offering fresh perspectives on communities across the St. Louis region. Two years ago, Deaconess narrative strategist Shantell Hinton and Constance Harper, vice president of Strategic Impact & Innovation, posed a public question: “What if philanthropy stopped funding individual stories and instead invested in relationships, creative infrastructure, and cultural archives capable of shifting public imagination for generations?” The search for an answer fueled the project’s creation.

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