Violence, Hope & Healing: The Storytelling Project Celebration

Join us on March 11, 2025 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at the California Endowment for an afternoon of reflection and celebration.

The Violence, Hope and Healing: The Storytelling Project is a collaboration of the LA County Department of Public Health Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) and the Department of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative (ARDI). The project used art-based, trauma-informed techniques to record the narratives of residents from across Los Angeles County, with diverse backgrounds and geographic locations. Participants shared their powerful direct experiences with individual and systemic violence. In 2022, a selection of stories, many with striking photographic portraits, were made available through a book and website. In 2023, ARDI, through its Equity Fund Spending Plan, provided funding to support the collection of 43 additional stories, with portraits, which will be available in 2025 online and in a second book.

The goal of the project is to uplift the voices and stories of survivors and those otherwise affected by violence in its many forms, to inspire others who may be enduring the same traumas, and to inform and guide violence prevention and intervention policies, practices, and systems change that can have a lasting effect on individuals and communities.

The Storytelling Project emerged from artist Olga Koumoundouros’ Creative Strategist-Artist in Residence placement with the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) in 2019-2022. Part of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, the Creative Strategist program places artists in County departments to address complex civic issues.

Event Schedule:

1:00 pm Check-in Begins/Resource Room Opens

1:30 pm Afternoon Reception

2:00 pm Welcome Remarks

2:10 pm Violence, Hope and Healing: The Storytelling Project Panel Discussion

3:30 pm Closing Remarks with: D’Artagnan Scorza, PhD, Executive Director, Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI); Heather Rigby, Chief Deputy, Department of Arts and Culture; Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director, Department of Public Health

Light Bites and Refreshments will be served.

Please email [email protected] if translation services are needed.

Kindly RSVP no later than Friday, March 7, 2025.

• Invitation is non-transferrable.

PARKING INFORMATION: On-site parking, free of charge.

Address: 1000 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Phone: (866) 833-3533

For driving directions and a map of the California Endowment please go here.

The California Endowment: www.calendow.org

Host or Publisher LAC Office of Violence Prevention