“What tiles are to mosaics, stories are to narratives. The relationship is symbiotic.”
about THE LAB
We believe nothing shapes and shifts culture like its stories. At this critical moment when radical efforts towards racial justice are taking root across the nation, our goal is to center those directly impacted while applying the lenses of gender and sexuality in the storytelling.
In 2016, Shontina Vernon was awarded the Robert Rauschenberg “Artist as Activist” Fellowship that launched the Visionary Justice StoryLab as a multi-year performance and media-based project utilizing story to address the impact of incarceration and systemic oppression in communities of color. It grew to include story-based training and workshops utilizing our art and media as a basis for dialogue and coalition building. Our primary focus now centralizes media and content creation. We believe it is one of the most powerful vehicles for driving cultural change. Our team members and partners prioritize and reflect the communities we aim to serve in our work. We are a largely women of color and queer led collective. We are also artists and creatives working in this capacity.
about US
SHONTINA VERNON, Executive PRODUCER/ Head of content development
Shontina is a dynamic multi disciplinary artist, filmmaker, and producer. Her work experiments to disrupt narratives of erasure and to investigate representation and power at the intersections of race, gender, and class. She has served as an advisor for the Arthouse Convergence and Alliance for Action, working to advance racial justice in film. Currently, she is a Creative Capital Fellow, and an Art for Justice grantee. Her work has also been the recipient of the Conductive Garboil Award for challenging the limits of creative discourse beyond accepted limits to engage audiences outside of the aesthetic industrial complex.
LARA DAVIS, impact PRODUCER
Lara is a demonstrated leader in the arts and cultural sector with experience implementing large-scale collective impact and social justice initiatives, developing innovative programs, facilitation and public speaking. She is a recipient of the National Guild for Community Arts Education Service Award, the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Award, and a German Marshall Memorial Fellowship. As an artistic collaborator, Lara has contributed to numerous audio and media production projects. In addition to her role as producer, Lara’s work at VJS focuses on advocacy partnerships that support community engagement and intersectional storytelling.
Erinn anova, associate producer
Erinn Anova aspires to create and engage in projects that elevate the creative and musical talents of mulit-generational Black artists. As Associate Producer with Visionary Justice StoryLab, Erinn supports intersectional content development and the production of television and film projects. She is also a seasoned actor, singer, and writer.
Amina Blyden-Guillory, Designer
Amina Maya Blyden is a multi-disciplinary creative director and designer with roots in both Sierra Leone and the United States. Drawing upon the imagery, color, and patterns that define West African art, she infuses the Visionary Justice StoryLab brand with elements of rich cultural heritage.
Leah Franks, Editor
Leah Franks is a filmmaker working in editing, videography, and still photography. She has run the gamut through corporate, nonprofit, narrative, documentary, and live events on various projects throughout her career. In her primary work as an editor piecing narratives together, learning more about the stories, themes, and topics being explored is a great joy, along with conveying clients' visions to viewers and creating collaborations that are greatly cherished. She also loves to get behind a camera to capture moments and experiences first-hand, whether on video or in photos. She is based in Seattle, WA and work with clients all over the greater metro area, as well as with folks who have spread out across the country.
“THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SINGLE-ISSUE STRUGGLE BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIVE SINGLE-ISSUE LIVES.”
OUR work
Visionary Justice StoryLab (VJS) is a film hub and collective innovating at the intersection of story, culture, and media. We bring together writers, artists, media makers, and cultural workers to evolve narratives rooted in the imagination and liberation. Our work:
Creation of new film and media drawing from and centering the lives and experiences of women, and queer BIPOC (Black, Brown, and Indigenous People of Color)
Organizing BIPOC writers’ rooms, and the occasional story-based gathering that utilizes our art and media as a basis for dialogue and coalition building
The development of accompanying resources, such as toolkits and discussion guides to engage community dialog and organizing efforts through local screenings and partnerships.
OUR VALUES
The Visionary Justice StoryLab centers an anti-racist and gender justice approach. Our core staff, team members, and partners center and reflect the communities we aim to serve in our work. We are a largely women of color and queer led collective. Additionally, we are artists and creatives working in this capacity.
We believe that media and film are powerful tools for imagining just futures and evolving innovative solutions to our most pressing challenges. For real change to manifest in society and positively impact communities, we must center liberatory frameworks and restorative practices that build trust and promote connection and healing.
