Learn about our Spring 2024 Social Impact Studios
Spring 2024 Studio courses will focus on interactive filmmaking, impact producing, collaborative documentary, theatre, and more! Social Impact Studios give Emerson students the chance to collaborate with grassroots changemakers across the city through the ELab’s two Social Impact Initiatives:
☮️ Transforming Narratives of Gun Violence
🌱 Transforming Narratives for Environmental Justice
☮️ Interactive Filmmaking for Peace in Boston
Number: VM 331x13 / SI 300x13
Instructor: David Kelleher
Time: Wednesdays, 4pm-7:45pm
+ Learn collaborative, community-driven production methods for interactive filmmaking
+ Investigate how media designed for audience interaction on various devices and screens can create social change
+ Produce an interactive video directly with local youth and young adults to promote peace, equity, and justice in their communities
🌱 Crafting Awe: Telling Stories of Animal Protagonists
Number: TH 421x02
Instructor: Tushar Mathew
Time: Fridays, 10am-2pm
+ Utilize theatre techniques such as animal embodiment, performative storytelling, and devised theatre to craft stories that elicit awe, wonder, and hope in Boston
+ Promote environmental justice through the centering of animal protagonists
+ Work with Zoo New England staff to observe animal behavior, gain insight into the zoo’s role in conservation efforts, and study existing media that center animals.
☮️ Collaborative Documentary
Number: VM 331x14 / SI 300x14
Instructor: Bob Nesson
Time: Tuesdays, 4pm-7:45pm
+ Learn the fundamental skills of collaborative production
+ Work directly with community-based partners in the classroom
+ Collaboratively produce a documentary to illuminate root causes and impacts of violence and incarceration in Boston communities
🌱 Behavioral Economics
Number: EC 412x07
Instructor: Nejem Raheem
Time: Tuesdays, 6pm-9:45pm
+ Learn about what motivates and blocks human behavior, and how to influence behavior in ethically appropriate ways
+ Working in a team, design and implement a course of action to help a partner organization achieve their environmental justice goals
☮️ 🌱 Impact Producing
Number: VM 331x24 / SI 300x24
Instructor: Jesse Epstein
Time: Mondays & Wednesdays, 2pm-3:45pm
+ What happens when the lights come up? Explore ways that media can be used for social justice through case studies, and interactions with industry professionals, filmmakers, educators, activists, and community organizations
+ Work collaboratively with community partners to design audience engagement tools, events, and campaigns to maximize impact of media created through ELab’s two Social Impact Initiatives
Please note that the Creative Expression for Environmental Justice studio (VM 331 / JR 330 / SI 300) was originally scheduled to run in Spring 2024, but is no longer being offered this semester. Be on the lookout for more opportunities to take this class in future semesters!