Creating “platonic intimacy” between strangers
The SoWeBo Story Swap is a workshop conceived and developed by UMBC graduate student, Kristin Putchinski (IMDA ‘24) under a partnership program with UMBC, UMB and CEC (Community Engagement Center). The one-month workshop consisted of a series of four meetings between six neighbors (in pairs of differing age demographics, aged 18-24 years old and over 55 years) sharing personal stories about themselves and their neighborhoods. These storytelling sessions, staged at CEC, were facilitated using photographs, songs and other storytelling prompts and were documented.
During story swap sessions, neighbor-storytellers shared personal meanings attached to each object (photograph, song or neighborhood experience.) Personal story sharing and receiving in this manner proves to be a powerful catalyst for platonic intimacy between strangers, with potential to create strong neighborly bonds and increase empathy.
The swapped stories were delivered to three award-winning and Baltimore-based, visual and/or performing artists who interpreted the material to create three new and original works. The world premiere of these works took place at a culminating event and celebration at the Community Engagement Center on Friday, December 2, 2022.