Table Talk: “Threads of Agency: Storycloths, Institutional Power, and Ethical Accountability”

The CWC’s Table Talk series provides a platform for graduate students across disciplines to present their gender-related research.

November’s Table Talk presenter is Sarah Cornette, a PhD candidate in Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education in UNC’s School of Education. Sarah will be sharing her research on “Threads of Agency: Storycloths, Institutional Power, and Ethical Accountability.”

This presentation examines what happens when participant-created artworks move beyond their original contexts of making. Drawing on a storycloth project developed with young mothers in Kenya, Sarah will explore how agency, decision-making authority, and ethical responsibility shift as artworks enter new relationships, institutions, and audiences. The presentation asks how researchers and community partners can remain accountable to participants as decisions about interpretation, stewardship, reconfiguration, and circulation continue after the original project has ended.

We invite any and all members of the Carolina community to join us for an engaging presentation and discussion highlighting the innovative scholarship happening on our campus. Bring your lunch and a friend or colleague!