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Chinbo, Inc. and the Capitol Park Museum are pleased to offer a five-day immersion workshop conducted in Kouri-Vini (Louisiana Creole) in June 2024. “Immèrsyon kouri-vini: aprenn avèk mitoloji (Kouri-Vini Immersion: Learn with Mythologies)” is a free, weeklong workshop about Louisiana folklife, myths, art, and storytelling with presentations and workshops in and about Kouri-Vini. The Kouri-Vini Immersion program will be led by Louisiana Creole language activist, educator, professional entertainer, and former American Idol contestant, Clif St. Laurent. The program will culminate in a day-long tale-writing workshop, “Kont pou piti-yé: ékri dan kouri-vini (Tales for Kids: Write in Kouri-Vini),” led by writer, educator, and founder of Vilaj Bonjwa, Adrien Guillory-Chatman. “Learning your heritage languages is important,” says Lieutenant Governor Nungesser. “This unique immersion opportunity to learn through Kouri-Vini, the endangered Creole language of our state, provides our communities public space needed for continuing cultural practices.”
Schedule
Monday, June 3-Thursday June 6
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Kouri-Vini Immersion led by Clif St. Laurent
12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Workshops with culture bearers
Friday, June 7
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Tales for Kids Workshop with Adrien Guillory-Chatman
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Group Lunch
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Participant Presentations
Language immersion is an educational technique in which two languages are used to teach a subject. Kouri-Vini Immersion will enhance the Mitoloji Latannyèr/Mythologies Louisianaises exhibition on display at Capitol Park Museum, a Louisiana State Museum, until December 2024.
Registration (NOW CLOSED)
Deadline for registering was April 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Central. Pou réjistré pou latélyé Immèrsyon kouri-vini, komplété form Google trouvé enba. Latélyé-la ouvri a prinmyé 20 moun ki réjistré. Nou va ajouté twa dan waitlist si plas pou réjistré vini plin.
The Kouri-Vini Immersion workshop is open to learners age 13+. Participants ages 13–17 must register with a *participating* parent or guardian (i.e. the parent or guardian will be participating in the immersion program). Parents and guardians must register separately. All participants must attend the workshop daily. Parents and guardians must be present with their minors at all times.
IMPORTANT: Registering for “Immèrsyon kouri-vini: aprenn avèk mitoloji (Kouri-Vini Immersion: Learn with Mythologies)” led by Clif St. Laurent, will automatically register you for “Kont pou piti-yé: ékri dan kouri-vini (Tales for Kids: Write in Kouri-Vini)” led by Adrien Guillory-Chatman. You do not need to register for her workshop separately.
This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this Kouri-Vini Immersion project do not necessarily represent those of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities. This program is also funded with support from the Louisiana Folklore Society, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
Chinbo, Inc. and the Capitol Park Museum are pleased to offer a one-day workshop conducted in Kouri-Vini (Louisiana Creole) on Friday, June 7, 2024. “Kont pou piti-yé: ékri dan kouri-vini (Tales for Kids: Write in Kouri-Vini)” is a free one-day workshop which aims to teach kids and adults about writing and storytelling in Kouri-Vini, the endangered Creole language of Louisiana. This workshop will be led by Adrien Guillory-Chatman, a writer, educator and founder of Vilaj Bonjwa, and assisted by visual artist and former Baton Rouge Poet Laureate Jonathan J. Mayers. Participants will engage in learning about traditional Louisiana folktales with animal characters, such as Bouki and Lapin, in a Louisiana setting. Participants will then create their own children’s tale in Kouri-Vini using the aforementioned story elements. To individualize learning and to help formulate their tales, words and sentences will be provided according to participants’ abilities. “Learning your heritage languages is important,” says Lieutenant Governor Nungesser. “This unique immersion opportunity to learn through Kouri-Vini, the endangered Creole language of our state, provides our communities public space needed for continuing cultural practices.”
Schedule
Friday, June 7
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Tales for Kids Workshop with Adrien Guillory-Chatman
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Group Lunch
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Participant Presentations
This workshop will be held in conjunction with "Immèrsyon kouri-vini: aprenn avèk mitoloji (Kouri-Vini Immersion: Learn with Mythologies)" led by Clif St. Laurent and will enhance the Mitoloji Latannyèr/Mythologies Louisianaises exhibition on display at Capitol Park Museum, a Louisiana State Museum, until December 2024.
Registration (NOW CLOSED)
Deadline for registering was April 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Central. Pou réjistré pou latélyé Kont pou piti-yé, komplété form Google trouvé enba. Latélyé-la ouvri a prinmyé 20 moun ki réjistré. Nou va ajouté twa dan waitlist si plas pou réjistré vini plin.
The Tales for Kids workshop is open to learners aged 10+. Knowledge of the Kouri-Vini language is encouraged; there will be a translator on hand. Registrants must be available to attend the whole workshop. Participants ages 10-17 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants will be selected on a first come, first served basis.
IMPORTANT: Registering for “Immèrsyon kouri-vini: aprenn avèk mitoloji (Kouri-Vini Immersion: Learn with Mythologies)” led by Clif St. Laurent, will automatically register you for “Kont pou piti-yé: ékri dan kouri-vini (Tales for Kids: Write in Kouri-Vini)” led by Adrien Guillory-Chatman. Therefore, if you’re only interested in taking the Tales for Kids workshop and not the week-long Kouri-Vini Immersion program, then please use the Google form link provided above.
This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this Kouri-Vini Immersion project do not necessarily represent those of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities. This program is also funded with support from the Louisiana Folklore Society, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
Past Events
Chinbo is proud to present its first virtual Louisiana Creole Heritage Festival: Gou é Gèt (Taste and See). This will be a free on-line two day festival on October 7th & 8th consisting of five events.
Still from Tambou (2023). Courtesy of Lucky Luke Films.
Saturday October 7 2023
4:30pm - 6:00pm CST - De Ladjèl o Shaval: A talk with the creators of the Kouri-Vini Orthography. Panelists: Christophe Landry, Clif St. Laurent, Michael Gisclair, Eric Gaither. Moderated by Jonathan Mayers, President of Chinbo, Inc. and Cameron-Mitchell Ware, Creative Producer of The New Orleans African American Museum.
6:00pm – 6:10pm CST – Intermission
6:10pm – 6:20pm CST – Performance & brief description of the role the tambou plays in the lives of Creoles of Color & Black Creoles by Voodoo Queen Kalindah Laveaux
6:20pm – 6:40pm CST – Sip & See Presentation - Screening of Tambou: The first film in Kouri-Vini.
6:40pm – 7:00pm CST – Q&A with Cast and Crew. Moderated by Cameron-Mitchell Ware, Creative Producer at The New Orleans African American Museum.
Sunday October 8 2023
4:30pm – 5:30pm CST – Strategies for the Lay Genealogist: Presentation by Genealogist Jari Honora with Q&A
5:30pm – 6:30pm CST – Tambou Revisited: An Extended Conversation on Drumming with Kalindah Laveaux
6:30pm – 7:30pm CST – Latab Kréyòl a Chinbo - Stories from Today and Long Ago
To register, please fill out the registration form HERE.
* Please note that some festival events will be recorded for later use.