Join the Wake Forest University School of Divinity Faith COMPASS Center in partnership with the 1Love Festival Artistic Soul Conversation for “Coded Competencies,” a summer institute where we explore re-storying as both method and practice. Rooted in the long tradition of African American communities, re-storying draws on body, art, music, and words to counter distorted narratives, nurture wholeness, and promote healing. Together, we will engage in thought-provoking discussions, creative explorations, and hands-on exercises that illuminate how re-storying—transmitted through generations—acts as a “coded” language of resilience and creation. Come discover new tools and perspectives as we journey toward healing, faith, and wellness in community.

Wake Forest University School of Divinity’s Faith COMPASS (COMmitment to Partnership in Addressing Health Disparities in Southern States) Center is a Gilead Sciences funded project that advances the capacity and organizational resiliency of faith communities to address HIV/AIDS in the US South. Through transformative storytelling, informative educational offerings, strategic grantmaking, and broad dissemination, we partner with faith organizations to shift narratives away from stigma toward life-enhancing possibilities. Our aim is to collaborate with Christian and interfaith partners to deepen their understanding of and engagement with their communities’ health challenges and opportunities.