A free poetry workshop aimed at addressing gun violence through creative expression will be held Nov. 12 at the historic Johnson House in Germantown.
The workshop is part of "Healing Verse Germantown: The Streets Are Talking," a broader poetry and public art initiative supported by the City of Philadelphia and Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant.
Award-winning poets Trapeta B. Mayson and Yolanda Wisher will lead the two-and-a-half-hour session, working alongside a trauma specialist to help participants transform personal experiences with gun violence into poetry. The workshop will run from 5:20 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.
Participants will receive writing materials, a tote bag containing mental health resources, and a stipend. The workshop will conclude with optional poetry recordings and a survey.
This session is one of 10 community workshops planned between October 2024 and February 2025, expected to reach 200-250 participants. The project will expand in November 2024 to include a 24-hour poetry hotline where callers can hear weekly poems by Germantown residents affected by gun violence.
The initiative will culminate in spring 2026 with 20 public artworks inspired by community-written poems displayed throughout Germantown, accompanied by free walking tours.
The Johnson House Historic Site is located at 6306 Germantown Avenue. Workshop attendance is open to Germantown community members of all ages.
