Water Ways
AN ILLUSTRATED SERIES
Water Ways is a series of highly detailed illustrations telling the story of water and the impacts of the natural gas industry in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Through workshops, games, and presentations, Water Ways storytellers use this illustration to explore the many stories tucked into this highly detailed illustration. We are available to run workshops in your town, school or community space.
Presentation Dates
If you would like a team of Water Ways storytellers to come to your school or community hub to hold a presentation or workshop about fracking, let us know!
We have 3 different presentation & workshop models
Where We Will Be
Mar 24, 2020
Workshop: "The Fracking Game"
World Water Week at Temple University
About World Water Week at Temple University:
Water week is a week of activities organized around World Water Day on March 22. This is a UN sponsored day for activism around water issues https://www.worldwaterday.org/ Since water is one of the few things that nobody can live without, several of us at Temple University have decided that we need to do more. While it began 6 years ago as a collaboration between an environmental scientist, and a group of dancers, we decided that we shouldn’t have all the fun, and in 2019, we started expanding with the World Water Day Symposium @TU. Essentially, our vision is that everyone should be exposed to the importance of water in our lives, and therefore take time to think about it, and become a water activist with the skills we have. It shouldn’t matter if you are a scientist, an artist, a business person, or even a historian. Water is part of your life, and you are invited to participate!
Water Ways Participation:
March 24, 2020
1:30pm
Gladfelter Hall GIS Studio, First Floor, Philadelphia PA
Our most popular workshop is a role-playing game which invites participants to embody the many different people who are impacted by fracking in a variety of ways. We, the facilitators of the event, play the Mayor of Rivertown and a representative of BigGasCo, a fictitious natural gas company in charge of the proposed pipeline. The participants are given envelopes with their character’s biography, objective for attending the town hall, and their character’s illustrated vignette from Water Ways.
Throughout the town hall meeting, participants are asked to speak in character about the environmental, economic and health aspects of the proposed pipeline. Because the characters are from a wide range of backgrounds, presenting cases both for and against the pipeline, the meeting can erupt into debates that reveal even more about each character and the pipeline project.
This workshop is advised for ages 14 and up.
Mar 14, 2020
Tabling
The Watershed Congress
Water Ways is honored to be tabling at this important event.
The Watershed Congress Along the Schuylkill River advances the best available information and techniques for protecting and restoring watersheds. The focus on networking across disciplines means that the Congress melds science, policy and practical applications into one program. Every year, a growing and changing group of individuals attends to gain new knowledge, acquire tools, and practice techniques that will allow them to take active roles in the stewardship of their natural resources.
Mar 15, 2020
Workshop; "Take Part"
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
In this workshop, participants work in small groups to decipher the symbolism and stories tucked into the numerous vignettes in Water Ways.
In the beginning of each presentation, Water Ways Storytellers introduce the Water Ways project, the illustration, and the basics of what natural gas and fracking is. Participants are broken into small groups and are given a section of Water Ways to work with. Together, the small group discusses what they find within the section and how it fits into the larger picture. The Storytellers then facilitate each group to report back, furthering discussion with questions and clarifications.
This workshop encourages group participation, collaboration, artistic interpretation, and public speaking. Topics discussed include fracking, resource extraction, travel, export, environmental justice, water and human health, government lobbying, environmental policy and laws, basic geology, and renewable energy.
Mar 21, 2020
Workshop: "The Fracking Game"
The Watershed Institute
The Watershed Institute holds their annual World Water Day festival on March 21st, complete with hikes, educational fun for all ages, and a Water Ways workshop! Check out all the amazing resources at The Watershed Institute here: https://thewatershed.org
May 17, 2020
Workshop: "The Fracking Game"
Permaculture Class
Our most popular workshop is a role-playing game which invites participants to embody the many different people who are impacted by fracking in a variety of ways. We, the facilitators of the event, play the Mayor of Rivertown and a representative of BigGasCo, a fictitious natural gas company in charge of the proposed pipeline. The participants are given envelopes with their character’s biography, objective for attending the town hall, and their character’s illustrated vignette from Water Ways.
Throughout the town hall meeting, participants are asked to speak in character about the environmental, economic and health aspects of the proposed pipeline. Because the characters are from a wide range of backgrounds, presenting cases both for and against the pipeline, the meeting can erupt into debates that reveal even more about each character and the pipeline project.
This workshop is advised for ages 14 and up.