Set of related organizations produce the renowned play Swamp Gravy, which addresses rural culture and life in Colquitt, Georgia, and sponsor additional events to develop and preserve similar local character around the country. The name originates from a Southern dish made from “fish drippings” and whatever else happens to be on hand. Organizers view this project as the same—“you take what you have and make something of it.”
Activities
The primary objective of both organizations is to preserve, celebrate, and share the unique culture of Colquitt/Miller County, Georgia. The play, Swamp Gravy,” was the initial vehicle for doing so; the organizations have expanded to include education, museum exhibits, community art projects, and consulting work with other communities.
Relevant Project(s)
Projects of the Arts Council and partner organizations range from economic development (The Market on the Square) to educational (The New Life Learning Center for schoolchildren) to artistic (the Millennium Mural and Paint-a-Piece projects) to theatrical productions (The May-Haw Musical , Cotton Hall Christmas, and new productions based upon story themes). A few major projects are especially relevant and replicable elsewhere:
- Swamp Gravy. The Colquitt/Miller County Arts Institute first produced Swamp Gravy in 1991 and continues to do so every year. The play has been instrumental in helping to develop a shared sense of culture and community in the area, as well as a vibrancy (economic and cultural) that did not previously exist.
- The Swamp Gravy Institute. The Institute operates as the training and consulting arm of the Arts Institute, focused on replicating the project and successes elsewhere. Veteran Swamp Gravy cast members work with a small group of participants from one community for three days. The training leads participants through storytelling and role-play scenarios; discussion and observation of a Friday night performance of the original play; oral history interviewing training; implementation, facilitation and political training; and discussions of educational and partnership opportunities.
- The Museum of Southern Culture. Located right in the center of town, the Museum is set up to lead visitors through an old-fashioned Georgia town, including the barber shop, the train depot, and the doctor’s office. Additional exhibits tell the “colorful and sometimes tragic stories” of rural southerners. The Museum will also host storytelling circles.
- Storytelling Festival. The festival is held annually in August in the Colquitt area.
Relevant Methodologies
The history of the Swamp Gravy production is an excellent case study in making use of storytelling projects. The project started when a local citizen and PhD student wanted to begin collecting oral histories. Those histories were then distilled into a play by a volunteer trained in theater. Other volunteers wrote the music, designed the sets, and choreographed the production. The project is still a volunteer effort, with more than 100 people volunteering to serve as cast members in each production.
Swamp Gravy and its spin-off organizations have been successful and long-lived largely for several reasons:
- All labor and creative work is done by volunteers, which keeps ongoing budget needs very low
- The production, museum, and other programs are completely authentic, having arisen directly from the stories of community members and been organized by local people; the scene is equally authentic, with productions held in an old converted cotton gin donated by a local farmer
- While place-specific, the themes addressed by these projects are universal. The play, museum, and other activities address themes of love and loss, life and death, family and community
- The project was not just a play and not a one-time-only production. By increasing community spirit, drawing publicity from around the country, and attracting tourists, Swamp Gravy managed to help revitalize the community, build the economic base, and in turn create more support for its continuation and expansion
- Project staff (from the beginning on) maintained the highest standards for quality and integrity of the production and relations with the community
Region
Based in Rural Georgia; has conducted trainings and consulting projects in states across the country and in Brazil.
More Information
P.O. Box 567
Colquitt, Georgia 39837
229-758-5450 (phone)