In the coastal South, we know the power of gathering. At Narrative Arts, we believe the antidote to isolation isn’t just company—its connection. That belief shaped Coastal Connections, a community-rooted initiative exploring social isolation and collective well-being across eastern North Carolina.

Launched in partnership with Wallyce Todd of Community CPR in Whiteville and Kevin Lee-Y Green of Techmoja Dance and Theater Company in Wilmington, this project blends story, recorded monologues, and public gathering to confront a quiet crisis: disconnection. The result is a traveling multimedia installation and community event where stories are returned to the public—shared through audio, video, photography, and food in spaces that invite reflection, recognition, and dialogue.

Multi-media installation viewing in Whiteville, North Carolina, 2025. (Photo by Day Camposeco)

We began with story circles—intimate, respectful spaces where participants share and listen. These circles offer more than personal testimony; they create a kind of social infrastructure that reinforces the trust and empathy necessary for community resilience. As people shared memories of friendship, loss, and hope, we recorded individual monologues and later wove them into a multimedia installation that premiered in Columbus County at a beloved local diner. Photography by Day Camposeco captured striking portraits of each participant, grounding their voices in presence and place.

Story Circle in Whiteville, North Carolina, 2024. (Photo by Day Camposeco)

But our work didn’t stop with stories. We invited pairs of close friends to sit together and talk—uninterrupted—for an hour. These conversations, recorded and edited, became another layer of the installation. In listening to these exchanges, visitors witness the quiet, sustaining force of friendship—an often-overlooked resource in public health.

Multi-media installation viewing in Whiteville, North Carolina, 2025. (Photo by Day Camposeco)

The event experience is immersive and welcoming. Attendees wear wireless headphones to move through the space at their own pace, guided by voice rather than signage. Local food is served to encourage people to linger, talk, and connect. These gatherings function like a temporary town square—part ritual, part remembrance, part response.

Multi-media installation viewing in Whiteville, North Carolina, 2025. (Photo by Day Camposeco)

While medicine often treats disconnection as incidental, we treat it as urgent. Loneliness and social fragmentation are not just private experiences; they are shared conditions with public consequences. Projects like Coastal Connections are a reminder that belonging is not a luxury—it is a vital sign.

This work continues. With each conversation and community event, we return to a simple, necessary practice: making space for people to see and hear one another. In a region shaped by both beauty and hardship, that kind of presence has power.

Learn more about Narrative Art’s Community Connections program.