Narrative Arts Launches Storytelling Project to Redefine Public Health Dialogue in Carteret County

Contact: jack@narrativearts.org | 606-454-8864 for more information | narrativearts.org

When: March 10th, 2026, 5:00–7:00 PM
Where: Leo Mann Jr. Enrichment Center, 3820 Galantis Dr, Morehead City, NC 28557

After convening a story circle in Carteret County on February 24th with local organizers Taylor McCune and Autumn Ware, Narrative Arts returns to share what we heard. Join us for a multimedia evening featuring stories gathered from residents across Carteret County about their lived experiences with public health and local systems of care.

The event will feature a captivating multimedia installation of personal stories with wireless audio headphones available for listening. The community is invited to gather for food, fellowship, and a celebration of local voices.

Too often, rural communities are framed through deficit narratives that emphasize individual behavior while obscuring systemic barriers. Through recorded conversations and creative storytelling, this gathering highlights how public health is experienced not as abstract policy, but as infrastructure, relationships, and institutional accountability in everyday life.

Autumn Ware shared: “The Story Circle at the Carteret County Chamber gave everyone who participated, including healthcare providers, emergency responders, and community leaders, a unique opportunity to share and hear grass roots stories about prevalent health issues, common medical fears, and hope in Carteret County. I’m really excited about our March event, which is going to give the public a free, first-hand, multimedia perspective on some of the regional challenges and opportunities as seen by healthcare workers, volunteers, and lifelong residents.”

Speaking about the event Taylore McCune pointed out:  “The Story Circle was an equalizer; we weren’t classified by our roles, education, or expertise. We were just people sharing our experiences, and listening–like really listening–to each other. The result is a web of personal narratives that coalesces into a bigger picture when you step back: Communication and education challenges, the effect our county’s geography and coastal environment, and difficulty accessing care and support services for various vulnerable populations. The Circle gave space for those threads to surface, allowing listeners to weave a greater, shared narrative that will, hopefully, inform future public health initiatives.”

Narrative Arts program director Jack Fischer noted “When communities are framed primarily through deficits, distrust becomes predictable. This work focuses upstream, shifting the stories we tell so community-defined understanding can inform how institutions communicate, allocate resources, and design policy.”

Over the next two years, this initiative will advance a community-informed narrative strategy, public-facing media, and relationship-building efforts designed to support rural health equity and strengthen trust between residents and public institutions. These events are designed for community members, public health professionals, local leaders, policymakers, and advocates interested in civic dialogue, community arts, and narrative change.

Narrative Arts is holding Story Circles in seven counties across eastern North Carolina as part of a broader effort to better understand how public health systems are experienced in everyday life, and how trust is built—or strained—within communities.  Narrative Arts is a nonprofit organization based in Wilmington, North Carolina.