“Isibeleko” is an isiXhosa word that translates to “womb.” Join Joyell Arvella for this unique opportunity to explore the overlaps of traditional midwifery, the sacred power of preserving our stories, and the elemental wisdom in indigenous African cultures. This workshop is rooted in ancestral traditions of community and nature. Attendees will be guided through an opening ceremony, a mini-lecture, writing exercises, and a closing ceremony.
Isibeleko will be held at the Frick Environmental Center—a living building designed for experiential environmental education and public engagement. Attendees are encouraged to bring a journal and natural item for our community midwife and mothers altar. Come, there is a space for you.
Joyell Arvella, JD has been in birth work for 20 years and is on track to become a Certified Professional Midwife. She supports communities as a medicine weaver and writer who embodies birth work as an ancestral art practice. After sitting with griots and midwives on 5 continents, Joyell created the first birth worker residency in Senegal. When she is not supporting wombs, you can find her soaking in a bathtub somewhere in the world and writing.
