"Socially Engaged Practice", also known as social practice or socially engaged art, includes any art form that engages people and communities in discussion, collaboration, and social interaction. This is often done as an outreach or educational program, but many artists use similar methods in their own practice. “New Genre Public Art,” as Suzanne Lacy named it, is also a form of socially engaged practice.

In our current society, when it comes to decision-making, people's lives and individuality are often overseen or ignored. EWS wanted to capture the memories of a community on a small island called Himeshima before they were utterly forgotten. In 2019, fifty islanders participated in the "Chair Project." They talked about their multifaceted memories, traditions, and hopes for their hometown.

Many islanders were concerned about the aging population and lack of job opportunities and since they didn't have the chance to show or converse about the issues on the island, in 2022, EWS launched its second project for Himeshima; "The Island Atlas: Our Words for the Future of Our Homeland”

Seventy-seven participants engaged in a face-to-face or remote dialog, writing on twenty-nine maps a new narrative for their homeland. 

EWS and collaborators are committed to collecting and preserving the stories of people for future generations.

Here you can learn about “The Chair” and "The Island Atlas” projects and possibly feel inspired to get involved in your community and, through hearings and dialogs, bring back the wisdom in the stories of people who rarely make it in the news.