Hail! We are the Virgin Islands Studies Collective, or VISCO for short. In sum, we are a group of academics, artists, and activists who are committed to centering the Virgin Islands as a site of inquiry and theorization beyond a notion of utopia or space that is not meaningfully occupied.
We are excited to announce the dECOlonial Feelin Symposium, an interdisciplinary event set to take place from March 8-10, 2025, in St. Croix, VI. The dECOlonial Feelin symposium aims to explore the Virgin Islands through art, creative writing, archiving, philosophy, storytelling, and spiritual practice. The St. Croix symposium builds on a successful series that began in St. Thomas (May 2024) with community conversations and continued in Atlanta (September 19-21, 2024) during a weekend of innovative programming co-hosted by Emory University and Clark Atlanta University.
Event Highlights:
Friday, March 7, 2025: A day dedicated to Decolonial Rest Practice, encouraging participants to engage in relaxation and connection with themselves and their surroundings in a fluid, unstructured manner.
Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at CHANT (Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism), 217 Custom House Street:
12:00 PM: Welcome and Dreaming session discussing the future of intellectual thought and creative practices in/on the Virgin Islands.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Eco-Speculation: Radical storytelling featuring new short stories by Dr. Hadiya Sewer (“Interment”) and Tiphanie Yanique (“Looking House”).
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: Craft & Process Conversation, including a light lunch and Q&A with writers on novel writing and editing. RSVP required.
7:00 PM: dECOlonial Dinner at Ha’ Penny Beach Club, an evening of food and discussion on decoloniality in collaboration with V.I. Good Food Coalition and Chef Frank Robinson. RSVP required.
Sunday, March 9, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Join La Vaughn Belle for “Out of The Sunken Mist of Our Desire,” a performance art walk throughout Christiansted guided by the public wells. RSVP required.
Monday, March 10, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at 36 King St, Christiansted: Attend La Vaughn Belle’s Open Studio. RSVP required.
The final iteration of the dECOlonial Feelin Project promises a unique blend of engagement, creativity, and community dialogue, fostering an atmosphere of reflection on cultural identity and experience in the Virgin Islands.
Join us in celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of the Virgin Islands and contributing to the ongoing conversation around decolonial practices. We look forward to seeing you at the symposium!
Please RSVP on Eventbrite. For more information or to request interviews, please contact vistudiescollective@gmail.com.
