The workshops will be at Buckman Theater on November 5 at 12:30 p.m. and on December 3 at 1 p.m.; and at the Quinnipiac Theatre Arts Center on November 12 at 12:30 p.m.

Abigail Copeland, assistant teaching professor of theater, explained how the workshop was created by local playwright Aaron Jafferis.

“Aaron’s work involves issues of social justice, race, storytelling and building community through theater,” said Copeland. “We thought this particular workshop would be especially exciting for students as it lies at the intersection of music, culture and storytelling.”

Copeland explained what students can gain from attending and participating in the workshops.

“Students will be able to offer their experiences and artistic creativity,” said Copeland. “They can expect to learn storytelling, composition, giving and receiving constructive criticism, emotional resilience, public performance skills, hip hop history and theory and how to turn lived experiences into art.”

The knowledge and experience that participants can gain from this workshop can translate to other areas of interest as well, she said.

“Students will be able to be more confident in their writing, creating and performing skills,” she said. “Anyone who needs to create content and put it in front of an audience would benefit from this workshop. While it does focus on hip hop theater overall, it is about storytelling and the creative process.”

The workshop can also provide students with a creative outlet that can help them explore and expand upon their skills and knowledge, she added.

“Students need to be able to engage in activities that have no right answer,” said Copeland. “They spend so much time with work that requires a strict format or definitive answers that when asked to create something from scratch it becomes uncomfortable. We want students to be able to exercise their creative energies, to explore possibilities, and be open to new ways of creating.”