Claire Anderson's Contact Details

Claire Anderson's Company Details

The Scheherazade Project

, District of Columbia, United States • 1 - 10 Employees
Performing Arts

The Scheherazade Project takes its model and inspiration from the stellar storyteller and activist, Scheherazade of the 1001 Nights.  For those not acquainted with this classic, The 1001 Nights collects the stories told by a young woman who is living in a kingdom where the cruel sultan is killing all the women. Every night a girl is brought to him, violated, and put to death at dawn. Scheherazade hides out in her father's library, reading his many books, learning all the stories. But she is not satisfied with safety and armchair inspiration. Instead, she volunteers to be the sultan's next victim.  That first night, she asks the sultan if he would like to hear one of her tales. He agrees and Scheherazade proceeds to mesmerize him with a wonderful story. As the sun is coming up, she begins another tale. Because the sultan wants to hear the ending of this second tale, he spares her one more night. Again, the next night, Scheherazade finishes one tale and begins another. Her strategy works! After 1001 nights, the sultan is smitten with love and repents his evil ways. Scheherazade has succeeded in saving not just herself but all the women in her kingdom as well as transforming the sultan from a bloody, violent despot to a loving, enlightened ruler.  This has been a very important tale for women and storytellers down the generations, reminding us all of the power of female creativity, solidarity, courage, and of our arts in promoting social justice, nourishing our spirits, enabling a more beloved community.With this model in mind, we women of the Scheherazade Project together will create a groundswell of creative expression and stir up our own powerful currents of beauty, inspiration and love which will carry us forward, ever closer to the beloved community we must become if any of us is to survive in this hurting nation and ravaged planet.