Get to know other state humanities council staff from around the nation! Join us for a Humanities at Play livestream on January 21, 2025, as we play Animal Crossing: New Horizons with Asya Webster, Program Officer for Grants and Public Programs at the Arkansas Humanities Council.
During COVID-19, third spaces (spaces outside the home and workplace) helped us to stay grounded, connected, and creative. One game in particular, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has been noted for its role in providing a third space and sense of community for people during lockdown where they could digitally meet up, visit museums, tend their gardens, and more. During this livestream, we will visit two Animal Crossing islands created by Webster and discuss the value of creativity and games for connecting during the COVID-19 pandemic, third spaces and the humanities, public humanities programming and grantmaking in Arkansas, and more.
Audience participation is welcome and encouraged. While no account is needed to tune in, we encourage you to create a free account so you can participate in the chat with us.
Asya P. Webster is one of two Program Officers for Grants and Public Programs for the Arkansas Humanities Council. Webster is an Arkansan who was raised in rural Wrightsville but considers it close enough to call herself a Little Rock city native. She has always been involved in humanities even from a young age, performing in dance at the Tidwell Centre for the DansArts for seven years and student theater for four years. Webster completed her undergraduate experience with a B.A. in English Literature at Philander Smith University. She also served as the President of the Creatives, an organization for students interested in the visual and performing arts. Webster’s play, Waiting on Sunrise, is a three-act play consisting of seven individual 10-minute plays. The last segment of Waiting on Sunrise was selected to be a part of ACANSA’s Third Annual 10- Minute Play Showcase. Webster co-founded The Next Generation Humanities Conference through the Arkansas Humanities Council, focusing on bridging the gap between education and career. She also taught high school English at a rural underserved school. Webster’s passion is making more space for and having the arts be more accessible for disadvantaged/overlooked populations in Arkansas. In order to achieve this, she serves as a member of the Arts and Culture Commission for the City of Little Rock. She is excited to expand programming opportunities at the Council.
Humanities at Play explores and showcases the significance of the humanities in everyday life through games, media, and popular culture. Join us for dynamic and interactive online and in-person events designed to spark thoughtful conversation and reflection. Learn more here.