Future Griots brings artist-led creative workshops and residencies to schools, libraries, museums, and community spaces — helping young people explore storytelling, culture, ecology, and identity through hands-on making. All materials provided.
griot /ˈɡriːoʊ/ · pronounced "GREE-oh"
Across West African oral traditions, griots are keepers of story, memory, history, and community wisdom. Future Griots was founded on that belief: that young people, given the right tools, can become powerful storytellers, makers, and cultural thinkers.
We design and facilitate hands-on arts workshops that meet youth where they are — using familiar materials, real-world themes, and process-based learning to build creative confidence, cultural connection, and critical thinking.
"We teach young people that their stories are material. They can shape them, question them, archive them, and transform them."
— Suzan Destinie Adélakun, Founder
Future Griots was founded by Suzan Adélakun, an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural worker working across sculpture, photography, film, and community-based arts education.
Rooted in storytelling, cultural memory, and hands-on making, Suzan designs programs that help young people connect personal experience to larger histories, materials, and creative possibility.
Future Griots works with schools, libraries, museums, and community partners to create artist-led workshops and residencies for youth, families, and intergenerational communities.
Suzan's work has been supported by institutions including Queens Public Library, the Textile Museum of Canada, arts councils, and education partners across New York City and Toronto.
Future Griots designs flexible arts education experiences for youth, families, and intergenerational communities.
Hands-on creative sessions for youth, teens, families, and intergenerational groups. Designed to fit into existing programming calendars with minimal setup.
Deeper programs that combine art-making, storytelling, cultural history, and skill-building over multiple sessions for sustained creative development.
Programs designed with schools, libraries, museums, and community partners around specific themes, audiences, or events — from annual series to signature programs.
Available formats include 60–120 minute workshops, after-school programs, family programs, teen programs, workforce development residencies, and custom partnerships.
Future Griots helps young people see creativity as more than self-expression. It is also a pathway into future skills, careers, and community leadership.
Through hands-on workshops and residencies, participants build transferable skills in storytelling, design thinking, collaboration, material exploration, presentation, documentation, and creative problem-solving. Our programs introduce youth to the many roles that exist across the creative economy — from artists and designers to educators, producers, fabricators, archivists, media makers, and cultural workers.
For older youth and teens, Future Griots can support portfolio development, project-based learning, peer leadership, and introductory creative career exploration. For institutions, we design programs that connect cultural learning with practical skill-building, helping young people imagine themselves as makers, workers, leaders, and future culture-bearers.
Workshops and residencies that introduce students to creative careers, portfolio-building, collaboration, presentation, and project-based learning.
Future Griots works with a growing roster of artists and educators, creating opportunities for facilitation, curriculum support, and paid creative education work.
Custom programs for schools, libraries, museums, and youth-serving organizations that connect art-making with workforce readiness, leadership, and creative confidence.
From making to meaning. From story to skill. From creativity to future pathways.
Light, resin, wearable art, memory, and identity. Participants transform reclaimed materials into one-of-a-kind jewelry while exploring personal and cultural expression.
Ages 10–18 · 60–90 min · Materials provided
Textiles, beadwork, embroidery, and cultural storytelling. Participants explore material traditions across cultures while building technical skills and creative voice.
Ages 8–18 · 60–120 min · Materials provided
Mosaic, clay, repair, reflection, and wellness through making. A program centered on care, community, and the healing potential of creative practice.
Ages 6–Adult · 60–90 min · Materials provided
STEAM-based art workshops exploring ecology, materials science, and imagination. Designed to bridge artistic and scientific inquiry for curious young makers.
Ages 8–16 · 60–90 min · Materials provided
All workshops are designed with age-appropriate materials, clear instruction, and site-specific safety considerations.
Future Griots is built for institutions that want more than a one-off art activity. Our programs combine creative skill-building, cultural inquiry, material exploration, and youth voice.
Each workshop is designed to meet participants where they are while giving them room to think, make, reflect, and share.
Future Griots works with a growing network of teaching artists, cultural workers, and creative collaborators across visual art, storytelling, textiles, ecology, media, and material-based learning.
Our workshops welcome children, teens, caregivers, and community members into shared creative experiences that honor memory, identity, and imagination across generations.
From family drop-in days at libraries to after-school series at community centers — Future Griots programs are designed to bring people of all ages into the same creative space.
Book a Family Program
We've worked across public libraries, schools, city agencies, cultural institutions, and community spaces — including museum education programs — to bring meaningful arts programming to the communities they serve. Our partnership with the Textile Museum of Canada reflects our commitment to museum-quality facilitation and cultural institution standards. We work with purchase orders and institutional contracts.
Whether you're bringing Future Griots to your school, library, museum, or community space — we'd love to learn more about your goals.
We respond within 2 business days to learn more about your space and goals.
A brief call to understand your youth population, timing, and budget considerations.
We work with purchase orders and service contracts — no online payment required.
We respond to all inquiries within 2 business days.