Honoré and the Owl

Concept Statement

Honoré and the Owl is a narrative-driven three-dimensional and gamified sculptural play experience transformed from an original short story. Players follow Honoré as she seeks to break free from “the curse of caution”- a curse that represents the weight of generational trauma within a Black American family, and the protective but limiting behaviors that result by means of survival-mode: its effect often the muting of a story that had hoped to be grand–and can still be, once recognized and confronted.

Three mini-games, interactive pieces, and narrative illustrations and writings represent figurative ideas and help tell the story in a tactile and abstract manner. Through guidance from her companion owl Lona, Honoré learns to confront her fears and recognize the patterns that have entrapped the people around her, as well as explore the origins of her family strife. Players middle grade and up will engage in a reflective and playful experience that encourages them to challenge their own limitations as well as understand themselves and those that came before them in a nonlinear and naturalistic way, so as to challenge these limitations in tandem with Honoré through an exploration and visualization of various themes pertaining to generational trauma, survival mode, healing, ancestral knowledge/ knowledge transmission.