About Narrative Network: We amplify the art and voices of diverse women and communities through publishing and events. We produce and publish multimedia content. We connect you to multicultural, creative communities.
“I am a journalist, artist-activist, and chief cook and bottle washer here. As a serial culture entrepreneur I love creating where the arts, food, and history intersect,” said Sylvia Wong Lewis, Narrative Network, founder and director.
We produce high-quality storytelling and media content to educate, entertain, and inspire through film, visual, audio, art, theater, multimedia, and public & private community events.
My professional accolades include:
- Woman of the Year, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce;
- Caribbean Chamber of Commerce as founder, publisher, and editor of Caribbean American News, New York’s largest free community newspaper (pre-internet), with half a million readers.
- New York State Governor’s Public Service Award for Leadership and Excellence at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
- Certified NY and NJ state-certified Woman-Owned businesses in Media and Communications.
At the helm of Narrative Network, I make every effort to ensure that we produce high-quality storytelling and media content to educate, entertain, and inspire through film, visual, audio, art, theater, multimedia, and public & private community events.
Check out our portfolio of storytelling and media content…
Current Work:
At the moment, Sylvia Wong Lewis is leveraging her small arts consultancy, SWL Studio, in coordination with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, American Enterprise section to curate a sizable exhibit featuring her husband, entitled, “Byron Lewis: Ad Man Extraordinaire.”
The project is well underway, with the next phase focused on reviewing oral histories and identifying old photos.
“I was honored to assist the Smithsonian curation and acquisitions team organize my husband, Byron Lewis’ exhibit and collection. Thank you to UniWorld alums and Smith College interns and alums who worked tirelessly to help the museum team. Teamwork made the dream work. There’s still more work to do. The next stage will involve oral histories with people who worked at & with UniWorld! In the meantime, please visit the exhibit.”
Although currently paused, the AuntyLand Film Festival (ALFF), launched in 2021, is the newest addition to Narrative Network’s platform. Created during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the festival adds a new layer to a multicultural and multi-generational storytelling mission for women and BIPOC artists. The Festival is an extension of Auntyland.com, a website that features multidisciplinary arts and literary stories about aunts and a new holiday called Real Aunties Day.
“The pandemic has caused us to live restricted lives and sometimes in isolation since 2019. We must use our creative digital resources to stay connected and share our stories in every way possible. We believe our new digital film festival is a great way to expand our connections to each other,” said Sylvia Wong Lewis, CEO and Festival Director.
1619 Brooklyn.com, a Brooklyn-focused site about slavery, racism, and unceded Indigenous land (1619-2019); Auntyland.com, a media art platform about aunts; Madame Tempy, a radio drama with BBC Radio, aired May & June 2019.
Artmaking My film, From Shanghai to Harlem, was recognized with two Telly Awards and an AVA Gold Digital Award for documentary producing, directing, and writing. My two other films, Healing Game: Brooklyn-Japan Baseball Part 1 and 2, won two Documentary and Videographers Awards for documenting a Brooklyn–Japan cultural exchange program on the healing power of baseball. Two children’s baseball teams recovered from two different natural disasters – NYC’s Hurricane Sandy and Japan’s Tsunami.
Hear my award-winning storytelling on BBC radio about the lynching of my uncle in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Strange Fruit. Created by Maggie Ayre, an outstanding BBC Radio producer, Strange Fruit won the UK’s two highest journalism awards: BBC-Radio’s Academy Award and the Prix Europa.