“What is a Key?” is a two-part experience that combines a talk and interactive workshop exploring the visual and communicative language of incarceration. Centered on the concept of carceral aesthetics, this event examines how individuals navigate systems of confinement through coded communication, artistic expression, and shared meaning-making.

Participants will be introduced to forms of communication such as prison kites, symbolic language, and other creative practices that emerge within carceral environments. The session will also provide space for hands-on engagement, allowing participants to explore how meaning is constructed, hidden, and revealed through creative expression.

This event is part of the Growing Justice 2026 initiative, which seeks to bridge storytelling, education, and community engagement around issues of justice, identity, and transformation.