Story Regions
CHAPTER 4
Pilots
61
In recent years the storytelling environment has grown, conquering
new fields, developing new methodologies, opening different
paths. Little by little its influence has expanded, showing different
possible uses of this concept and the connected methodologies.
It has become urgent to investigate this new use of the storytelling
art, trying to examine the different ways it could be adapted to fit
completely different goals.
Germany
Erzähllabor - Storytelling
Laboratory
GÖTTINGEN
Following this idea, various pilot projects have been created with the
aim to create a map of how storytelling could be addressed or used
in different environments as well as for different purposes.
TARGET
The pilot was developed in order to support the “Region of
Telling” network in South Lower Saxony which was inaugurated
In the following pages you will find some examples of these pilots,
in 2012. The network evolved from cooperation between the
exploring what kind of storytelling techniques have been used for
Association “Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen” with its contemporary
what goals, how they were used, and what the results were.
witness project and the equality body of the County of Göttingen.
Members of the network are also local initiatives that promote
The aim is to show the incredible richness of this art and how it can
and organise events to share stories and to connect people,
become a methodology to be adopted in numerous circumstances.
mainly in the form of Storytelling Cafés. These contribute to
strengthening rural communities by providing spaces to meet
and exchange and allow for integration across the lines of
diversity based on generation, gender and culture.
The target groups of the storytelling laboratory are individuals,
interested in storytelling and in exploring, practising and
reflecting its different forms and applications, either for personal
pleasure or to build expertise to include storytelling techniques
into their other fields of activity.
GOAL
The objective of the Storytelling Laboratory group is to explore
different facets of storytelling and to practice and reflect different
techniques and methods. It is inspired by the so-called community
storytelling groups found in places such as Canada and Australia.
As people fond of storytelling empower themselves in telling, they
create potentials to spread storytelling to other areas of their life.
The storytelling laboratory contributes to the development of
individuals’ competences in regard to the application of storytelling
and related methods that are transferable to other initiatives and
activities in the region.
62
Story Regions
THE ACTIVITIES
THE REGION OF TELLING
REGION DES ERZÄHLENS
GÖTTINGEN,GERMANY
STORY REGIONS‘
The first two meetings of the group focused on:
CONTRIBUTIONS
• getting an overview of storytelling and its range of facets and
Storytelling
Laboratory
Storytelling
Café
Workshops
Change
your
Perspective
•Exploring
•Practising
•Reflecting
•1meeting permonth
•Networking,training and
consulting for local
storytelling cafe organisers
•Workshopsevery 3
months,yearly network
meeting
•Groupto exchange stories
between refugees and
Germans
•1-2meetings permonth,
pluspreparation and
reflection meetings of the
Germangroup
applications;
• assessing the interests and possible objectives of the group and
getting to know the participants.
Each of these meetings started with some theoretical input.
They then went into a phase of exchange of biography based stories
to get to know each other better.
In the initial phase the German Story Regions partner took a lead
role in planning and moderating the meetings. Successively the
group developed its own dynamic and perspectives and meanwhile
members intuitively take initiative and propose ideas and activities and
the group decides together what to do in the sessions.
In the course of the meetings the group applied and developed a
number of storytelling games and methods, e.g. in the beginning
telling a story about your job. As work takes up a great part of the
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
day’s time, knowing each other’s daily routines during a regular work
The Association “Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen” is the umbrella
day created a basis for deeper understanding and knowing each
organisation. The group presently consists of 7 women aged
other.
between 30 and 70.
The group also has a focus on making up stories to stimulate creative
One member is a trained storyteller, who tries to establish as
thinking and the capacity to express one’s own ideas in an appealing
storytelling artist in the region, another works as trainer for creative
and engaging way.
and biographical writing. Two members work for an adult and
vocational training provider, and one woman works at the language
Other facets of the group’s activities are exchange of biographic
department of the Göttingen University as teacher for German as
narratives, often initiated through external impulses, like news and
foreign language.
current events, and by relating developments in the world to one’s
own life experiences. The group explores the meaning and impact
Two other members have already retired from working life, but
storytelling has in its multiple forms, working out approaches to
are active in a number of cultural and charitable associations and
integrate storytelling into other activities, e.g. into the participants’
initiatives.
professional contexts or in charity initiatives for refugees and migrants.
Some examples of activities in the Storytelling Laboratory:
TIME SCALE
The Storytelling Laboratory officially started in April 2016 and will be
• Telling the story of family relationships of a person on a
promotional flyer that was found in the meeting room. The picture
ongoing as long as the group wants to carry on. The group comes
showed a beautiful young woman advertising wellness services.
together monthly for about 3 hours.
Each group member selected a family member of the woman on
63
the picture and thought about their character for a moment. Then
meeting all drew a picture expressing a personal notion derived
everyone would introduce the person she developed and tell the
from the stories. After half an hour the pictures one by one were
group about their relationship to the woman in the picture. As it
passed around. On another sheet of paper participants noted
continued, the activity developed into a conversation between
their impressions, associations and feelings about it. Based on
family members, reflecting their roles and emotions in a fictive
these comments and relating to the topic each member created
way. Following this activity the group exchanged recollections of
a story. At the end of the evening these stories were told to each
their own family relationships and how that influenced the roles
other.
they had developed during the game.
Each session ends with reflection about the evening and discussing
• Story cubes: another approach to practise creative storytelling
ideas for the next meeting.
by making up stories spontaneously is the use of story cubes.
These are cubes with symbols. According to the symbols thrown,
Members of the group not only meet for the practice sessions but
stories are made up from scratch. The procedures can vary:
also visit storytelling events in the region, point out training offers and
either one person makes up a story including all elements shown
are in contact to share literature and helpful sources and inspirations.
on the dice, or a story is told together, each member telling a
part of it by selecting only some of the dice. An experience with
these make-up-a-story games is that it helps to clear the rational
mind beforehand by starting with some creative exercises, like
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
Storytelling is at the very core of the group activities and its explicit
throwing a ball and a word from one to another, or practising
focus. As the field of storytelling and its related methods and contents
tongue twisters and rhymes, as everyone knows them from
is so vast, different aspects and forms of it are successively explored.
childhood.
In order to have a common goal the group decided to prepare for a
presentation of its achievements during a family gathering of one of
• Telling a story: This activity was introduced as recurring
practise at a stage when the group had already developed
its members, before aiming at a public appearance in the style of a
poetry slam in a café in Göttingen.
some experience and confidence with telling. It focuses on the
art of telling, practising the habits of a storyteller and finding
one’s own style. Each group member prepares a little story for
the meeting and tells it to the others. After everyone has told
RESULTS
The members of the storytelling laboratory appreciate the diverse
her story, a reflection round is held to discuss the impact and
and many-fold stimulations that arise from dealing with storytelling.
meaning of the stories, but also aspects of performance and use
They perceive the benefits on several levels:
of language, as well as how it felt to tell the story and to listen
• Stimulation of creative thinking and expression;
to it. After some repetitions of this activity the question of where
• Development of rhetoric abilities and spontaneity;
to find more stories was addressed. The exchange of sources
• Reflection about the role of narrative and stories in our perceptions
for stories became another element of the groups activities. This
exercise helped the group members to develop the confidence to
consider telling stories in front of others as well.
of reality;
• Changed perspective on our own biography by sharing
biographical narratives with others;
• Getting to know, testing and creating storytelling methods to be
• “Amor and Psyche” was the motto of one session, where the
topic, which was chosen in advance, was processed through
multiple forms of creative expression. Group members prepared
with reading of stories on the issue. At the beginning of the
64
applied with other groups, e.g. in educational contexts;
• General exchange about storytelling related issues, e.g. events,
courses, projects, etc.
Story Regions
Long term benefits that can unfold at later stages can be:
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Organisation of public storytelling events, like telling at the
• Storytelling unfolds its magic in the Storytelling lab. The telling
campfire or telling picnics;
• Creative impulses for Storytelling Cafés and community
games in the first sessions created much laughter and joy and
created an environment where opening up to each other naturally
development projects in the city and in villages;
happened and sympathy evolved quickly. Members appreciate
• Integration of Storytelling into teaching and training.
that there is no judging about how and what is told, that they can
actually try out and play with words and voices, propose games
and share ideas.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
The storytelling laboratory is a space in which the participants enable
• If one wants to tell, any given environment can provide inspirations
themselves to spread storytelling into other contexts. One good
for telling approaches, e.g. discussion around an object in the
example is the recurring discussion on how to introduce storytelling
room or an experience someone had recently. The democratic
activities into charitable activities with refugees. An important aspect
non-hierarchical setting of the group is feasible to create a creative
of these discussions is how to overcome the language barrier and
atmosphere and allows members to overcome inhibitions.
stimulate exchange despite this major obstacle.
• Having a shared goal, such as a public appearance, can help to
Through the close connection to the Association Freie Altenarbeit
increase the focus of activities.
Göttingen, the achievements of the group are very likely to contribute
in one form or another to the other activities and initiatives of the
• One form of creative expression brings up others. Making up and
association, which works in several fields such as consulting and
telling stories inspired the group to apply other forms of creative
developing housing solutions for seniors in the light of demographic
expression, like singing, drawing, and writing.
change and changes in the social structures of society.
• Trust and openness are essentail, avoiding any form of
Other areas where the impact of the Storytelling lab may unfold
perfectionism or judgement. Feeling safe in ones approximation
are the workplaces of the group members. Four women work for
to a new art is a crucial precondition for the group to survive.
educational institutes, namely the University and an adult education
The shared position of being on an exploration together helps to
provider. The competences developed in the storytelling lab will
overcome shyness and embarrassment.
contribute to increased quality of their teaching by expanding their
range of learning methods and will thus benefit their learners, who
themselves may get infected with the “storytelling virus”, as one lady
from the lab once called it.
EVALUATION
Each session of the group ends with a common reflection round.
Every participant states her personal highlights of the evening and
ideas for improvement to be picked up during the next meeting. In
addition ideas for the next session are collected and decided on,
and responsibilities, if any, are distributed. As the group is still rather
new, self-funding and self-sufficient, no need for further evaluation
measures is perceived at this stage.
65
Werkstatt Erzählcafé Storytelling Café
Workshop
GÖTTINGEN
TARGET
The Network “Region des Erzählens” or “Region of Telling” was
initiated in 2012 by the Association “Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen”
in cooperation with the equality body of the County of Göttingen.
The aim of the network is to connect local organisers of more
than 30 Storytelling Cafés in the region, to foster exchange and
sharing of ideas and approaches, and to provide support.
The piloting idea evolved following the yearly network meeting of
the “Region of Telling” in April 2016, where about 25 organisers
and supporters of Storytelling Cafés came together. The title
of the event was “Storytelling Café doesn’t equal Storytelling
Café” and the focus was to highlight the different forms in which
the method is applied in the region. It became obvious that
Welcome (by Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen)
the design of a Storytelling Café and its success very much
depend not only on the people who organise it, but also on the
appreciated the space for exchange and to learn from each other, as
individual village cultures, which are highly diverse and influence
most local initiatives work on their own and there is little collaboration
the formats in which the cafés are held.
and interaction with other organisers beyond the yearly network
meetings. Issues such as how to involve more people, which topics
Storytelling Cafés in the region take place between 1 and 12
are suitable to create interest, and how to find tellers for the cafés
times per year, the number of visitors ranges between 15 and
were raised, but not thoroughly discussed due to the restricted time
60 and they are organised either by individuals or groups. They
available at the meeting. It was in the interest of the organisers to
happen with or without music and cakes, and the role of telling,
bring more life and exchange to the network and the German Story
as well as the topics addressed, differ greatly.
Regions partner offered to make a contribution.
Find more information about the method of Storytelling Cafés in
Together with the managing director of the association, a concept
the good practice chapter of this manual.
was developed to provide more support for the local Storytelling
Cafés initiatives.
66
GOAL
It was agreed to offer additional workshops every three months as a
During the network meeting experiences and village-specific forms
platform for exchange between organisers, to elaborate alternative
of café design were presented and discussed, as well as the
approaches to a classical Storytelling Café, for ways to find
challenges and hardships faced. Participants of the meeting highly
supporters, for advertising events, and to increase the involvement
Story Regions
of younger generations, as well as to express appreciation for the
THE ACTIVITIES
work of the organisers, who are mostly volunteers who wish to
The 3 hour workshop concept was prepared in several meetings
contribute to an active village community.
with the director of the Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen and the two
facilitators after the network meeting. The Story Regions partner
brought in expertise about storytelling, appeals of target groups
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
The Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen e.V. in cooperation with the equality
and event management, while the other trainer contributed with her
experience of Storytelling Cafés.
body of the county of Göttingen coordinates the network. Members
are individuals with diverse professional and private backgrounds
Together with the minutes of the network meeting, the announcement
who have an interest in creating encounters with other inhabitants
of the workshop offer was disseminated to all network members and
of their village or quarter and either organise Storytelling Cafés or
the mailing list of the Freie Altenarbeit e.V., who also took care of the
consider doing so in the future.
registrations.
The workshops are facilitated by the German Story Regions partner
12 people registered for the first workshop and the second workshop
together with a long term member of the association, who until
took place with 10 participants. Many early bookings were made
retirement worked as teacher trainer at the University of Göttingen.
for the workshop in November, but at the time of writing, another
invitation was to be sent out one month prior to the workshop date.
TIME SCALE
The concept has three overarching objectives:
The idea was developed and elaborated in April 2016 following the
1. input of information,
yearly network meeting of the “Region of Telling”. The first workshop
2. exchange and elaboration of ideas,
took place on June 22nd, 2016. The second workshop was
3. appreciation for engagement
connected to a two day seminar about organising and moderating
Storytelling Cafés, on September 10th, 2016. A third workshop will
Each workshop starts with an assessment of the participants’
happen on the 9th of November 2016. Further dates for the following
contexts and motives for attending.
year are foreseen, but have not been scheduled yet.
This is followed by a presentation of Story Regions and its findings on
the impact of different approaches to storytelling, and how this can
be connected to the format of the Storytelling Café, also mentioning
related methods and resources.
Afterwards participants create a mind map of their Storytelling Café
(or idea) along with some guiding questions visualised on a flip chart.
The mind maps are hung up to the wall and participants look at
each other’s mind maps and start talking with each other. After a few
minutes the participants are asked to identify one or two priorities
they wish to work on during the workshop.
The topics are visualised for the whole group and clustered. Based
on this assessment, workgroups are formed to collaborate on finding
Developing new concepts (by Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen)
ideas and approaches for the individuals’ questions.
67
A story by Josef Guggenmoos is told about a man who wanted to
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
plant asparagus, but dug too deep, found something miraculous,
The focus of this pilot lies in supporting the methodology
but never did what he initially set out for. The story shall help the
development of storytelling events through further training and
participants to keep the focus on what they want to achieve instead
networking. A special contribution of Story Regions is to introduce
of digging too deep, exhaust their strength and to not be left with
the participants to other forms and applications of storytelling and to
empty hands in the end. This is followed by a break after which the
provide ideas for how more artistic forms of telling can be integrated
group splits into the workgroups.
into the classic method of a Storytelling Café.
In the workgroups, participants discuss their questions, and
To provide practical examples, the training concept is enriched
exchange experiences and proposals. The moderator takes care
with stories told by the trainer, e.g. illustrating certain obstacles and
that each participant’s questions are addressed and the discussion
providing different perspectives on how to overcome difficulties.
doesn’t go astray, but also feeds in his or her own ideas and
Meaning and benefits of sharing stories was brought to the
suggestions.
conscious mind of the participants, hoping that the seeds of other
forms of storytelling may flourish.
Before the end of the training session, all the participants come
together again to share their findings and their ideas for change in
regard to their storytelling initiatives or plans. The workshop closes
with an oral feedback round asking for what the participants can
RESULTS
Even though only a minority of workshop participants of the first
take home and implement, but also for ways of future improvement.
two events were practising organisers of Storytelling Cafés, the
These answers are documented and discussed in the planning
workshops contributed to bringing together people of diverse
team shortly after each workshop, where it is also decided whether
professional backgrounds and to exchanging expertise in telling and
changes in the workshop concept itself are needed for the next
the question of how to mobilise and connect people to strengthen
time.
communities. Their motivation to participate was in all cases to learn
more about Storytelling Cafés, and if and how they could organise
a Café themselves. Questions worked on during the sessions
addressed issues such as which topics and event design to choose
to reach a certain target group (e.g. two participants have set out to
implement a neighbourhood initiative in a poor quarter of Göttingen)
and how to connect young and old people through telling was a
recurring question that especially moved representatives of a
geriatric nursing school. A representative of a rural folk high school
used the event to assess how a Storytelling Café could be held
to connect refugees with locals, and a young social scientist from
Hanover visited the workshop as part of her studies, and was
considering organising an event there in the future.
Actual practitioners of Storytelling Cafés appreciated the occasion
to share experiences and to develop new ideas and motivation to
carry on, especially those who struggle alone to make Storytelling
Cafés happen. Two organisers from different villages decided to form
Listening to a story (by Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen)
68
a team to organise their cafés together.
Story Regions
Disadvantaged groups which can profit from the workshops include
senior citizens living in rural areas, often on their own, having to
cope with poor supply of public transport, long distances to medical
care and shopping facilities, but who are also threatened by social
isolation. A vivid village community is often the only chance for these
seniors to remain in their familiar environment. Other target groups
benefitting from the pilot are socially disadvantaged persons in poor
quarters of Göttingen for whom Storytelling Cafés will be organised
in the future.
EVALUATION
Each workshop is closed with an evaluation round. Participants are
asked for their feedback in regard to questions like: what to take
home, what was the highlight of the event, was anything missing in
the concept, which aspects would have needed more time and what
Mindmaps Storytelling Café (by Freie Altenarbeit Göttingen)
could be improved in the future. The statements of the participants
are then analysed in respect to necessary changes for future events.
Others left the workshop with new inspiration to stimulate their
Storytelling Café visitors to contribute more actively, e.g. by involving
objects from past village life for helping people to remember and to
tell their stories, or by playing old music during events.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Due to time constraints resulting from the rather short duration of
the workshops designed as after-work events, the aspect of teambuilding in the group fell short. The desire of the participants to
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
exchange more and to get to know each other better should ideally
The workshops contribute to community-building by providing
be reflected in the training design. It is assumed that this would have
methods, tools, inspiration and room for exchange for stakeholders
a positive impact of the collaborative creative sessions during the
from different areas of society who want to foster the coming-
workshops and for the networking of Storytelling Café organisers.
together of their target groups for telling stories to each other. These
The presentation of a story as stimulus for reflection works very well
stories are often biographical and their impact is seen in the creation
and impressed the participants. It requires some practice by the
of awareness for different perspectives on life aspects, forming the
facilitator to present it in an authentic way.
basis for further exchange and interaction, and the development of
Digging too deep into problems leads to loss of the bigger picture,
trust and understanding.
which always shows many solutions.
69
Belgium
Socially vulnerable
parents and children
at school
TONGEREN
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
The project was a collaboration of SEMPER (PCSW Tongeren),
Vormingplus Limburg (non-formal adult education), the Lokaal Overleg
Platform (local school communication platform, TAO (the association
of experience experts), Verhalen voor het leven (Stories for Life storyteller) and the Storytelling Castle Alden Biesen.
TIME SCALE
8 sessions of half a day.
TARGET
The project pilot target has been socially vulnerable parents
(with a background of deprivation or social vulnerability) with
young children at school.
THE ACTIVITIES
1. The process of social vulnerability
The integrative theory of social vulnerability has been developed as a
The recruitment was done by the PCSW (Public Centre for
theoretical framework to describe socially disadvantaged persons or
Social Welfare) Tongeren: the people chosen face financial
groups in their contacts with civil society organisations - as schools,
constraints, are usually unemployed, some are single mothers,
work or justice authorities. The theory of social vulnerability starts from
all have long histories of disadvantage, sometimes come from
the idea that problems arise from interactions between individuals or
far away, and may have a foreign language background.
groups and social institutions.
Vulnerability is by definition an interactive concept. One is always
GOAL
vulnerable to something, in relation to something. In the social
The aim of this pilot was:
vulnerability process a person/a group of people is vulnerable to social
• To introduce storytelling as an instrument to help surface the
institutions. It is also a cumulative process: one has been hurt by one
thoughts and feelings of vulnerable parents and help them connect
institution, which makes you more vulnerable to the next.
with society.
Important for this project is the assumption that the fact of being hurt
• To gather stories of socially vulnerable parents.
at school results in vulnerability on the labour market, at the PCSW, or
to justice and vice versa (Vettenburg et al., 1984).
Two concrete products were asked for:
• A video recording from the people of the target group telling
However theory consists of generalities. What we want to know is
about their experiences, their wishes and desires concerning their
who the person behind that word “vulnerability” is? We’re looking for
children’s school;
witnesses to tell their stories and present their children.
• A booklet in which their stories are bundled and framed.
These final products will be used in an educational package of
Vormingplus in different schools and (parent) organisations on the
topic of ‘Parent participation and Education’.
70
Story Regions
Exercise 2: My family
First in pairs, afterwards we share the experience with the whole
group.
Present yourself as a family member or friend of… and link it to a
memory or characterisation. You can choose how you see yourself in
a family context.
You say 1 sentence e.g. ‘I’m the daughter of a mother who did
everything for her children and?” Then you pass the sentence. “I am
the granddaughter of ... and, the sister of ... and, the best friend of
..., the mother of ...” With the “and” you invite the other person, you
stimulate each other to remember things.
You only have to say 1 sentence, which limits the load of some parts
of the family history.
Aim: Telling something about your family history without making it too
burdening. That’s the reason for the 1-sentence limit. We discover
things about our family: how unique we are but also that we share
2. Seven Sessions in a circle
many things.
Session 1: Getting to know each other
Exercise 3: Telling about the children: The history of their name and an
animal they like/they look like.
Starting story: The significance of the groove between your nose and
Group exercise.
upper lip created by an angel.
Aim: Introducing the theme, the story of the child’s name and tell about
Aim: Story about the changes in life, to create team spirit.
the children in a playful way, the animal possibly being a metaphor of
the child’s personality.
Warming up: Tell one’s name, look at each other and then pass it (from
Finally: Closure and feedback on the experience.
slow to fast, change direction left, right).
Purpose: To check how they experienced the session and show
Aim: To hear the names and get to know each other in a playful way.
openness to feedback.
Exercise 1: The story of my name
The first exercise is done in pairs to lower the threshold, then it is
Session 2: Stories about school
repeated in the group.
Aim: Discover that our name has a story and that it tells something
Trigger: Own story about childhood and school
about us.
Who are you named after (a relative, a celebrity, a person from a
Exercise 1: Tell us about your experiences in primary school. How did
religious or literary work?)
you go to school, what did it look like and do you have any positive
Do you know why you have that name?
anecdote?
Does your name have a special sense?
First in pairs, asking questions about the description of the school
Have you ever changed your name? Would you like to have a different
(see, hear, smell, feel) to make it possible to imagine the school. After
name?
that we tell it to the group.
What do you feel about your name?
Aim: This question is often asked in case of reminiscence (life stories
71
with the elderly). We ask for the senses because this evokes memories,
Session 5: Parent meetings and school structures
a typical storyteller technique. We ask for positive experiences
because negative ones will come anyway.
Exercise 1: Tell us about the parent meetings.
Exercise 2: Tell about the interest of your parents for your life at school.
Exercise 2: Did you read the school rules? Do you know the parent
The idea was to do this first in pairs, but this was no longer necessary,
council? Are there agreements on birthdays?
the ice was broken.
Aim: To hear a story about their own parents. This also explains in a
Exercise 3: What are your dreams and hopes for your child(ren)?
way who they are and what they want for their children.
Aim: Going back to a fantasy world and a hopeful ideal world and
create a relaxing atmosphere. Finding out how they cope with formal
Exercise 3: How did you imagine your future as an adult when you
contacts and structures.
were a child?
Aim: Going back to a fantasy world and create a relaxing atmosphere.
Session 6: The ideal school
Session 3: The morning and evening rush
Exercise 1: Create the ideal school together. Design, use symbols
and words.
Trigger: Tell about your own morning.
Aim: Collaboration and discussions about the theme in an informal,
creative way.
Exercise 1: How does an ordinary morning look?
Aim: The classic morning and evening ritual is a story in itself. There is
Exercise 2: Everyone gets a collection of his stories on paper and a
a lot of action and often humour linked to it. They discover that they
surprising title for the life story as a gift.
can tell. Meanwhile, you can hear the big differences between the
Aim: If one looks back and reads the story and the title, one might
different families; from chaos to real organisational structures.
discover that something has changed over time, that there is a
recurring theme throughout the story.
Exercise 2: What about the evening?
Aim: As explained above. This time you get information about
Exercise 3: Preparation of the interview for the movie capture.
problems with school work, bedtime, lost papers from the school.
Session 7: Movie capture
Session 4: the story of the children
Interviews were conducted both by Storytelling Castle Alden Biesen
No trigger necessary; the stories came naturally.
on perception and methodology and on the school stories.
The recording on the pilot consists of two parts: Interviews of the
Exercise 1: Tell the story of your child(ren)’s school. Which school is
participants and showing their requests for an ideal school using chalk
it? Why did you choose this school and how was the 1st school day?
boards.
Have you ever visited this school yourself?
Exercise 2: How would you have liked it to be? What was OK and
Session 8: Movie day and debriefing
what would you have preferred to be different?
Aim: Hear the story of the children. There are lots of stories!
72
We watch the movies and have a debriefing.
Story Regions
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
There are many positive changes in education: there is less distance
We choose to work with stories and life stories. By telling stories
between pupil and teacher. Because of the many changes in terms
about ourselves we learn to know who we are. People learn to really
of teaching methods parents often find themselves on the side-
appreciate the richness of their experience when they are invited to
line in the learning process. This feeling is shared by all parents,
tell. This way people and stories get a place; in the community, in
but for this vulnerable group it is sometimes harder, because they
current events, in front of other people. The self-image changes. It is
want to do it differently to how their parents did it. They want to be
fascinating to sit in a circle and just listen and occasionally speak. And
closer to their children. The process of digitisation of teaching is
we should not forget the effect of the circle; in the circle everyone is
spontaneously discussed; it’s sighing and searching. The school
equal. Everyone tells his story, even the educator, the ex-teacher who
rules raise some guilt, but there is also laughter. Hey, apparently
is committed and the narrative supervisors. Meanwhile, someone is
it’s complicated for everyone! And no one, neither leaders nor our
taking notes to make sure that the words will not go with the wind.
participants, reads all the school rules.
You assign words to what you have not dared to formulate so far,
you look for images and anecdotes. While doing so you hear that
others have the same experience, even people from whom you
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
School and family evolve rapidly, with corresponding opportunities
didn’t expect it. You can express your wishes and dreams for your
and threats. The pressure of society is becoming more explicit
children and draw an ideal school and describe it in a creative way.
and anyone who lags behind gets into trouble. Vulnerable families
You talk about your wishes in terms of participation. At the end you
experience extra pressure. However it appears that they are aware
get a collection of all your stories and a surprising title for your life
of what is happening, how to defend themselves and try to get the
story as a gift. Looking back and reading your story on paper, you
best for their children. What role is there for the CLB (Centre for
might discover that something has changed.
Educational Guidance)? What can they offer? However, the central
question of the parents is clear and does not require extreme
efforts, “Engage in conversation, welcome people and make things
RESULTS
negotiable.”
methodology of Storytelling, telling life stories. They told about their
Their hesitation, their uncertainty and their search appears clearly
own experiences with school and learning as a child, about their
through their stories.
Together with the participants we made a journey using the
current experiences with their children and their dreams for the
future. Together they have drawn and mapped the ideal school. And
they listened to each other with great attention!
EVALUATION
• Being filmed, how exciting!
Stories evoke other stories. Storytelling techniques help people
• Storyteller: “I enjoyed the sessions: we had seriousness, jokes,
remember things, evoke images, express themselves. The creative
tears, anger, understanding and a lot of consolation thanks to
part made people work together, find humour and helped to mould
SEMPER who provided the ideal environment for the sessions.”
ideas into a presentable form.
• As the teacher noticed afterwards: “What most pleasantly
surprised me, is the openness with which these parents talked
You could see those people open up and get the courage to speak. By
about their problems. They became confident, you could see
listening to the stories of the others they became conscious that they
them flourish. I also found it surprising that their hopes and
were not alone in their situation. Throughout our meetings the positive
dreams were so realistic and not excessive at all.”
effects of storytelling in a circle became clear: people grow when they
can tell their story, they start to reflect and seize opportunities.
73
RECOMMENDATIONS
Initially there was some suspicion and reservation. For one person it all
came too close and she dropped out.
Now and then the stories about school were emotional. Often, there
has been a negative experience in childhood which may determine
the attitude towards school now.
The story of the children at school is a subject that generates a lot of
emotions. This is where the social vulnerability process emerges: the
past, a certain name, the background ... The parents are not involved
in certain decisions, these take place ‘above their heads’; they don’t
always know what is at stake. Fortunately these stories end well
because at some point these parents have taken their responsibility.
To ask for help though sometimes turns out to be quite a task.
If people are still in the middle of a problem, it’s difficult for them to look
back on it, so selection - in this respect - of the people for this type of
project is important.
74
Story Regions
Storytelling course
HEUSDEN-ZOLDER
The second block of sessions (April – June 2016) were conceived as
a more specific preparation of a storytelling performance within the
context of the Open Day of The Bearhouse in the weekend of 4 and 5
June 2016. In between, there were also presentation opportunities in a
TARGET
primary school and in a community centre for elderly people (April 29).
a means to stimulate their integration in local communities. The
Both sessions consisted of a workshop of 3 hours for a group of
participants come from various local communities and language
some 10 participants each.
The assignment was to coach people in a storytelling activity as
groups.
Storytelling was approached from 2 angles:
The focus of attention has been mainly on the encounter, trust
• On the one hand there is the material, in this case the stories
and self-confidence – participants were invited to tell stories
the people want to tell. These can be either existing stories that
originating from their own community and culture, either in
the participants already know, or stories that emerge from an
Dutch or in their mother tongue.
experience, an anecdote, an improvisation or text fragments.
• On the other hand there is the narrator as a person. Several
elements can be focused on. The relevant aspects differ from
GOAL
person to person and also depend on the situation, but a basic
The initial aim was to try to establish contact between the inhabitants
list can be used to offer opportunities for a personal approach to
of Heusden-Zolder and recently arrived refugees, in various ways.
every single participant.
Points of attention were:
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
• The voice, with all its aspects: pronunciation, voice quality, voice
• Vormingplus Limburg
• The
• Alden Biesen
• Het Berenhuis (The Bearhouse, Heusden-Zolder)
control, intonation, volume, voice placement, etc.
language:
does
the
narrator
speak
his/her
own
language or does (s)he choose Dutch, which is actually
a
foreign
language
(and
this
also
applies
to
people
who usually express themselves in Dutch dialects).
TIME SCALE
In this specific situation the participants were invited to express
The workshops were divided in 2 blocks of 3 sessions each, which
themselves in their mother tongue, which offered quite some
resulted in 3 performances.
variety and resulted in stories in Dutch, English, German, Greek,
Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, French and in the local Dutch dialect.
THE ACTIVITIES
• The body: How do you deal with the specific features of your
body? What is your posture like? How do you sit? How do you
They were planned to result in a presentation of stories as part
walk? Participants are not asked to really change or adjust their
of a meeting day in the refugee centre in Heusden-Zolder. The
body movements. What matters is that they become aware of their
first sessions (February 2016) were an introduction to storytelling
body language the moment they are about to address a group of
techniques. The meeting was informative, artistic and culinary. In
people and tell them a story. By drawing people’s attention to their
the artistic part the storytellers, participants of the workshops, were
attitude, posture and movements, they become more familiar with
given the opportunity to present their stories to the visitors, either in
the possibilities and restrictions of their bodies. They realise that
Dutch or in their mother tongue.
on the one hand they can support and intensify their stories with
their bodies or, on the other hand, that they can almost ’vanish’.
75
A narrator who masters their voice and body can focus more on
the storytelling itself and catch the attention of an audience more
successfully.
2. The sequel: Pair work. Each participant provides their partner
with extra information about themselves and elaborates on their
hobbies, experiences, family, children … This partner will present
the story just heard to the other members of the group.
This brings us to another important part of the workshop:
• The relationship with the audience. Whether you are telling
This fits in with what we all tend to do: we tell people about what we
a story in front of a classroom, a small group of children in a
have heard from others, we pass on stories to each other and serve
childcare or kindergarten or for an association in a parish hall
as intermediaries. In this way stories are spread and the number of
or on stage in front of an enthusiastic audience, whether
people who hear them grows exponentially. It is the oldest form of
you are telling a story to 10 or 300 people, you always create
mass communication, from ear to ear, from mouth to mouth.
a relationship with your public. How do you face them
and how do you expect them to relate to you? What can be learned from this exercise is twofold:
Essential in the workshop is that the participants are approached
as trainees and not as ‘cases’ that need to be evaluated. However,
To what extent do you stick to the original source? Do you
storytelling is a crossroads where art, personality, expression and
(unconsciously) adapt the story? If the aim is to tell the truthful story,
psychology meet. It is about working with people who have all
don’t change anything. But the original story can just trigger your
kinds of sensitivities, experiences and ambitions, and they should
fantasy and result in a new, exciting story. In this case the original story
be taken into account.
is merely a source.
Concrete process of the workshop: Step by step
Secondly, one realises that it is not so easy to tell someone else’s story
1. Introductory story: Each participant introduces himself in a
had learned about each other in the ‘interview’, but did not really turn
nutshell: name, occupation, motives for attending the workshop.
in the form of a real narrative. Most participants just reported what they
it into a story.
Storytelling is similar to writing: it is a skill to reduce your text to its
essence. So the first lesson teaches people to reduce the material,
to keep an audience’s attention by selecting the information
delivered.
3. The story: what turns a text into a story? We have been working
on the importance of structure, form, tension. It teaches people to
‘build up’ a story.
4. An atmosphere of confidence: people perform better when
they trust their public, in this case their fellow participants. People
are given a theme for a story and get comment from the others.
The key word here is appreciation. It is a fact that people tend to
give positive comment on each other. This is kind of them, but not
always correct. People can also learn from feedback on their flaws
and weaknesses. In the course of the workshop you can notice
that participants become more assertive as they gradually realise
what aspects they should pay attention to when telling a story.
5. Rehearsing for a ‘performance’. The participants were asked to
take the floor on three occasions: an event in a centre for refugees
(February 27, 2016), in a school and a community centre for elderly
76
Story Regions
people (April 29, 2016), and during the Open Weekend in ‘Het
was the space in which the stories had to be told.
Berenhuis’, centre of language education for non-native speakers
(June 4 and 5, 2016).
The structure and characteristics of the stories involve aspects
of language, sentence structures, evolution, chronology, tension,
The participants were excited about the challenge of ‘performing’ for
duration, pace…
a strange audience. We worked very hard on some basic aspects of
performing as a storyteller (see above).
The aspects of the voice are intelligibility (articulation), volume, variation,
breath, voice placement, musicality, rhythm... Equally important is the
They had to pay attention to many aspects at the same moment: to
participant’s own language and idioms (formal or informal).
the contents and the way of telling, to their voice, sound, rhythm, the
musicality of words and sentences, humour etc. …
As far as the body is concerned, the posture, movements of
hands, arms and head and the manner of looking, eye contact and
communication are analysed.
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
The approach was artistic rather than educational. By teaching
People learn to use the space: Where do you position yourself? What
people how to tell stories in a creative and thoughtful way, with
does the audience see when they look at you and listen? To what
quality standards, one also contributes to reaching some underlying
extent does the room play a part in your story? Where and how do you
objectives: Social integration and language development as well as the
situate locations and characters? How can people see what you are
personal well-being of each participant. The feeling “I can do this” or
actually telling them?
just “I can do something” is strongly developed by making people do
something that is valuable in itself, rather than when one makes them
feel that the workshop is explicitly meant to just offer them some help.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
The response of the participants suggests they have certainly
appreciated the workshop and that they have learned quite a lot from
RESULTS
these sessions. People were impressed by the evolution they noticed
Obviously the participants’ expectations were as diverse as their
in their own and other participants’ storytelling skills. There was a
backgrounds and starting points. Some participants came from a
positive attitude and willingness to ‘perform’ in the closing session.
teaching context (from child care, kindergarten, primary or secondary
school), or worked in a library. One of them worked as a guide in the
mine in Heusden, one works for Vormingplus, and two of them are the
initiators of The Bearhouse. People were of Belgian, Turkish, Syrian,
EVALUATION
It should be pointed out, however, that the number of participants
Greek and Japanese origin. They all had sufficient knowledge of the
is a crucial factor in a successful storytelling project. When they are
Dutch language to participate. Stories were told in Dutch, Arabic,
too numerous, it is rarely possible for each candidate to take the floor
Turkish, French, Japanese and Italian.
every meeting. Still, the participants were also eager to learn by just
listening to their colleagues. It was challenging and fascinating to work
The coaching started from the individual possibilities of the participants.
with a mixed group of both experienced and inexperienced narrators.
Remarks, suggestions and tips were extended to the other participants.
The focus of attention is the same, but the intensity can vary. Most of
the participants are unlikely to have the ambition to really become
On the one hand the structures and characteristics of the stories
storytellers, but they can actually implement in their work what they
were analysed. On the other hand we worked on the specific ways
have learned during the workshops. In this way, the objectives have
one can use one’s body and voice. Another aspect that was explored
been reached.
77
Italy
Porta Palozzo Stories
TURIN
Since 1998 Porta Palazzo has been the focus of Turin’s major
economic development strategy, called ‘The Gate’. Its overall
message was to convince residents to stay in the neighbourhood
and invest in its future while investing in their own future - hence
the project’s motto, ‘Living, Not Leaving’. Initially financed by the
European Union, the Porta Palazzo project identified the quality
of urban space as an incentive for economic development, as
TARGET
well as the means to resolve high levels of local unemployment
and crime. Unemployment in the neighbourhood stood at 12.8%,
With over one thousand merchants and 700 street vendors,
compared to about 6% in the city as a whole, and barriers to
Porta Palazzo (in Turin, Italy) is a commercial hub whose
formal entry into the labour force pushed many immigrants into
opportunities have always attracted newcomers to the city. This
illegal or informal work, often in the neighbourhood’s daily market.
regular influx of new cultural communities also makes the area
In 2002, the project evolved into a Local Development Agency
an urban lab for cultural integration. In the year 2000, nearly
project involving both public institutions and private partners, and
20% of those living and working in the area were foreign born,
broad community representation. Using a participatory community
compared to the city average of 4%. Today over 45 nationalities
model, the project included the participation and empowerment of
live in this densely populated inner-city neighbourhood.
irregular or unlicensed merchants. This decision was the result of an
assessment which showed that while tensions between the licensed
and unlicensed vendors were at the root of many of the other social,
security and space issues, this group of 300 vendors was a vital part
of the local economy.
GOAL
The pilot had different aims:
• to reinforce a sense of community among the different inhabitants
of the market of Porta Palazzo;
• to “tell” the market of Porta Palazzo through the voice of the
inhabitants of the district to the other citizens of the city;
• to teach storytelling tools to the participants of the project;
• to develop teaching methodology in social storytelling.
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
• The Gate (Local Development Agency);
• Merchants, workers and customers of Porta Palazzo;
• Scuola Holden
TIME SCALE
6 months including preparation. Meetings held once every 2 weeks,
for a total of 3 months.
78
Story Regions
During the meeting the participants listened to each other’s stories,
and then helped by the Holden students, they discussed the
structure of their story.
The Final Presentation
For the end of the project Turin’s citizens have been invited to a final
event in which we will present the different stories of Porta Palazzo.
During these events:
• a group of participants will tell their stories in front of the audience;
a group of actors will play some short monologues;
THE ACTIVITIES
The project has been developed though three steps:
a group of writers will read the stories collected during the project;
a film maker will present a short documentary, divided into two
sessions, about life and work in Porta Palazzo.
Preparation
The first step was to analyse the situation and the different
stakeholders to be involved in the project, both as the focus of the
project and as supporter for the implementation of the initiative.
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
Storytelling is the main methodology that ties all the different
parts of the project together. The common ground will be how to
structure a story, and how to share it with an audience. Following this
The Gate (Local Development Agency) was involved in order to
consideration, part of the project will focus mainly on teaching and
present the project and work together to develop what could be the
developing storytelling techniques for the participants.
weak aspects of the projects and reaching potential participants. The
second step was to select the possible stakeholders to be involved in
the project as participants. A group of students from Scuola Holden
collected stories and organised storytelling lessons for the project.
The Main Activity
With the support of The Gate, students and a teacher from Scuola
Holden met several workers and merchants of Porta Palazzo, asking
them to share their stories. The aim was to collect different stories
from Porta Palazzo, selecting them and deciding what kind of stories
should be used for the project and in which way they will be told (if
directly by them or indirectly by actors or read by readers). Students
and the teacher decided how to collect these stories in two ways:
• help the participants to tell directly their own stories in front of an
audience;
• write the story of the participants.
79
Even though stories had been collected through individual meetings,
during the firsts group meeting everybody collaborated and
participated.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
The contribution to this sector goes in two directions:
• to contribute to the reinforcement of community-building efforts
among the different stakeholders that live and work in the district
of Porta Palazzo;
• to involve other citizens of the City and help them gain a better
knowledge of Porta Palazzo and the people that live in the district.
EVALUATION
Teacher: “What surprised me the most was seeing the care and
the dedication that merchants feel towards the market and their
colleagues, and their will to engage in preserving and improving
Porta Palazzo, in spite of their exhausting working time.”
Scuola Holden’s students: “There are stories everywhere, and every
story has memory and desire, every story carries beauty, a unique
and particular form of beauty.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
“... a world that aspire just to the creation of a fantasy literature flows
into a literature without a single sparkle of imagination, based on the
repetition of formula, because without nourishment of reality, fantasy
dies. And on the other hand, a world that aspire just to have a nonfiction literature finish to lose the sense of reality, and his literature will
seem realistic, but it will be abstract; because without the ferment of
imagination it’s impossible to see things for what they really are.” -Italo
Calvino
RESULTS
“I don’t care about anything, not even names; I care just about
Participants were immediately willing and open, even though for
people.” and “If we ask, before we have to give.” -Riccardo Bellia,
some of them speaking Italian was a problem. Feeling involved in a
textile seller and representative of clothes sellers merchants.
European project, in which their lives, their job, their experiences and
80
their relationships were highlighted, made them proud of themselves
“Even rotten things have a sense of their own.” - Enzo Tutone, chief
and of their stories. They became more open to others.
of cleaning service of Porta Palazzo.
Story Regions
Voci & Volti - Living
Library
TURIN
TIME SCALE
1 year.
THE ACTIVITIES
The project is divided into three phases:
TARGET
The City of Turin structurally handles immigration and inclusion
During this phase a heterogeneous volunteer group was trained with
problems of asylum seekers and refugees from 2001, as local
exercises for collecting and developing the stories.
Authority actuator of SPRAR. During years it reinforced and
increased the network of dedicated services, using both the
Twenty people of different ages, provenance and background took
“Fondo Nazionale per le Politiche e i Servisi dell’asilo” (“National
part to the project. Some of them were a part of a Living Book in
Fund for Politics and Asylum Services”) and additional and
previous editions. The training was led by the project coordinator
periodic European ministerial financing. With the support of the
and storytelling and writing experts, who had become involved for
tertiary sector and voluntary work, the administration promoted
the occasion.
the foundation of “Tavolo Asilo”, a meeting and discussion
place to develop awareness speech for the territory, to increase
the involvement of the network, of the beneficiaries and of
the different public administration compartments, to share
proposals and good training examples.
The growing number of asylum seekers pushed the city to look
for new proposals to innovate the asylum-seeker integration
system, through constant co-planning with authorities, consortia,
cooperatives, associations, voluntary worker organisations and
individual volunteers. In this context the project “Rifugio Diffuso”
takes place, promoting individuals’ and families’ ability to host
one or two asylum seekers or refugees for a maximum period
of one year, to offer the possibility to recreate life projects in the
normal context of everyday life.
From Marta’s diary:
GOAL
Human Library introduction: “We sit in a circle and we don’t know
The main objective of the project is to organise events where
who we are. We ask ourselves what a Human Library is. That
migrants are involved not as “migrants”, but as people.
means ask ourselves the sense of our being here. The idea is to
declare a specific time and a space to exchange our life’s stories
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
to create cohesion, community. Human Library is a living beast
• Città di Torino
and becomes a sort of social simulacrum the more it’s composed
• Scuola Holden
by different biographies, people coming from opposite places and
• Municipale Teatro
directions. We all are here starting from our singularity, needing
• Cooperativa Progetto Tenda
to astonish ourselves of how every single person is fulfilled by
• Mamre
being a connection in the circle, formed by other singularities.”
81
Practical instruction of Bookseller (hearing the empty)
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
It’s not in the Book that collects, nor in the Bookseller that tells
Voci & Volti is totally hinged on storytelling, rooted in autobiographical
or the Listener that hears, and not even in the story itself. The
sense. The origin of the story told by the living book is always
essence of the Human Library is in the empty space between
personal, it tells an anecdote from its life, chosen from a theme
one body and another, where the human meeting takes place.
proposed by the organisation. In the interaction between book and
bookseller the story forms itself, completes itself, takes on precise
2. Second phase: living book identification and stories collection
traits.
This activity was developed by Progetto Tenda, a social
During the project, occasions to tell - and tell ourselves - are created,
cooperative concerned with the inclusion and integration of
occasions that get close to other people and their experiences,
migrants and asylum seekers, and through word of mouth within
underlining the playful and scenic nature of the tale, the pleasure-
the network of partners. In this phase the stories intended for
bond in the desire to tell and hear a story told to us. When we hear
presentation at the event were decided on, refined, and recorded.
a tale we are at the same time in the physical world in which the
“We sit in front of each other and together we form a triangle. We
narration takes place and in the imaginary one in which the story is
try to make clear: what are the most important point a Bookseller
set.
has to keep in mind to collect a story? Anita and I are Italian and
have a common culture, a language accustomed to decode
During the face to face Living Library meeting, the situation appears
just with a few steps. Christiana comes from Africa and simply
to be that one of the speakers starts talking and another one
goes on saying: I don’t understand what we have to do. The
becomes the listener. The first one appears to be the protagonist
concreteness of the internal incomprehension of our triangle is
of the communicative action, but the second one is far from being
an excellent example of how the meeting needs work, brave and
passive and conducts an active function of content interpretation.
exposition to silence and embarrassment, welcome of good
The “reader” who the tale is addressed to can interrupt, asking
and evil for turn them into fuel. It means expose ourselves to the
questions, telling fragments and anecdotes echoing in his own
thrill and the warmth of empty between our body and the other,
memory. Every story refers to other stories and suggests how
believing that we really are there. More or less in the middle.”
everything is tied together and how we are joined to the others.
Narrations multiply our relationship networks, and stories, once
3.Third phase: realisation of a Living Library in a public space
told, forever change the relationship between storyteller and
listener. The story given to the “reader” reports and actualises
The exhibition space was a disused factory where some associations
events, situations and characters bound to the “book-storyteller”,
occasionally organise events, such as Voci & Volti’s photographic/
who while narrating connects all the elements by using a plot, a
artistic exposition about migrants and refugee people.
narrative thread. In the beginning the idea of giving the audience
our own story can be scaring, even though the situation is intimate
and protected, because of the strong sensation that others
could not be interested in what happened to us, what we have
lived through and we may consider of little importance. Often
we are convinced we don’t have the ability to tell, to give an
orderly and sensible form to both everyday life and to exceptional
events that happen and that, most of the time, we recognise
as exceptional only after we share them with someone else.
The story is never written, but told by the Living Book.
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Story Regions
establish dialogue and cohabitation between people with different
backgrounds and stories, supporting relationships and demolishing
categories, to start off a larger “we”, that is new and different from
the total of single subjects.
EVALUATION
Progetto Tenda: “This project attracted us: it allows people to
become protagonists, sharing with other people their own stories; it
allows them to to be heard as human beings and not as “delegate”
of an abstract and stereotyped category (foreign person, refugee,
Muslim…); it gives the opportunity to come out from close-knit
During the event, to preserve the metaphor of the library, the book is
communities to start a relationships with other people.”
read/heard by one person at a time (for 4/5 times during the day). The
repetition in front of different “readers” changes the story, makes it
For Mamre the Living Library is an instrument able to keep hearts and
adjust to the relationship between the book-storyteller and the reader.
minds open to knowing, to meeting and to mutual respect, beyond
the prejudice and discrimination that inevitably fill our minds. People
talk about themselves sharing emotions and intimate experiences
RESULTS
with the reader and, by then talking about them, they give value
From the final evaluation of cooperative of Progetto Tenda:
to that particularly significant moment. That’s why many people
Storytelling is a fantastic tool for inclusion and enhancing self-
involved as psychologists, anthropologists and cultural mediators,
perception as a person taking part in a larger citizens’ community,
participated in the project both as “booksellers/collectors” and
which is a patchwork of individual and collective stories, some of
as “books” with their own story. Everybody felt the importance of
which are “Italian” stories migrants could have never imagined.
sharing a significant aspect of their life. Giving value to stories means
Parliamentary Library started professional collaborations, too: Some
recognising them, giving them to other people and making them part
refugees, after their participation as “books”, felt so comfortable that
of our own lives.
they decided to test themselves as “booksellers”, and after that they
decided to be reader, taking friends and countrymen with them to
hear stories. This is, for us, storytelling’s quintessence: demolishing
RECOMMENDATIONS
It’s essential for those who are invited not to think that they are
previous limits to produce new and comprehensive spaces, able to
interesting just because they are exotic, foreign or victims. This
welcome and join stories and people.
starting point is very important also in establishing a relationship with
the book and during the collection of the story, that means when
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
the book meets his bookseller and they try together to define story’s
Listening and telling are activities supposing the ability to establish
details, the plot if needed, they find a title and write a few lines for
a relationship, to build bonds, to take care, to create community, to
the summary. Immediately they feel involved as individuals and not
search for possible ways to live together in the same city, interpreted
merely as belonging to a group.
as a place to live in and community space where everybody can
express their own identity, entrenchment, solidarity and individual
and collective responsibility.
Working with refugee people means also working hard to
83
Sweden
Storytelling VUX
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
• Vux in Skellefteå municipality
• Region Västerbotten
SKELLEFTEÅ
TARGET
TIME SCALE
1 June – 31 Dec 2015.
• Adult students at Grund Vux, 3 classes (25 x 3) doing their
studies in Swedish, a second language context.
• 3 teachers, who are not so familiar with storytelling
techniques.
GOAL
To develop useful storytelling tools, for the students to succeed in
their courses and for the teachers:
• Vux: to take an active part in the learning process, to develop
useful tools for themselves, to reflect on their own learning
process. To evaluate the students and see in what way storytelling
is helping them in their learning process, and in the social context.
So they will get a picture of their own learning process and the
students’ learning process.
• Region Västerbotten: Educate, develop and phase out. Give
THE ACTIVITIES
The first step was to organise a teachers training, making plans for
storytelling in classes with the Storytelling Master.
the teachers workshops in storytelling, give them tools to use in
The second step was to involve the school students, bringing
class, and invite them to develop new tools, inspire them to use
Storytelling in classes once a week for two months.
storytelling in class. And work together with them in the classes,
As evaluation of the activity a meeting with the teachers was held
using storytelling. Reflect together.
after ending the classes, reflecting and making plans for next time.
Facebook was used to create a group where participants share and
learn conversation, ideas, articles and films.
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
Storytelling is the main part of the project, 100 % role.
Storytelling exercises have been used as a tool for grammar, and for
building confidence to use a new language in society, connected to
literature and writing. Other exercises have been built from life stories
and folk tales, and also from stories/legends that are connected to
their own countries and cultures. The stories built a bridge between
what was left behind and what is in the new country. The storyteller
and the teachers told a traditional story, every week.
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Story Regions
RESULTS
The teachers have implemented the storytelling tools in their didactic
methodology, and the headmaster has shared the knowledge and the
experiences in a seminar and workshop at a national conference for
VUX in Sweden. The school has now created a special “Storytelling
Room” and Storytelling is now implemented in the curriculum.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
The teachers are open minded about new methods, and they want to
give the students the best tools to find their way through education,
reaching the goals for the courses. They are also interested in taking
part in the local community to work in cooperation with others
outside the school.
The headmaster says: “We need your stories (the refugees’ stories)
to open up Swedish society, because integration is not a one way
street, it is both ways.”
EVALUATION
The teachers and students at Vux met the Storyteller Rose-Marie
Lindfors once a week during two months. Every session ended with
an evalutation: Some quotes from the students:
• “I have never spoken aloud in class, but now I do it.”
• “I can be who I want to be.”
• “I have got a tool to train my memory.”
• “We talked to each other, practicing together, then it is easier to
do it in the community as well.”
• And from the teachers:
• “Strengthened confidence when it comes to tell stories by many
of the students who were involved in the project.
• “Storytelling creates pride, the desire to communicate increases,
more laughter.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Pilot has been a success. Storytetelling is now implemented in
the curriculum and used as a tool for new students. The success
factor has been to embed the storytelling method to all stakeholders;
from politicians, via directors, headmasters, to teachers and
students.
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Storytelling at Edelvik
Folkhögskola
BURTRÄSK
TIME SCALE
June – December 2015.
THE ACTIVITIES
The first step was to organise a teacher-training session, followed by
TARGET
a full day workshop involving two drama and film teachers.
who have had a tough time in the public school system - they
The second step was to develop tools for weekly reflections on the
have several artistic courses like Film Production, Theatre (acting
learning process for each teacher, adapted to suit their fields.
The folk high school in its general courses often has students
on stage), Arts and Crafts, Visual Arts, Textile Art and Ceramics.
In this school, Storytelling has been already used, but mainly
as performing art. The goal is for storytelling permeate into the
whole school, using it as a tool in adult learning.
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
Several storytelling tools have been used during the process: artistic,
life stories, folk tales, myths, legends, fiction, as well as stories that
are connected to biology, physics, geography, maths, chemistry,
The first target group is made up of students who struggle with
learning, they have often failed in school, and need a new way.
They are not good in reading and writing, they need to gather
all their courage to raise their voice, to dare to tell a whole story.
To connect facts to their own story. Be free in their minds. Find
methods for memorisation. Be more social. Face reality.
The second target group is made up of teachers: To raise their
awareness of the power of storytelling in this environment. To
increase the skills of a storyteller, and discover how they can
use storytelling in every course. They too need to dare, open
up, and be confident in using storytelling: to create room for
improvisation and trust. A different way for meeting each other
and to expand their imagination.
GOAL
• To create a “storytelling school”.
• To be confident in using Storytelling as a tool in the whole school .
• To give the students more tools to succeed in the courses and
subjects.
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
• Edelvik folkhögskola
• Region Västerbotten
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history, religion, social studies and language (English and Swedish).
Story Regions
EVALUATION
After every session with the teachers the were evaluations. Some
reflections:
• “We have received many new ideas about how you can work
between courses, more an interdisciplinary approach.”
• “ I have noticed that the exercises could be a way to break
into the longer processes, to start something new, to change
perspective.”
• “We have learned to know each other in a new way. Can it then
mean that the same thing can happen in classes among students
if we use storytelling more?”
RESULTS
At Edelvik college, teachers prepared their own methods to
use in their own teaching. Yet there was also interest in sincere
cooperation between the courses, the teachers want to make more
RECOMMENDATIONS
The teachers are now much more interested to use storytelling in
their education. But it is a long process, and one recommendation
is to prolong a project like this in order to really imbed a storytelling
approach in education.
use of narrative techniques. Storytelling has been a successful
process that has given them the courage to try new paths. Where
they previously delegated to a teacher who is a professional
storyteller, today they have confidence in their own storytelling
ability.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
The teachers are now more open-minded about new methods, and
have created new bridges between them, where they are trying ways
of using narrative techniques in teaching.
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Poland
My story
BIELSKO BIALA
TIME SCALE
From September 2015 to January 2016
THE ACTIVITIES
The first step was to organise workshops on storytelling techniques
and story preparation. The role of stakeholders was divided in the
TARGET
following way:
Physically impaired and deaf people from the Polish Association
• The storytellers told their stories in different environments;
of Deaf and Sheltered Workshop in The Grodzki Theatre (ZAZ).
• The cooperating organisations gave feedback about the
They need to be heard, noticed by “outsiders” - organisations,
methodology & issues presented by storytellers in order to
companies, the community of non-impaired people. They want
establish cooperation and to enlarge the education methodologies
to talk about....
using storytelling
• Themselves;
• Overcoming weakness accompanying their disability;
• Joy from their work;
THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
The main storytelling tools that were used concerned telling life
• Childhood and adulthood in relation to disability;
stories. The main idea was to show how storytelling:
• Architectonic barriers;
• affects the audience;
• Their lives among non-impaired people – identity & self-esteem;
• opens up marginalised groups;
• differs from daily communication.
GOAL
RESULTS
• to integrate physically-impaired and deaf people and build
raising awareness among young people who will shape our future. It
The main goal of the pilot project was:
cooperation between different organisations;
• to boost self-esteem and optimism among disabled people;
The project brought new perspectives to disabled people’s lives,
also developed psychosocial skills’ as well as cooperation between
different organisations.
• to strengthen belief in “the sense of my life, my story for me and
others”;
• enhance belief in the sense of being a member of community;
• to raise societal awareness about disability and its consequences;
• to unite people from different vocational levels e.g. a director of
organisation and disabled person, bringing further cooperation
between organisations;
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
• It increased in empathy the “outsiders”, as participants learned
about disabled people’s lives from a different perspective
• It contributed to the development of new teaching paths and
universities’ cooperation with NGOs;
• It increased more disability-oriented architectural plans;
• It enhanced the eagerness and courage of disabled people to go
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
• The Grodzki Theatre (ZAZ, WTZ)
• City Council – Education & Urban and Architecture Department
• Schools
• Cultural Centres
• NGOs
• Companies – architects
• Universities
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outside and tell their stories;
Story Regions
My experience of being
“working mum”
BIELSKO BIALA
GOAL
The goal was to create a storytelling pilot project to enable mothers
to speak about their fears and dilemmas in relation to motherhood
and work.
TARGET
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
to share the experience of their current dilemmas: returning to
• Birth School
work or staying with their children at home, or breastfeeding in
• Business – Coaching Club
public places.
• NGOs, including those organising The Festival of Parenthood in
They want to talk about....
• Universities
The main target is mothers on maternity leave. They might need
• The Grodzki Theatre (ZAZ, WTZ)
Bielsko-Biala
• Themselves – how their lives as mums are affected by
societal/economic demands;
• Their choice of whether to go back to work or stay at home;
TIME SCALE
From January 2016 to March 2016
• How this choice is motivated: externally or intrinsically e.g.
being under pressure to come back to work due to job
contract requirements;
THE ACTIVITIES
Workshops on storytelling techniques & stories’ preparation
• Their fear of being discriminated against as working mums
by employers;
• Being ashamed to be seen breastfeeding in public places;
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THE STORYTELLING APPROACH
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
Laughter, good friendly laughter is an excellent companion during
The participants’ storytelling adventure did not end together with the
storytelling attempts.
workshop but will last longer, as informal groups continue and new
It’s worth graduating the difficulty of the
proposed exercises. Start with something easy, preferably something
that doesn’t require any external knowledge. This may be a series
of stories about, for instance, childhood, favourite dish, favourite
scenery, smell, taste...
There are sometimes crises during a workshop. It is crucial not to
leave the participants with a feeling of inner fracture, but also not to
press anyone when they don’t want to tell stories.
RESULTS
Usually, a storytelling workshop ends with a collaborative
presentation in a public space during which the workshops’
participants tell chosen stories. But it doesn’t always have to be this
way. In the case of working with young mothers it turned out to
be impossible. The reason for this were the special conditions in
the group (distractions caused by the presence of small children)
and the rotation of participants (caused by children getting sick etc.).
We quickly realised that what “young mothers” really wanted was
simply to meet other “young mothers” and share their experiences.
Traditional stories were a catalyst that triggered specific subjects
which put motherly experiences in order.
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mothers join.