Supporting storytelling
A lot of my work fits under the very broad heading of 'storytelling'.
Storytelling is a word that can make us remember being read to, or being told a story that someone has made up. But storytelling can also mean other things. It can include how people and organisations share their experiences, their hopes, and their values. And, storytelling can mean you telling a story about your own life. This is sometimes also called life history, or life stories. (Other ways of describing these sorts of stories includes 'real life' or 'true life' stories, and 'autobiographical storytelling'.)
I support organisations and individuals to tell and share stories in lots of different ways. Here are some examples.
A lot of my work fits under the very broad heading of 'storytelling'.
Storytelling is a word that can make us remember being read to, or being told a story that someone has made up. But storytelling can also mean other things. It can include how people and organisations share their experiences, their hopes, and their values. And, storytelling can mean you telling a story about your own life. This is sometimes also called life history, or life stories. (Other ways of describing these sorts of stories includes 'real life' or 'true life' stories, and 'autobiographical storytelling'.)
I support organisations and individuals to tell and share stories in lots of different ways. Here are some examples.
Workshop Leaders
In November 2020, I worked remotely with Georgie Steele on her project with family carers in her village, sharing their stories of life in lockdown during Covid-19.
Georgie's a professional storyteller. She and I planned the workshops together and discussed visual ideas for filming the stories, which Georgie did using her iPhone. Click here for the finished film - Lockdown Cinderella. Click here to find out more about Georgie's work as a storyteller and theatre maker. |
Individual Storytellers
Between December 2020 and April 2021 I was the Storyteller for Community Catalysts' project, Valuable and Vulnerable. This project wanted to change the story of 'vulnerable' people who've been shielding to also tell the 'valuable' story of how people also contribute to life, and want to do so in the future.
This involved me talking ('phone and Zoom) with people who'd chosen to share stories about what they were doing, or planning to do; exploring how to tell the story; writing and editing. You can read their stories here - and see the whole interactive report here. |
Organisations
The LAC Network commissioned me to work with two of their Local Area Coordination network members - Thurrock, and Suffolk - at the end of 2017. We explored, in workshops and discussions, many elements of storytelling.
Generally, staff are sharing stories about the people they've worked with: stories about those they've supported to find and make new local connections to pursue interests and enable them to share and develop their talents. This is a slightly different part of storytelling where one of the key questions is, whose story is this? |
