Description: Storytelling is a unique human skill shared between people and ordinary conversation is full of anecdotes and real life stories. It is one of our oldest artforms. It brings words and the world to life together, stimulates the imagination, and builds a sense of community between tellers and listeners.
“The story is told eye to eye, mind to mind, and heart to heart.” — Scottish Traveller Proverb
The emphasis in traditional storytelling is as much on the telling as the story. Stories are recreated by the teller at each telling and passed on through generations.
People of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures can communicate through storytelling. Storytelling is also a valuable tool in education, language development, therapy, and in building racial equality and religious respect.
Target Audience: Adults and children alike
Who Gets Involved: Any researcher, Any topic
What Could I do? Attend a course, collaborate with a storyteller, invent and tell your own story etc.
Example event: Tell-a-story Day – a the national celebration of oral storytelling, when all over Scotland people will be making, sharing and listening to stories in schools, libraries, community centres, churches, hospitals, homes, gardens – and some more unusual venues! The 2012 event took place on Fri 26th Oct. see http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/festival/tasd.asp.
Timescale: Variable according to project you get involved in.
Benefits: Storytelling is a traditional and highly effective method of communicating ideas to both children and adults.
To Find Out More: http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/