An opportunity for disabled people based in Scotland to develop storytelling skills and learn about how those skills can be useful .
Overview
Sensing Stories is a creative development project delivered in partnership with Scottish International Storytelling Festival and Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland. It was run across two years, with one group working in 2021 and another group working in 2022.
Sensing Stories was open to any disabled person aged eighteen or over, and who is based in Scotland who could benefit from at least one of the following:
- Developing an interest in live performance
- Developing an interest in a new artistic and life learning skill
- Developing new ways of expression, be it personal or artistic
- Engaging with a creative community
The participants didn’t have to have a background in the arts, and through the online sessions, they were able to learn some simple techniques used by storytellers to speak confidently and effectively, and to keep an audience engaged.
What is Storytelling?
Storytelling is at the root of human connection. Our stories are the threads which connect us to each other, but are also expressions of our differences. Storytelling stimulates the imagination and builds a sense of community between tellers and listeners, helping us understand our environment and personal experiences. The stories of disabled people have historically been missing from Scottish culture – BOP and SISF are passionate about ensuring these stories are heard more widely.
The storytelling sessions explored areas including effective use of voice and breath, considering how to incorporate other senses, how to engage live audiences. In addition to storytelling, these are useful skills for experiences and activities, such as: public speaking engagements and job interviews.
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