DISCOVERING YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGH STORYTELLING

Finding vision and values with storytelling.

Storytelling & Story Circle Processes

Story circles are a useful tool for sharing ideas, themes, disagreements or other concepts with individuals or a community group. These circles are used to create a place for participants to express their individual stories or ideas and create a mentor like space for those dealing with difficult issues. In these circles people learn to empathize with others and learn from them. Story circles are also places where people can practice or share their stories and receive feedback. The story circle is similar to a film preview used by film producers to find out how audiences react to the storyline and how it could be improved.  The feedback is as much on how the content is being shown as on the content itself.  This can create healthy dialogue and gives the storyteller new insights into their story. This feedback is what helps the storyteller re-examine their place and gives them a chance to recreate and update or change their story. 

Story circles can assist with:

• Organizing thoughts and help sort through sometimes uneasy feelings;
• Be therapeutic and encourage people to analyze events and relationships and put them into context;
• Can lead to individuals changing their thoughts;
• They help the storyteller learn the meaning of their story by giving different view points;
• Can turn a negative story into a positive one which can lead to personal change;
• The teller can recreate their story by helping them to find, shape and change their place in history;

The main function of the story circle is: you can’t change what happened, but you can change where you stand in relation to that story.