The Power of Short Film
A well made short film is like a poem, it leaves room in it for the unfolding of many different stories. Vinko Totic, a soft-spoken man who knows first-hand the ravages of civil war has devoted his life to spreading peace and compassion. When I lived in Ottawa, I knew him best as a organizer [...]
Telling Stories of Africa in Film
Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, a Canadian who has worked on international issues, and is discovering the power of stories in shaping perspectives and prompting actions. The stories we in North America hear about Africa are usually bleak. My recent scans of news headlines have told me about “violence,” “starvation,” and “political crisis,” but [...]
Being Inspired by Contemporary Oral Storytelling at Newbattle Abbey College
Two weeks after I moved to Edinburgh last September, I found myself down at Newbattle Abbey College, attending the first weekend of their Contemporary Oral Storytelling professional development programme. I signed up because I wanted to hone my storytelling skills and because I thought it would be a great way to find out how storytelling [...]
Storylistening Podcasts Launched
I have finally posted my first two podcasts: a two-part interview with French storyteller Fiona MacLeod. I caught up with Fiona MacLeod, a storyteller from Brittany, France, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre where she was storyteller in residence for the month of February. While in Scotland she facilitated a workshop on Contemplation, Story and Pathways [...]
Collective Encounters: Liverpool Arts Group Uses Theatre for Social Change
It’s an exciting time to be involved in arts for social change with so much going on. I recently found out about a group in Liverpool called Collective Encounters that uses theatre as a tool for social change. Professional actors and community members collaborate to create dramatic pieces that explore lives and issues that are [...]
Re-storying the Middle East: Starhawk’s Plea in Dark Times
Starhawk blends spirituality, story and activism in a completely grounded way. I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop with her in Montreal during the lead up to the Quebec City Protests of 2001. I was impressed by her presence, her compassion, her insight and her commitment. I highly recommend taking one of her trainings [...]
Re-storying Cities: the Glasgow 2020 Project
What can be learned by inviting citizens to re-story their cities? This was a question posed by Demos, a British think tank for “everyday democracy.” From my perspective, the most interesting finding to come out of the experiment was the utility of the re-storying process itself. By engaging citizens in creative ways, a diversity of [...]
