Look back: Storytelling Sessions
Story telling workshop
Storytelling Sessions - Image Credit: Francisco Vicaria
Over the summer, as part of our Communities and Neighbourhood's programme, we hosted a series of free storytelling and movements session for parent/carers living in or around local neighbourhood, Stapleton Road.
The sessions where developed by Hibaq and Suad, who have recently joined the Trinity Team as Community Connectors. Community Connectors activate conversations with residents living within Trinity's locality which in turn help shape activities at Trinity.
Keen to encourage local families to spend creative time together during the summer break from school, Hibaq and Suad devised a four week programme of free-to-access activities that used storytelling and movement to explore and share stories of culture and heritage. Hibaq and Suad then invited families whose children attend local primary school, Easton CE Academy (one of three schools in the Cultural Alliance) to come along.
"I’ve had a lot of things on my mind this week, but here I forget everything, I relax" - Feedback, Participant, Storytelling Sessions
During the sessions parents and children took part in singing traditional songs, creating movement and dances. Hester Welch, the lead artist during the sessions, observed that during the sessions "families explored different ways of uncovering and sharing stories, building confidence in themselves and their surroundings, and celebrating these skills".
As well as using storytelling and movement to create connections between mothers and children, the sessions allowed space for women to have 'focus time' - a space to connect and express themselves in a calm, quiet environment while their children happily worked together elsewhere, creating dances and artwork to share back to them.
Across the four week project, we welcomed 45 participants from 12 families - all of whom live within a 20min walk of the Trinity Centre.
Read more about our commitment to celebrating, platforming and developing community creativity or find out what events are coming up as part of our Community & Neighbourhoods programme, including storytelling, singing, craft and drama drop-in workshops at our September Garden Party.
