Serendipity Storytelling Project in Schools

In the Autumn term 2009 two local Surrey storytellers, Janet Dowling and Alex Somerville, worked with one secondary school – the Beacon, and three of its feeder primary schools - Tadworth, Epsom Downs and Shawley schools.

The aim for all four schools was to develop storytelling skills, and for the primary schools to use the storytelling to address some of the “transition to secondary school” issues. The completion of the project would be for members of the secondary school project, to give a storytelling concert to the members of the primary school project.

The secondary pupils met for 10 sessions with a local storyteller. In addition, they had an extra workshop with another storyteller who had previously been a finalist in the National Young Storyteller of the Year competition in 2007 and who is now carving himself an international reputation.  There were initially 16 pupils, but by the end of the project there were 9 who performed at the schools concert.

One of these, Charlie Goodair, went on to represent the project at the Young Storyteller of the Year competition in March 2010. To see Charlie in action click here.   For the “Young Storyteller of the Year” competition web site click here. Charlie Goodair has since been invited to tell at several adult storytelling venues.

The teachers in the Beacon School aim to use storytelling skills to support the pupils in the individual presentation they do for GCSE Oral  English.

The focus with the three primary schools was to use storytelling as a way to look at some of the transition issues to secondary schools. The children listened to and retold traditional tales with a focus on helping “King Arthur” cope with becoming King (the metaphor of moving from the small castle to the big castle for the transition to secondary school), and making up their own stories to support “him”. Each school had 20-24 children one morning a week for four weeks with a storyteller, with the teachers and assistant present.

To view a Summary Report for the Senendipity  click here. To view this file you will need a  Portable Document Format (PDF) reader installed on your computer; this can be downloaded free from Adobe.

In the Surrey Confederations of Schools Newsletter there is also a report on the Serendipity Project - to view click here.

If your school, youth club, PRU or other organisation for young people, would be interested in developing a similar project – please contact:

• by e-mail click here.
• by telephone call Janet Dowling on 07834 194215.
  

Foundation for the Serendipity Project.

Proposal
To develop oral storytelling across Surrey for children and young people by piloting a project for young people in schools in Epsom & Ewell, in collaboration with the Surrey Storytellers Guild.

We are looking for two schools to take part in this project in autumn 2009. We would like to work with 15-18 years old to link in with the Young Storyteller of the Year competition, but will consider working with younger pupils. The storytellers who will be involved in this project all have experience of running similar projects. The cost for preparation and participation at one day a week over 10 weeks for each school is £3500. To help offset this cost, we have been given a grant from Awards for All so that the cost to the schools would be £2500. If you would like more details please contact Janet Dowling on 07834 194215.

Aims:

• To raise the profile of storytelling in Surrey.
• To engage schools and teachers in workshops to support curriculum delivery for oral, reading and emotional literacy.
• To develop storytelling skills to promote cultural awareness and celebrate diversity.
• To promote the Young Storyteller of the Year competition to young people as a progression route.
• To produce a high profile event that ties in with National Storytelling
  Week 2010.
•  To develop skills of participants and practitioners.
• To establish a model that can be rolled out across the county for use with mainstream and hard to reach communities.

National perspective:

• National Curriculum Speaking and Listening skills.
• MLA is developing storytelling in museums, linking it to 2012 cultural events.
• National Storytelling Week each year in February focuses events.
• Young Storyteller of the Year competition offers a progression route.
• Arts Council National Objectives.
  
  
  

Proposed Content - Schools:

• Modelled on the successful ‘Young Tongues’ project for 15-25 year olds in the West Midlands, the project will engage 2 schools in a series of ten storytelling workshops, developing children and young people’s skills.
• There will be two preliminary planning meetings with the storyteller for each school, a review meeting mid project, and a final evaluation meeting.
• Sessions will run during the school day in class time.
• The storyteller will attend the school for one day a week for 10 weeks, working with one group in the morning and another group in the afternoon. Max 15 in each group.
• Workshops will link to National Storytelling Week in February 2010 and a local festival to showcase skills.

Benefits:

Young people will learn:

• new skills in structuring a story.
• develop creative thinking and imagination.
• will be encouraged to explore their own opinions.
• learn how to effectively communicate those ideas.
• develop skills in public speaking.

Teachers will engage with storytelling as a curriculum tool for areas such as:

• literacy.
• emotional literacy.
• thinking skills.
• citizenship.
• communication skills.
• development of creativity.

Young people will benefit from:

• the use of creative methodology in curriculum delivery resulting in enhanced attainment.
• increased student retention and development of confidence in self-expression, coming from the experience of having one’s own ideas listened to by an audience.
• being made aware of further opportunities available to develop their skills.

Storytelling Practitioners will benefit from:

• working in their local community, establishing and developing relationships.
• Scope for professional development of practitioners.
• working with teaching professionals to gain skills and experience.

Steering Group

The project will be managed by a Steering Group comprising:

1. Surrey Arts Drama Development Officer.
2. Janet Dowling – Storyteller & Chair of Surrey Storytellers Guild.
3. Teacher from secondary school.
4. Teacher from primary school.
5. Libraries colleague.
6. Museums colleague.
7. Representative from Epsom and Ewell Borough.

Support and advice will be available from Roi Gann of the School of Storytelling at Emerson College, Sussex , and the University of Sussex

For more details contact Janet Dowling by e-mail.

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