Powerful Stuff

There are four participants in my workshop this week. A wide age and ability range but with the small number I hope to give each one the individual attention they will need. We are surrounded by talent here in Harrogate and to take advantage of what’s in offer in other workshops we are joining the writing group for a couple of sessions and a voice coach is going to help with reading and recording our scripts. By the end of the week we will be producing a show on the theme if Powerful Stuff. I will be encouraging my group of storytellers to engage with the theme by exploring the power of their personal narratives to transform. I was encouraged by the Roughshod performances last night. Roughshod is a group of actors who devise their own shows and take their review around the country to churches, schools, community groups and prisons. In the process they develop their skills and face the challenge of working in a small team in often demanding circumstances. Long distances in a van, living in each other’s pockets is a challenge in itself long before they take to the stage. At the beginning of their engagement I work with Roughshod and help them find their personal stories. I use similar storycircle techniques to those in my digital storytelling workshops. Some of their stories are later developed to become short sketches, performed on the Roughshod tour. Last night I watched a performance of those personal stories. Powerful Stuff. A good example of what I want my participants to realise this week as they create their digital stories. A different form but potentially just as effective.