This is the first part of a group storytelling project conducted in two year 11 classes with the aim of developing their pronunciation and presentation skills.

As it took place in March-April 2021, it had to be carried out entirely online due to the pandemic situation, which made it impossible for us to get together for live rehearsals and performances. Still, creativity was not stifled despite the fact that we had to use only digital resources and did not have access to very high-quality technology or equipment. In a nutshell, social distancing did not stop us from completing most of what we had in mind, and all the performers tried very hard to popularize Bulgarian folk tales.

The main resource used was the book "Folk tales & fables from Bulgaria" (Via Lettera, Sofia, 2019), translated from Bulgarian by Diana Nikolova.

The students from 11 a & 11 b were divided into teams and asked to select 1-2 tales from the three groups in the book: magical tales, popular folk tales & animal fables. They then had to decide how they would like to present their stories, and as can be seen below, no two presentations are the same.

This stage was followed by rehearsals, recording their voices and/or performance of their stories. Some of the groups turned their recordings into short videos, some chose to illustrate them themselves, so everybody's creative talent came into use.

Each group then had to think of a short task for the listeners/viewers of their tale. which was to be included in their visual presentation.

The stories were first presented by the teams in front of their classes, who also had to evaluate each team's performance and presentation.

At the end, all students had to complete a short self-evaluation questionnaire in Google classroom. Their responses show that although they found the task quite difficult, most of them are quite pleased with their final product and found the project enjoyable.

As their teacher, I must say that I am also satisfied because most of them tried really hard and although they are not all at the same level of performance, everyone aimed at improving their skills, which is why I think they deserve to be praised.

We all hope you will enjoy their versions of those well-known Bulgarian folk tales!