Dates: Tuesday, October 22nd OR Thursday, October 24th

Location:  Joan Kroc Community Center, 6753 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92115, Community Room

Website: https://storytellersofsandiego.org/

ast week, we discussed art and took a look at the ways in which humans have expressed themselves. This week, we turn to another art form that humans have used for centuries: story telling. Stories serve a multitude of purposes; they are told for entertainment, informational, and educational purposes. Stories pre-date writing and in many cultures, storytelling is the way in which culture and history are passed down through generations. Often, stories are accompanied by physical art, like cave drawings. But oral storytelling, using voice and gestures, is likely almost as old as language itself. 

Oral storytelling can take many forms: epic poems, chants, rhymes, songs, fairy tales, prayers, proverbs, and instructions. But storytelling, regardless of form, follows some basic principles:

• Storytelling is interactive

Storytelling needs a teller and a listener or listeners. The responses of those listening influences the telling of the story. Storytelling differs from other forms of art and performance because it does not use an imaginary ‘fourth wall’ between the actors and the audience. Instead, the storyteller relies on audience interaction to continue telling the story. 

• Storytelling uses words

It needs language, either spoken or manual, like American Sign Language. Language distinguishes storytelling from other arts like dance or miming. 

• Storytelling uses actions

The actions can include vocalization, physical movement, and/or gesture. These movements distinguish storytelling from writing and text-based computer interactions. Nonverbal language doesn’t have to be present extensively. Some storytellers use body movement extensively, while others use little to none.

• Storytelling presents a story

Many art forms present a story, but do not use the other components (plays and videos are good examples). Storytelling presents a narrative combined with the other elements. But what is recognized as a story in one culture might not be one in another. Some cultures see stories as being spontaneous and playful, while others may want near-exact repetition of a revered piece of text. Art like poetry recitation or stand-up comedy might sometimes tell a story but other times do not. 

• Storytelling encourages active imagination from the listeners

With storytelling, the listener imagines the story. Theater or film asks the audience to simply witness the characters and events in the course of the story, while stories ask that they imagine them. The audience must actively work to create the images, actions, characters, and events of the story in their mind, making them co-creators of the story itself, using their own experiences, beliefs, and understandings. 

Storytelling happens anywhere and everywhere; the kitchen table, the religious building, around the water cooler, and in more formal venues. Storytelling is cross-cultural and represents a myriad of ways in which people connect with others. 

From National Geographic, here are the basic elements of telling a story (though we often walk through these steps without even thinking about them):

To read a short article about Storytelling and Cultural Traditions, click here: 

To watch a 5 minute video about how one educator is integrating podcasting and storytelling into her social studies classroom, click here: 

The Storytellers of San Diego

The Storytellers of San Diego is a non-profit, public benefit corporation of storytellers and storytelling enthusiasts dedicated to promoting storytelling as an art form in our area. Their mission is to promote the art of oral storytelling, to support and inspire storytellers, and to serve as a resource for storytelling in San Diego. Their goals are:

• To increase awareness of and appreciation for storytelling as an art form in a variety of settings: entertainment venues, educational institutions, health care facilities, community organizations, non-profit organizations and for profit businesses.

• To provide opportunities for participation in storytelling for all children and adults, from beginners to professionals, through classes, workshops, story swaps, concerts and storytelling festivals.

• To encourage the use of storytelling to bring together diverse populations in the community and promote cross-cultural understanding.

• To serve as a source of information on the art of storytelling and storytelling events in the San Diego area. 

To read more about their organization and ways to see them around the county, check out their website here: https://storytellersofsandiego.org/index.html

To see their upcoming events, scroll on to view their latest flyers!
Can’t wait to see you all this week at the Joan Kroc Center for an in-person lesson on Storytelling!

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/storytelling-x/

https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/