We all enjoy stories. Even as adults we pursue them through the varied expressions of music, art and films. But it is when we are children that the delight of a story, even the simplest one is akin to an adventure. It's the medium through which parents and teachers begin to introduce the world and its concepts to the younger generation. This makes it an important teaching tool to explore and better.
This is why British Council's forthcoming storytelling workshop feels it necessary to reach out to primary teachers and trainers.
To be held on September 30 at British Library, the four-hour long session will be conducted by Godfrey Duncan or TUUP (pronounced ‘Toop’).
A Londoner, Duncan has been a professional storyteller since 1981 when he started West London Storytelling Unit along with Ben Haggarty and Daisy Keable. The set soon gained popularity and got to be known as ‘Crick Crack Club’. Duncan has travelled widely with his style of storytelling that relies heavily on improvisation.
"Duncan and Nell Phoenix, another British storyteller, are visiting India as part of the International Storyteller Festival (British Council has partnered with Nivesh India to support this) that is being held in New Delhi from September 25 to 29. The Council is organising workshops and performances by them at their nine locations spread across India. Duncan is on the southern leg of the tour and will visit Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai," says Purnima Krishna, who is coordinating the festival for British Council's Bangalore office.
This is the second edition of the festival. "Last year, when we hosted a similar workshop we realised that though a variety of people, aside of teachers, are interested and would like to learn more on storytelling, the varied attendance diluted and diverted the focus," says Krishna reasoning why the Council is calling out particularly to teachers to register.
"Curricula in city schools now ranges from local to international, so teaching methods are constantly evolving. Storytelling supplements teaching skills. In that, it is now well established that simply reading out to young students without knowing how they are absorbing the details is old school. What has proven effective is involving the audience in the story telling, introducing body language, music and some play acting. For young minds, visual impressions stay on longer. It is these storytelling tools and styles that the workshop will dwell on," says Krishna.
Aware that not all teachers or trainers may feel bold enough to enact a story, that some may be inhibited by their softer voices or lack of acting skills, Krishna says that the workshop's target is exactly this kind of teacher.
The workshop that will start at 1.30 pm will be follwed by a performance by Duncan at 6.30.
For gain more details call on 22489220 or email bl.bangalore@in.britishcouncil.org