'Storyknowing' symposium now open for bookings!

Can a symposium on research be a kind of research itself? Can it bring together in dialogue all the different kinds of experts in storytelling with young people - that is, storytellers and practitioners, researchers, teachers, professionals and of course young people themselves?  And can it actually 'publish' its findings in a way that contributes to a much bigger dialogue?  In April we will find out, at 'Storyknowing: A Festival and Symposium of Storytelling and Theatre with Young People'.

So far the indications are promising.  As well as a 'call for papers', we took the unusual step of issuing a 'call for workshops' - asking facilitators to think their way around the issues at the interface between adolescents and storytelling, and make proposals.  We received almost 40 interesting, extremely diverse and carefully thought-through proposals.  Reading them through as a body seemed like the first step in the dialogue - it revealed that there is a deep seam of practice in storytelling with this age group, but that it is diffused across many disciplines and sectors.  Nonetheless it started to raise common issues and questions.  A full list of the workshop leaders we selected is here.

The Call for Papers is also up there - the deadline's not til Sunday 31st so get writing...!

Over two days (Fri 22nd and Sat 23rd April) we will see storytelling performances (e.g. from the young Indian dancers pictured above), host workshops across a wide range of disciplines and panels of research papers with facilitated discussion.  It's a delicate balancing act between 'what story knows' and 'what we know about story'.  Thus the whole event will be transformed into a short documentary by young filmmaker Maddie Drury, working under the mentorship of Ed Sunman.

Do get in touch to find out more (cath.heinemeyer@yorksj.ac.uk) or check out the event page.