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This book draws on the author's experience as a storyteller, drama practitioner and researcher, to articulate an emerging dialogic approach to storytelling in participatory arts, educational, mental health, youth theatre, and youth work contexts. It argues that oral storytelling offers a rich and much-needed channel for intergenerational dialogue with young people.
The book keeps theory firmly tethered to practice. Section 1, 'Storyknowing', traces the history of oral storytelling practice with adolescents across diverse contexts, and brings into clear focus the particular nature of the storytelling exchange and narrative knowledge. Section 2, 'Telling Stories', introduces readers to some of the key challenges and possibilities of dialogic storytelling by reflecting on stories from the author's own arts-based practice research with adolescents, illustrating these with young people's artistic responses to stories. Finally, section 3, 'Story Gaps', conceptualises dialogic storytelling by exploring three different 'gaps': the gap between storyteller and listener, the gaps in the story, and the gaps which storytellers can open up within institutions.
The book includes chapters taking a special focus on storytelling in schools and in mental health settings, as well as guided reflections for readers to relate the issues raised to their own practice.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Storyknowing and Education.- 3. Chronotypes of Storytelling with Young People.- 4. Intermezzo the First: A Manifesto of Dialogic Storytelling with Young People.- 5. The Space between Tellers and Listeners.- 6. The Territory of Story.- 7. Dialogic Storytelling Fora.- 8. Intermezzo the Second: The Intertidal Zone.- 9. Mapping the Space Between.- 10. Defining the Territory of Story.- 11. Spaces for Storytelling.-
About the author
Catherine Heinemeyer is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at York St John University, UK. She is a storyteller and community arts practitioner with an interdisciplinary track record in practice research, publishing across the fields of drama, storytelling, mental health, and education.
