Good People: A Story Circle and Performance
Memphis Public Library and Information Center, Tenn.
Innovation Synopsis
While meeting weekly for 90 minutes over 12 weeks, participants of "Good People," a storytelling circle program, had a chance to share their stories, connect and create art in the form of a script to be shared with the wider community to destroy debilitating stereotypes that nurture fears and prejudices.
Challenge/Opportunity
We all have a story to tell and a longing to be heard. As the rhythms and habits of modern life have changed, so have we. Our time together is spent staring straight ahead at a screen, attending to the faces and stories of distant personalities who may never know our names or what it is we dream of becoming. "Good People" gives participants a platform and a purpose to be heard and fight stereotypes.
Key Elements of Innovation
Participants met weekly over 12 weeks. The facilitator provided topics for focus along with poems, essays and stories to be discussed. Participants learned the skill of deep listening and shared their stories and hopes. The facilitator then wrote a script based on the narratives and professional actors staged a performance for the community, engaging the audience in the art of storytelling and inspiring them to let go of limiting labels that nurture discrimination.
Achieved Outcomes
Participants learned listening skills and then comfortably and confidently shared their story with others. They then had the joy of experiencing their story as a catalyst for building a healthier community when the staged performance brought people together from a variety of neighborhoods and inspired new conversations, new relationships and new hope for the future of our city. 12 people participated in the storytelling circle sessions and over 100 people attended the final performance.