Oral storytelling has plenty more to say
It's not just The Story Collective that is using the power of story to build community and encourage change, as beautifully demonstrated in a recent publication, 'Verbs that Move Mountains: Essays and Interviews on Spoken Word Cultures Across the World'. This is a rich and insightful book that takes a look at how oral storytelling, a most ancient tradition, is alive and well in all corners of the globe.
We at The Story Collective are delighted to be included in the book – and you can read Sharon Moreham's essay that tells how our project began and is now finding its feet in the truly community-based evenings of 'Natural Born Storytellers'. Other essays tackle such subjects as the ethics of honesty in slam poetry, or the very real dangers faced by many poets around the world. Could poets be the last ambassasors of truth? – a risky occupation in countries that punish free speech. You will also find an interesting journey through the oral poetic traditions of India, and articles showing how the spoken word is being used as a way of breaking down barriers and creating a space for healing. All in all a fascinating read, with the various essays providing snapshots of scenes from Singapore to New Zealand, via Leicester and Palestine. The book is a great resource and inspiration for artists of both the written and spoken word; anyone, in fact, who is interested in stories and culture. As well as showing where The Story Collective sits in the international scene, it shows above all that the spoken word is as relevant today as it has ever been. |
“My body is the stage and my tongue is the page" - Maakomele R. Manaka |