Storytelling as a tool for system intervention within the PICS project. What is this PICS project? Well - in brief -  it’s a project in which we, the partners, have developed a method which aims at the behavioural change of young people in order to establish more respectful, resilient and peaceful communities. In this method we make use of storytelling techniques and picture language. In other words: PICS aims to change the system by means of storytelling techniques supported by picture language. The next speaker will shed a light on the ‘picture language’ part; I would like to introduce you to storytelling; in general and focused on the use in this project. But before doing so, I’d like to say something about ‘the system’ we aim to change.

In our urban society - as in almost all urban societies in Europe - youth from various backgrounds - religious, ethnic or cultural - live together. And let's not forget to mention the differences in economic terms; the haves and the have nots. This kind of society is referred to as a heterogeneous society. And without wanting to be too negative, these kind of societies are at risk of conflict.

Let me explain this ... I am not referring to conflict as in war zones, but to conflict that endangers the peace in a society like the one we are living in. Not all conflicts endanger this peace; conflicts are actually part of our society. As a former drama-student I am fully aware that my vocation would not exist without it and I even dare to say that life does not exist without conflict, whether inner and outer. But conflict becomes a danger when we do not know how to handle it. Or, as Bart Brandsma states in his publication Inside Polarisation: Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the way we deal with a series of conflicts in a constructive way.

Those of us who dedicate our lives to storytelling are united in sending a 

message of support and solidarity to the whole of society with respect to the crisis resulting from illness due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Just like the characters in the best tales, we find ourselves in the middle of a dense

forest, with a feeling that the wolf is lurking in the darkness. But we know we are not alone, because someone always appears to help us out of the forest or the wolf's stomach! In this story we all count, and our collective solidarity, effort and care are our spells against the virus and its effects.

So the storytellers are asking you to tell, make up, read and listen to stories, anecdotes or happenings

in order to cheat time,

in order to take a trip without leaving home,

in order to smile or tremble through the most incredible adventures,

in order to remember the elderly and all the stories they have told us,

in order to recognise ourselves in joy, pain or fear,

in order to let the world spin for a moment in which nothing matters except being together at that very moment.

For our part, we will continue to make up and tell stories in our homes and through 

social media. We do not yet know the end of this story, or whether we will all live happily ever after, but what we do know is that the fear we are feeling is shared and does not make us less brave, but makes us more human and fragile. 

Just like the characters in the best tales, some day, when all this is over, we will have been transformed, and we will have new stories to tell.

Because storytelling is a balsam for days of confinement with thousands of years of proven effectiveness behind it and which once again must bring humanity together around the fire, until the night is through.

This manifesto was written in March 2020 by representatives of all the storytelling associations in Spain: AEDA, Spanish Professional Oral Tradition Association – ANIN, Storytelling Association (Catalonia) – GNOA, Andalusian Oral Tradition Guild – MANO, Madrid Oral Tradition Association – NANO, Storytellers' Organisation (Community of Valencia) – NOGA, Galician Oral Tradition Collective – TAGORAL, Canaries Association of the Oral Tradition.

Spanish / Catalan / Basque / Galician

Spanish / Catalan / Basque / Galician

Spanish

Festivals name: “Folktales & Myths on the back of the Centaur” Mt. Pelion Storytelling Festival

Place: Agios Georgios Nilias, Mt. Pelion- Thessaly Region, Greece, 700 m. above the sea level, 21 klm drive from the capital Volos City

In Spanish

Festival´s name: “Athens… a city of tales”

Place: Athens, Attica Region, Greece

Spanish

It is Story celebration time in India December 2018. The country will be hosting two International Storytelling festivals back to back in the cities of Bhuvaneshwar and Hyderabad respectively. I, Deepa Kiran, a storyteller and curator for both the festivals, am delighted to share more about them and invite members of The Spanish Professional Storytelling Association to join us and enjoy the celebrations.