More than anything else Graham is an educationalist. Graham became a full time storyteller in 1990 after teaching for twenty years in secondary schools, and much of his work has drawn him back into working with children and schools ever since. He works with all age ranges from Foundation to sixth form. With younger children the storytelling is very interactive, expanding their capacity to understand and hold the story. With older children the repertoire is more demanding and helps develop an understanding of the universal nature of storytelling.
He works with students in a range of higher and further education colleges in Britain and abroad working almost exclusively with traditional stories.
For more information contact Graham or read on…
Schools Sessions
While the pattern of delivery and outcomes may vary the most common session is one hour of storytelling with a class or several classes. How this will happen will depend on what you are hoping to achieve from his visit.
Storytelling workshops
Where there is more than an hour available a storytelling session may develop along several different paths of storytelling and story making including moving towards storytelling performance. With students of year 10 and above training in storytelling performance may lead on to Young Storyteller of the Year.
COMBINING OTHER ARTS WITH STORYTELLING
As a specialist Performance Arts teacher Graham understands the methods of integrating the arts and assessing the work produced. Combinations may include visual arts, dance and poetry or song-writing.
Example 1: Aboriginal Storytelling and Art
Graham starts with an introduction to Australian Aboriginal stories and an examination of style and symbolism in the art. In groups the children create symbolic pictures of a story.
Example 2: Stories from Home
This programme celebrates the cultural diversity of schools and the community. After a storytelling session children go home and tell the stories they have learnt with Graham.
They will then bring stories back to school that they have heard at home. These may be folk tales, personal tales or family tales. Tape recorders will be available to record these stories and the parents will be encouraged to come into school to tell stories to the children.
Example 3
Low Technology, High Impact: Visual storytelling using OHP, felt pen and photocopier
Group work with Year 6 pupils making OHP stories
This workshop uses equipment that has now less familiar than it once was but is very effective. Participants, either individually or in groups, will develop unique and impressive projections. These may be based on their own stories or other stories.
The slides may be presented on their own or as a backdrop to the children’s
own telling or as part of a multi-media presentation using other projection, dance, storytelling, etc.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING: Programmes for teachers and other staff
Storytelling is a powerful teaching tool for speaking and listening but Graham has used it to achieve many other results. He can devise a programme to help support the development of speech and literature in your school. Contact him to discuss your needs.
TALKING SENSE
This was the highly acclaimed preventative anti-bullying programme that Graham ran for several years. In addition to storytelling it used songs, games, circle time, video and conflict resolution techniques.
* Promoting Positive Behaviour – resource book for teachers
* Hull makes a drama out of a crisis © Times Educational Suppliment
