Story Circles: Tool for Community dialogue
Description:
General principles and guidelines:
Listening is as important as speaking; each person receives full attention while telling his or her story. A story isn’t a performance: listen for the essence of what is being shared, rather than mentally critiquing the person’s delivery.Each participant has equal time to share a story on a generative theme identified beforehand.Attention passes around the circle in either direction. Individuals can pass, and will be given the opportunity to tell a story at the end of the circle. If someone declines, that’s fine. Don’t insist.There are no questions, criticisms, cross-talk, or comments on any story while sharing is going on.People do not speak from notes, and are discouraged from preparing their own stories rather than giving others full attention. Spontaneity is important.
How it works:
Eight or so is an optimal size for a story circle (though they can be a little larger or a little smaller). Guesstimate the number of participants, divide by 8, and find a facilitator for each circle. If you plan to capture the stories on a recorder or through notes, find a recorder for each circle too. Choose your generative theme, picking something that requires no special expertise. For instance: “A time you understood something through a work of art—a movie, song, image, dance, play, or other such experience.” Or “One of the best art-related experiences I’ve ever had.”
Timing
:00: Exercise leader introduces process to everyone
:10: 5 minutes to get into small groups
:15: 3 minutes apiece for stories (with a brief introduction and a group of 8, this will equal about 30 minutes)
:45: 15 minutes to reflect together on the stories shared
1:00: Reassemble into the large group
1:05 15 minutes to share and discuss
1:20 End