What's your story? Pauline Mayers, 27 January 2013 Present: Sasha, Gloria, Hannah, Tom, Joey, Jaye, Amy, Christine Apologies for anyone I may have missed out. What's your story….? It's a big question and in asking the group what did the phrase “What's your story?” mean to them, the responses were many and varied and included:- Why are we here at D&D? driving and defining life narrative community arts practice, using the narrative of non-performers Personal stories verses fiction How truthful should you be in telling a story? Many stories throughout the session were shared, but one in particular related to one person having been a lifeguard in a former life and the ‘duty of care’ that had to be signed up to. The duty of care related to the fact that a lifeguard has an unpaid communal responsibility to save a life of a person if they in difficulty the water, whether or not they are on duty regardless of whether they are in a swimming pool, on holiday by the sea or walking along the canal. should there be a duty of care when engaging with the stories of others? Others in the group wished to hear the stories of others rather than share stories they may have. The D&D forum creates the ‘listening space’ and it is this space that is both unique as it is rare in the wider community. In the listening space, the invitation is to ask what is the story you are dying to tell, the story you just absolutely have to tell someone else and how do you then engage with what has been shared? One individual in the group shared their experience of a project that involved walking from Wales to London and anyone they met on the way was asked to share a story. What was interesting was being aware of how much we don't listen when the story is being told and what details are lost in that moment. This led to listening without judgement and ‘finding the special in the mundane’. How to hear the story without digging for the story. If you dig by asking leading questions you can get anyone to say anything, the point is to enable the individual to talk by creating a safe space, where is made clear no judgement will be made, and the permission of the use of the story remains with the teller at all times. People will always have stories to tell and they will eventually tell it freely. Bearing this in mind, what then does duty of care mean? Does the maker/performer have a responsibility to be truthful with the story? What are the ethics surrounding the use of people's stories and once the performance is over, and the final audience member has left, how do you mange the fallout/disappointment/anxiety that can remain long after the performance run is over? There is a difference of the framework of care available between the maker/performer and the non-performer who has shared in the same performance space and how to exit the project in a way that enables the teller to continue with their lives without feeling exposed, unsafe and concerned about what was shared. The maker/performer has made a conscious choice and can better understand and embrace the aftermath that occurs after the curtain comes down. The non-performer on the other hand doesn't have the experience to understand what the aftermath may mean in their everyday life, even though it may have been discussed whilst creating the safe ‘listening space’. One suggested way to enable the exit process is by ‘checking in’ with participants after the performance by phone or email. The question is how long should the maker/performer engage with this process? When does the current story become irrelevant? There is always a point when the maker is far enough away from the project for it to become irrelevant to their creative process. When is the cut-off point for this? Lots more dialogue ensued which related to how the rehearsing or continued re-telling of the story can begin to diminish the emotional impact of the story on the teller leading to honesty verses character. The more a story is told, the bigger the allure to become a caricature, to become a teller more prone to overact the story than remain true to its initial telling. The Jungian concept of ‘bearing witness’ was imparted. The idea that being in the safe space afforded an opportunity for the teller to speak with an honesty and openess not usually afforded them which will be taken. In this moment, where does the permission to use the story and in what context lie? Once brought into the artistic space, does the maker/performer have the permission or the right to change the circumstances of the story, or does it remain firmly with the teller? Is there a limit as to how the story should be used and in what way? The feeling is that the permission should always stay with the teller, regardless of whether initial permission was given and then recanted or vice versa. It is an on going discussion that I would love to take further. All comments welcome. Tags: Invitation, story, maker, Story, concept, exposed, discussion, walk, truthful, clarity, walking, caricature, driving, character, digging, defining, scripted, material, judgement, response, stories, pastoral care, dig, duty of care, individuals, listening, invitation, permission, honesty, communities, arts practice, responsibility, why, performer, non-performer, dialogue, verbatim