Stories from Home: A Storytelling and Making Circle – Private Session

Dates: Various dates between August 3 – October 9
Times: Various
Fee: FREE! Booking Required. Contact christina@maclarenart.com to book.

The MacLaren Art Centre is inviting existing groups in the community to join us for a free storytelling and making circle, where participants are invited to:

• Share a story inspired by a pre-determined story prompt,
• Respond and reflect on the stories that were shared, and
• Participate in a group making activity, to be featured in an upcoming exhibition.

Storytelling is powerful tool that can be used to amplify the voices that make up our communities and to learn from one another’s experience. Depending on the story prompt, participants will be encouraged to explore concepts of housing, migration, change, belonging, and what exactly makes a place a home – central themes in the forthcoming exhibition House for Sale. While sharing stories amongst the group, participants will also work together to help build one of the exhibition’s central installations, Black Grass.

The storytelling and making circles seek to facilitate a group discussion that is specific to the interests of the group in a comfortable and familiar manner. Story prompts will be determined collaboratively with a representative from the community group to ensure that they align with the group’s needs and interests. Sessions can be hosted by a facilitator from the MacLaren Art Centre, or we can provide a member of your group with guidance to support them in leading the session themselves with background support from our facilitator. Additionally, sessions can be hosted at the gallery or at an alternative off-site location. The aim of this model is to make the sessions as comfortable as possible for participants, as we recognize that storytelling can be a deeply personal and vulnerable activity.

Timeslots to book a free storytelling and making circle for your community group are available between August 3 and October 9. Please contact christina@maclarenart.com to book a session for your group. Each session can accommodate a group of between 6 and 20 participants.