our rationale

workshop process

impact on storytellers

Using a curriculum developed at the Center for Digital Storytelling, Silence Speaks workshops blend creative writing, oral history, art therapy, and facilitative media production techniques to assist people in telling stories as short digital videos. While the specifics of workshop planning, agendas, and follow-up are determined through extensive dialogue with collaborating partners, a typical session brings together a group of eight to ten participants who share personal experiences and offer feedback to one another in the context of a carefully facilitated “Story Circle.” Next, participants record voiceover narrations, gather and/or create still images and video clips, and editing or guide the editing of these materials into short media pieces. We conclude each workshop with a screening of the completed stories and time for participants to celebrate their accomplishments. Within several weeks, they receive copies of their stories in whatever form of media is most accessible to them (i.e., CD, DVD, VHS).

Our teaching philosophy is grounded in the popular education technique of starting from where people are. In the Story Circle, participants are able to reflect on their own memories and life circumstances as well as on those of others in the group, thus building connections and solidarity. The teaching is facilitative; we talk storytellers through the steps they need to take in order to develop their stories. Our one-on-one work with participants focuses not only on technical concerns but also on embodied and emotional experience. Collaborating partners are always on-hand to assist with all aspects of the process and to offer specific expertise in additional healing, educational, or community organizing strategies. When necessary, we also bring in local assistants to provide interpretation, translation, and general support.

These aspects of our workshops distinguish them from video production and computer training methods that emphasize the creation of a flashy end product or the intricacies of equipment and software, rather than the potentially revelatory and joyful process of media making. We believe our way of teaching is essential for Silence Speaks, because it gives participants a sense of agency and control in the telling of stories about situations wherein they typically had little or no control. The workshops can be transformative on both the personal and collective level, as participants are guided through activities that emphasize healing, reflection, creativity, and action.

Note: We want to stress that our workshops are not appropriate for individuals who are currently in crisis or actively dealing with trauma. This is especially true for those who are “in the middle” of their story (i.e., living in an abusive relationship, in a refugee camp, or on the streets; using drugs and/or alcohol in a way that impedes basic functioning; struggling to meet their needs for food, shelter, and safety; having regular flashbacks or experiencing other signs of post-traumatic stress; etc.). In such cases, asking someone to narrate a story can have the unintended impact of keeping them trapped in a place of pain and fear rather than moving them towards hope.

While most people come to digital storytelling when they feel ready and strong enough to do so, some may not be able to make this decision on their own. With these issues in mind, we work closely with collaborating partners to determine methods for (1) ensuring informed participant consent about what the workshop will entail and how and where their stories may be shared, once they have been created; and (2) screening potential participants carefully, to assess their readiness to tell a story and the likelihood that they will have adequate follow-up support.

For more information about digital storytelling and trauma, or if you would like to explore the possibility of attending or sponsoring a workshop in your area, please contact us.