Are We There Yet? Storytelling proposal
Development of a network linking personal narrative and storytelling projects and archives related to the conflict. This will include support for repositories for stories and narratives thereby enabling wider audience engagement.
In 2014, Healing Through Remembering published the Are We There Yet? report, which outlines our proposals on each of these themes based on our reflective engagement, experience and work in this area over the previous 14 years.
Storytelling is one of a set of proposals on dealing with the past relating to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. Healing Through Remembering believes these proposals would be best implemented as a comprehensive response to ensure that a range of complex but interrelated needs are met. Click on the image to the right to access the full Storytelling recommendation.
Storytelling Projects & Activities
The Stories Network is a network for those gathering and sharing personal narratives related to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. Visit the Stories Network page by clicking on the banner to learn more.
Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Times is a series of short films shows people sharing stories about items from the Everyday Objects Transformed by the Conflict exhibition. Click on the banner to view the films.
Original 2002 Recommendation
The Healing Through Remembering Report of 2002 recommended establishing a storytelling process known as “Testimony”. Stories and narratives would be collected from all who wish to tell of their experiences of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. These stories – collected by those already undertaking this type of work and community groups through a flexible but standard method – would form part of an archive housing the stories of the past and serving as a vehicle to learn lessons for the future.
The specific purpose of the storytelling process would be:
- Affirm the work of all those who are already engaged in storytelling and archiving work;
- Promote the healing power of storytelling and giving of testimony;
- Affirm our individual and collective experience and in so doing learn to know ourselves and other people, consequently shaping our identity, emotions, hopes, dreams and desires;
- Make individual and communal stories—both positive and negative—available to all sections of our community, thus opening the possibilities of hearing the human and emotional, as well as the factual and forensic, detail of events;
- Develop an understanding and appreciation of different perspectives and perceptions of events and in so doing strengthen the healing process that comes with accepting the diversity of ‘truths’ that exist in our society;
- Build an archive of stories that documents and preserves the past so lessons can be learnt for the future; and,
- Actively demonstrate that different perspectives can be housed together in a sensitive and tolerant way, and in so doing preserve individual dignity, strengthen our communal forms of remembering, and increase respect and tolerance for all.