Centre staff and individual storytellers work in partnership with a number of vulnerable groups including adults and young people with mental health problems, child carers, people of all ages with learning difficulties and complex needs, and asylum seekers. For further information on outreach storytelling visits and workshops contact us.
"We never had so much need of storytelling and its healing powers."
George Mackay Brown
Space for Stories
In 2007/8, the Centre coordinated and facilitated Space for Stories, a new initiative funded by the Scottish Arts Council's ArtFull fund, aimed at exploring and celebrating narrative as a vehicle of personal and community development. Feedback received from service users and staff who participated in the three 8-week projects was very positive, and we are delighted to be working in partnership with NHS Lothian to implement two similar projects in the Orchard Clinic and the Young People's Unit at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in 2008/9.
Space for Stories self-evaluation report
Background
In collaboration with NHS Lothian and Artlink Central staff, storytellers facilitated a series of storytelling and storymaking workshops between July and December 2007 for people with mental health problems and learning difficulties living in secure and community settings.
Building on previous outreach projects involving older people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Space for Stories facilitators led three projects within the Lothian and Forth Valley areas. Each project was tailored to the needs of the participating service users, and featured a range of narrative approaches including telling, developing and re-telling of oral stories; Life Story-ing and reminiscence and storylines in film and drama.
 Artlink Central, Stirling
The first Space for Stories project was a collaboration between the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Artlink Central, aimed at providing people with learning difficulties with opportunities to explore the art of storytelling and develop their own storytelling skills.
Whilst making the clear distinction between mental health problems and learning disabilities, it is important to recognise that the risk of mental ill health is greater among people with learning disabilities than among the general population. The Space for Stories group therefore felt it important not to restrict the project to mental health service users but to take an inclusive and accessible approach to mental health and well-being.
Co-facilitated by storyteller, Jack Martin and drama worker, Elaine Cordys, this series of half-day workshops involved 12 adults from the local Stirling community with a range of learning difficulties, many of whom have little or no access to quality arts activities.
Jack and Elaine worked with the participants to create an adapation of Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas which was then performed and filmed at the Cowane Centre, then at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
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The Orchard Clinic, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh
Based at the Orchard Clinic, a medium secure unit for offenders experiencing a range of severe psychiatric problems, this project was faciliated by storytellers Millie Gray and Marion Kenny. Millie and Marion worked with a group of 10 patients, using storytelling, reminiscence, group discussion and music to encourage oral communication, self confidence and ability to participate in a regular group activity.
The potential of storytelling as an expressive and creative tool was perhaps particularly relevant in this context, where all participants are at various stages of rehabilitation from serious mental illness, with a view to making the transition into less secure accommodation then back to life in the community.
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Soutra Day Unit, Herdmanflat Hospital, Haddington
The third Space for Stories project was based at the Soutra Day Unit in Haddington and involved a small group of adults from the local Haddington community who are experiencing acute (short term) mental illness and who attend the Unit on a drop-in basis. Using a range of narrative approaches from storytelling and reminiscence to story rounds and group discussion, storytellers Marie Louise Cochrane and Mary Kenny led a series of workshops focusing on improving communication and storytelling skills, and learning more about the structure and meaning of stories.
As the Unit's staff nurses and occupational therapist are currently solely responsible for the provision of educational, social and community activities to local service users, this project seemed a particularly good use of Space for Stories resources. Whilst providing service users with opportunities for involvement in quality arts activity, the workshops also helped to relieve pressure from Unit resources, and gave staff the chance to get involved in sessions alongside service users and storytellers.
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