Storytelling Starters ~ Pattern is key
Pattern is everywhere.
We see it in people’s behaviour where, over time, it can be a sign of problems and sometimes, sadly, we discern it too late.
We see it in natural life where often it’s a thing of great beauty as in the seed-pod of a poppy which provides my photo today.
We see it in the weather – and what strange weather we’ve been having this year. We must surely see it as an indication of the great upsets in the world’s climate which are being caused by global warming.
We see it in the life of birds, for instance in the cuckoo’s annual migrations which I regularly learn about in the Cuckoo Blog which the British Trust for Ornithology sends out to cuckoo-sponsors.
And of course we see pattern in stories. For me, it’s one of the keys not only to getting to know individual tales but to building a repertoire too.
Talking of natural life, this week it’s been a pleasure to receive a preview of the Contents Page of a new book which is planned to come out next Spring. The book is Storytelling for a Greener World: Community, Connection, Change. It’s edited by Alida Gersie, Anthony Nanson & Edward Scheiffelin and the publishers are Hawthorn Press. Looking at the spread of contents – and I’ve contributed one of the chapters – I think it will prove an invaluable resource for both storytellers and educators. In the last stages of getting it ready for publication, contributors have been asked this week to supply details of useful books and websites for a small section on extra resources that may prove helpful to the book’s future users. I’m thinking I’ll include the BTO’s Cuckoo Blog in my list. It tells me about the vast journeys the cuckoo makes and although the reason for its existence is the decline in cuckoo numbers, it never fails to renew my sense of hope and spirit.
P.S. My sense that a Storytelling in Education campaign is now urgently needed is beginning to find other people who are thinking the same thing. Please get in touch if you think so too.
Tags: Alida Gersie, BTO, cuckoo blog, noticing pattern, poppy