Society for Storytelling

Using Storytellers in Museums

WHY TELL STORIES IN MUSEUMS

Museums are about stories. Stories about people’s lives, of things people make and use, stories about nature, the universe, of all living things. In comparison to other modes of interpretation, storytelling is unique in that both the tangible and the intangible can be explored simultaneously. Storytellers are important contributors to sustaining culture, by preserving and perpetuating intangible heritage through the oral tradition.

Museums are places with objects, but the objects in themselves mean little, only by telling about them, interacting with them and assigning meanings to them (Discursive interaction) can we understand their significance. A story can give an object a context and purpose.  An object can be the focus for listening, aiding the imagination to create the world of the story.  The story, like the object, can yield understanding and glimpses of another culture, different in place or time, a memorable way of communicating, without being didactic.                                         

Stories, if pitched at the right level so they can make connections with the familiar, are often remembered, and can be analysed long after the event by those with many different learning styles. The narrative and the ancient stories formed the backbone of ancient civilisations - they structured the belief systems, and provided rules for people to live by. Using the ancient stories when looking at classical and prehistoric imagery and artefacts can only enhance the learning.

‘It is essential to engage the emotions of students reading Virgil or Homer…or looking at a Greek vase painting that depicts Priam being killed on his own altar, beaten about the head with the body of his grandson’ (Reeve 1988:76). How can we satisfactorily make sense of the motifs of the ‘eye of Horus’ or the ‘Scarab beetle’ on Ancient Egyptian artefacts if we do not tell the stories that underpinned the beliefs (and lives) of the people at the time? At the British Museum during the Festival of India, a children’s trail encouraged the telling of the stories of Ganesa, Siva, Vishnu and the great Goddess Durga, around the sculptures (Reeve 1988:82).

Stories build bridges between near and far in both space and time, enabling the listener to journey in their mind to a different time and place. Words create images in the minds of the listeners and through imagination and memory can trigger all the senses, providing a rich experience.

Storytelling is accessible to a wide audience, it helps people with a variety of learning disabilities to enjoy and understand the treasures on display.

Museums are places for informal & formal learning (storytelling supports both). Including storytelling in your programme of events will draw people in. 

The telling of Stories was important in pre-industrial Britain. There are a large collection of stories about characters from history that can inform teaching and enhance collections of artefacts from Britain and other places connected with those people, and events. If allowed to assist with the construction of narratives within the museum education framework, communities can feel more of a sense of ‘ownership of the collections’.

WHAT CAN A STORYTELLER DO FOR A MUSEUM?

Storytelling sessions in Museums can be used to bring history to life, focusing attention on special collections or exhibits; creating the atmosphere of a particular historic period and relating information in ways that are easily remembered.

What is special about storytellers and storytelling?

* Stories and storytelling are universal aspects of human communication - connecting people through time and across cultures
* Storytelling isn’t just for children, storytellers work with all age groups, stories give people a reason to listen and something to remember.
* Storytelling looks at objects and events from a human perspective, making it easier for people to relate to them.
* Storytelling develops awareness of historical and global cultures, the need for inter-generational exchange and its rewards. A storyteller can widen the range of people’s emotional, cultural and moral responses. Stories from a specific culture can be used to provide an insight into that culture.
* Hearing traditional tales can provide the atmosphere of the time and place the stories are set in.
* Traditional tales often provide clues that help us understand the past. Local tales are remembered long after paper records have faded.
* Storytellers frequently research stories or create stories, which can continue to be used by staff long after the event.
* Storytelling encourages a questioning attitude and inspires people to learn more about the past.
* A storyteller can teach storytelling skills to museum staff to enhance their interactions with the public.
* Some storytellers can provide other types of workshop sessions. Some specialise in reminiscence work encouraging older people to share their memories and provide oral history resources for use with younger visitors.