'Shaah iyo Sheeko': A Storytelling Workshop

Delivered in partnership with Mother and Child Welfare Organisation (MACWO) and Richard Neville, our workshop focused on the power of storytelling to amplify lived experiences, develop opportunities for expression and co-creation, and connect people across communities.

The session explored the significance of storytelling in Somali culture and contemporary life, together with the work that MACWO have developed with their storyteller in residence, Richard Neville.

Here are the resources and links that were discussed during the session:

• The Slides & Resources from the workshop.
• The slides and resources explore: how personal experience stories and shared cultural stories sustain community; how stories and storytelling can be used as resources to power community development; and why every organisation should have an embedded storyteller. 
• A video on ‘Trauma-Informed Storytelling in Trainings‘, created by the National Survivor Network.

Many thanks again to Khadra Ali Hared (CEO, MACWO), Hawa Mohamud (Manager, MACWO) and Richard Neville (Storyteller) for sharing their knowledge and expertise, and for all their help in bringing the workshop together.

Mother and Child Welfare Organisation (MACWO) is a grass roots organisation, led by Somali women, that addresses issues of poverty, inequality and social isolation through services developed and delivered in the community.

Richard Neville is a professional storyteller. He specialises in work with community groups where he links a conversational approach to storytelling with existing cultures of story sharing. These projects have led to many unforgettable experiences of discovery and connection. Richard’s conversational and improvisational approach has proved valuable in all settings. You can read more about his work here: https://www.storycircles.co.uk/