Introduction to Oral Storytelling

With an active creative industry and a committed following, storytelling is definitely not just for kids.

This module introduces students to the live and spoken art form, examining traditions of oral narrative from a variety of cultures and historical periods as well as work being produced in modern contexts.

Students will consider how stories change when told aloud rather than read on the page, learn techniques for performance and consider the social and cultural contexts of the stories we tell.

Workshops will encourage confidence, creativity and adaptability in performance settings, and build confidence in public speaking.

Learning and teaching

There will be two-hour meetings once a week (20 contact hours in all) which will include discussions, exercises, craft lectures and workshops. There may also be audio-visual clips and students might be directed to some relevant podcasts.

Learners will be encouraged to read texts introduced by the tutor and other members of the group. They will also be encouraged to share their creative work and obtain peer feedback on their writing.

Online provision will be made available through Learning Central with relevant links to resources, class handouts and PowerPoint presentations. The university’s Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Central, provides a useful resource for course materials, lecture slides and additional reading.

Coursework and assessment

The module will be marked using the Pass / Fail system used for the other creative writing modules in the department.

The assessment will consist of a 10 minute storytelling performance and a 500 word reflective essay, completed at the end of the course.

Reading suggestions

• Johanna Kuyvenhoven, In the Presence of Each Other: A Pedagogy of Storytelling (Toronto, 2009)
• Cliff Mayotte and Claire Kiefer, Say It Forward: A Guide to Social Justice Storytelling (Chicago, 2018)
• John D. Niles, Homo Narrans: The Poetics and Anthropology of Oral Literature (Philadelphia, 1999)

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.