‘Storytelling a means to convey personal experiences, not just folk tales’

AMMAN — Storytellers should not only present a story of traditional significance, they should also introduce whatever is in their hearts and their experiences, a veteran British storyteller said on Wednesday. 

Storytellers should share what they love, Helen East told The Jordan Times on the sideline of the Hakaya Festival. “We can only tell what we want to share.”

East and fellow storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton are in Jordan to lead workshops for aspiring and experienced storytellers to enhance their skills in sharing stories with people. 

The workshops, part of the seventh Hakaya Festival, are conducted by the British Council in collaboration with the Arab Theatre Training Centre, according to Al Balad Theatre. 

“What we are trying to do with the storytelling programme generally is to reach out to people at all levels throughout the community and within the theatre,” East added. 

She said one workshop was conducted for people with more experience in storytelling and was about presenting and performing.

“I am working with the same lines but also with people who are beginners to stories. We are trying to first of all connect the work with people’s own experience because everybody has the experience of stories in a different way, and when you think about stories that you know then you need to think about the person who told it to you and how you felt,” East noted.

The Hakaya Festival, she said, is fostering storytelling, making people ready to take the leap and work on ideas. 

“The festival is important for aspiring storytellers because they can practise and they can develop and they can make the leap to become real storytellers.”

Arguing that stories are still present in modern life, East, who has been a storyteller for 35 years, said the traditional aspect of storytelling is in danger of being lost.

“Modern life does not necessary have a negative effect on storytelling, because the Internet and computers also use story ideas within them, but what they do is they make it all visual and what this is about is an oral culture and tradition, and that is what we are in danger of losing,” she added.  

East, who has also performed at the Hakaya Festival, which concludes Thursday, said around 12 participants took part in her workshop. 

The aspiring storytellers came from Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon, according to the British Council. 

Mai Malhas said she decided to attend one of East’s workshops to further enhance her skills in the art of storytelling. “These workshops are important if the person works on his/her skills afterwards because they give you tips,” she added. 

Malhas said storytelling is popular in Jordanian society, describing stories as “an important part of everyone’s life” because they live on for decades. 

Reham Abu Gharbieh, who came from Palestine, said incidents she witnessed at a checkpoint encouraged her to join the world of storytelling. 

“I live in Jerusalem and work in Ramallah, and there is a barrier between them called Kalandia checkpoint. I always encounter a great number of stories at the checkpoint related to drivers, people and army personnel.” 

Abu Gharbieh began posting these stories on Facebook, and one of her friends with experience in the storytelling art encouraged her to become a storyteller.

“This is my first time at this festival,” she said, adding that she learned from the workshop how to communicate with people, and develop the story itself and her skills to present the material in a thrilling way. 

“A story does not have to be a traditional tale, it might be a tale reflecting on a specific experience you have gone through,” the 26-year-old said.