Story Collecting Projects
STAGG 'Voice of Witness' Class Project:
"Sharing stories to create a movement of outrospection and empathy."
An American High School offered an experimental English class where the students had to collect stories from fellow classmates and alumni (all of them identified by first name only) with the end goal being a book, titled '111th & Roberts: Where Our Stories Intersect', that would build empathy, connections, and school community.
"'Everybody has their own unique story,' teacher Lisa Thyer said. 'When you take the time to sit and listen to that story and talk about it, you maybe realize connections or see things in a different way.'"
"Separately, they are stories about surviving loss and enduring hardship, about finding purpose and overcoming obstacles. Together, they are the story of Stagg and of the human quest to connect, understand and relate. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, some are inspiring, all are honest."
"This really is a communication piece about what we could be doing to make them better human beings as far as understanding what others are going through, that it's not just about them."
"At a time when the national conversation seems to be compartmentalizing people, over generalizing issues, supporting stereotypes and putting an emphasis on fear of the unknown, Wendelin said the need for conversation is even more pronounced. 'To actually focus on the individual and the power of an unknown story, to give people a voice, that can combat stereotypes,' he said."
"An ongoing oral history project of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Department of Outreach Services that seeks to explore the Brooklyn that is, and the Brooklyn that was, from the words of the community that lives here. The project aims is to actively collect a broad range of stories from our diverse neighborhoods so that future generations may better understand the history of this great borough."
"Our Streets, Our Stories conducts interviews with Brooklyn residents, collecting their personal stories of the neighborhoods they have lived in."
"Everybody has a story. One day, I decided to start collecting them. The Strangers Project is an ongoing collection of 25,000+ anonymous stories from the lives of the strangers we share our world with. Every page is handwritten right on the spot. These stories help us explore our universal truths, desires, and experiences and illustrate the emotional power of storytelling and our shared humanity."
“I said, ‘I don’t know yet, but I’m just trying this thing out,’” Doman tells CityLab. He asked them if they’d be willing to write something about their life in a page of his notebook; both women said yes.
That day, Doman collected around 10 stories. “I was hooked,” he says."
"Now, when Doman heads out for the day with his notebook and a sign—a bit larger now—he’ll bring home around 90 entries. Though he’s based in New York now, Doman has brought The Strangers Project to 80 cities across the U.S., and has read over 21,000 stories. He posts them to his website, always in the original handwriting. Last year, he published 200 of them in a book, 'What’s Your Story?'"
"When Doman sets up The Strangers Project, it’s usually in a park—he likes the wide-open spaces, the different people who pass through. Alongside his sign encouraging people to stop and write, he’ll display some used notebook pages. “A lot of people are initially hesitant,” Doman says. “They’ll come up and just read at first.” He never asks people to write, but when people say, “Oh, this is really neat, but I’m just not as interesting,” or “I don’t have a story worth sharing,” Doman has a way of convincing them otherwise. It’s not about being a great writer, he says. “It’s just about sharing something honest from your life—that’s what resonates with people.” When he tells that to passerby, they become participants."
"The events are an opportunity for people to gather and read together. “Oftentimes, people reading stories will just start talking to the person next to them—saying, ‘you need to read this,’ or ‘this one’s incredible,’” Doman says.
“I think that people really have this desire to connect, but don’t always act on it,” Doman says. Stories are a way to bridge that gap. “I see people of all ages, all walks of life, just coming together and participating and all enjoying the same thing. Just that little bit of effort and openness can go far.”"
'Telling Our Stories': A Community History Project:
"Every community has its own story to tell. Stories shape the way a community sees itself – where it’s been and where it’s going, its individual personality and perspectives – what makes it different from other places."
"Telling Our Stories was a two year community history project drawing on the people and collections of the Alexandrina Council region to capture digital stories about the region’s history. Community historians Madeleine Regan and June Edwards and filmmaker Malcolm McKinnon have unearthed memories, images and objects to make connections between the intangible stories of individuals and the tangible historical record through ten short films."
"Telling Our Stories was created for the Australia Council, Arts SA, Country Arts SA, History SA and Alexandrina Council as part of Just Add Water through the Cultural Places Initiative, an Australian Government Pilot."
'Voice of Witness' Organisation:
"Voice of Witness (VOW) is a non-profit that promotes human rights and dignity by amplifying the voices of people impacted by injustice. Through our oral history book series and education program, we foster a more nuanced, empathy-based understanding of human rights crises."
"Our work is driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of the story, for both teller and listener."
"The Voice of Witness book series takes a humanizing, literary approach to oral history to illuminate the stories of people impacted by injustice in the U.S. and globally. We’ve featured a diversity of voices and issues, including wrongfully convicted Americans, undocumented immigrants, and individuals living under oppressive regimes in Burma, Zimbabwe and Colombia. Their personal stories offer readers an engaging, humanizing understanding of issues that might otherwise seem abstract.
Our books are read by readers of all stripes—from students to policymakers—and are taught worldwide in courses as disparate as social studies, constitutional law, comparative literature, Middle East Studies, and restorative justice."
http://voiceofwitness.org/about/
"Sharing stories to create a movement of outrospection and empathy."
An American High School offered an experimental English class where the students had to collect stories from fellow classmates and alumni (all of them identified by first name only) with the end goal being a book, titled '111th & Roberts: Where Our Stories Intersect', that would build empathy, connections, and school community.
"'Everybody has their own unique story,' teacher Lisa Thyer said. 'When you take the time to sit and listen to that story and talk about it, you maybe realize connections or see things in a different way.'"
"Separately, they are stories about surviving loss and enduring hardship, about finding purpose and overcoming obstacles. Together, they are the story of Stagg and of the human quest to connect, understand and relate. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, some are inspiring, all are honest."
"This really is a communication piece about what we could be doing to make them better human beings as far as understanding what others are going through, that it's not just about them."
"At a time when the national conversation seems to be compartmentalizing people, over generalizing issues, supporting stereotypes and putting an emphasis on fear of the unknown, Wendelin said the need for conversation is even more pronounced. 'To actually focus on the individual and the power of an unknown story, to give people a voice, that can combat stereotypes,' he said."
"We knew from the beginning of the class that the book was never the 'end', but instead a tool to bring our community and school closer together - a tool that can only work if it is shared."
http://www.staggvow.com/about/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-vickroy-voices-of-stagg-st-0808-20160805-column.html
'Our Streets, Our Stories': A Brooklyn Neighbourhood Oral History Project:
http://www.staggvow.com/about/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-vickroy-voices-of-stagg-st-0808-20160805-column.html
'Our Streets, Our Stories': A Brooklyn Neighbourhood Oral History Project:
"Our Streets, Our Stories conducts interviews with Brooklyn residents, collecting their personal stories of the neighborhoods they have lived in."
'The Strangers Project':
"Sharing stories helps us learn about each other, and in turn, about ourselves."
"In 2009, Brandon Doman was sitting in a café in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He had a notebook on him, but no real plans for the day. As he watched people pass in and out of the shop, he wondered what he could do to get a few people to stop for a moment, and share something about their lives.
He grabbed a marker, wrote 'Hi there! Please stop and share your story!' on a page in his notebook, propped it up on the table, and waited. Minutes passed. Two women came up and asked him what he was doing.
"In 2009, Brandon Doman was sitting in a café in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He had a notebook on him, but no real plans for the day. As he watched people pass in and out of the shop, he wondered what he could do to get a few people to stop for a moment, and share something about their lives.
He grabbed a marker, wrote 'Hi there! Please stop and share your story!' on a page in his notebook, propped it up on the table, and waited. Minutes passed. Two women came up and asked him what he was doing.
“I said, ‘I don’t know yet, but I’m just trying this thing out,’” Doman tells CityLab. He asked them if they’d be willing to write something about their life in a page of his notebook; both women said yes.
That day, Doman collected around 10 stories. “I was hooked,” he says."
"Now, when Doman heads out for the day with his notebook and a sign—a bit larger now—he’ll bring home around 90 entries. Though he’s based in New York now, Doman has brought The Strangers Project to 80 cities across the U.S., and has read over 21,000 stories. He posts them to his website, always in the original handwriting. Last year, he published 200 of them in a book, 'What’s Your Story?'"
"When Doman sets up The Strangers Project, it’s usually in a park—he likes the wide-open spaces, the different people who pass through. Alongside his sign encouraging people to stop and write, he’ll display some used notebook pages. “A lot of people are initially hesitant,” Doman says. “They’ll come up and just read at first.” He never asks people to write, but when people say, “Oh, this is really neat, but I’m just not as interesting,” or “I don’t have a story worth sharing,” Doman has a way of convincing them otherwise. It’s not about being a great writer, he says. “It’s just about sharing something honest from your life—that’s what resonates with people.” When he tells that to passerby, they become participants."
"The events are an opportunity for people to gather and read together. “Oftentimes, people reading stories will just start talking to the person next to them—saying, ‘you need to read this,’ or ‘this one’s incredible,’” Doman says.
“I think that people really have this desire to connect, but don’t always act on it,” Doman says. Stories are a way to bridge that gap. “I see people of all ages, all walks of life, just coming together and participating and all enjoying the same thing. Just that little bit of effort and openness can go far.”"
'Telling Our Stories': A Community History Project:
"Telling Our Stories was a two year community history project drawing on the people and collections of the Alexandrina Council region to capture digital stories about the region’s history. Community historians Madeleine Regan and June Edwards and filmmaker Malcolm McKinnon have unearthed memories, images and objects to make connections between the intangible stories of individuals and the tangible historical record through ten short films."
"Telling Our Stories was created for the Australia Council, Arts SA, Country Arts SA, History SA and Alexandrina Council as part of Just Add Water through the Cultural Places Initiative, an Australian Government Pilot."
'Voice of Witness' Organisation:
"Voice of Witness (VOW) is a non-profit that promotes human rights and dignity by amplifying the voices of people impacted by injustice. Through our oral history book series and education program, we foster a more nuanced, empathy-based understanding of human rights crises."
"Our work is driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of the story, for both teller and listener."
"The Voice of Witness book series takes a humanizing, literary approach to oral history to illuminate the stories of people impacted by injustice in the U.S. and globally. We’ve featured a diversity of voices and issues, including wrongfully convicted Americans, undocumented immigrants, and individuals living under oppressive regimes in Burma, Zimbabwe and Colombia. Their personal stories offer readers an engaging, humanizing understanding of issues that might otherwise seem abstract.
Our books are read by readers of all stripes—from students to policymakers—and are taught worldwide in courses as disparate as social studies, constitutional law, comparative literature, Middle East Studies, and restorative justice."
http://voiceofwitness.org/about/