An evolution in community storytelling circles

Thank you so much to our 2022 featured community storytelling circle narrators so far - Dr. Thelma Jackson (February), Harvest Moon (March), Ashly McBunch (April), Lin Crowley (May), and Meli Bless (June) - all ordinary people living extraordinary lives in our local community. It is an honor to celebrate each individual for their personhood and community contributions. We took a short break, and are back this November, featuring Cristian Salazar in partnership with CIELO. Beginning in the new year, we will offer storytelling circles as a service of our organization.

2023 Community Storytelling Circles

• Winter (one between Jan - March) tentatively in February
• Spring (one between April - June) tentatively in April
• Summer (one between July - September) tentatively in August
• Fall (one between October - December) tentatively in November

Exact dates updated through Community Storytelling Circle story posts and our events page.

Series description

At these events, we create space to listen to stories and wisdom from our neighbors and connect by sharing real moments from our own lives in guided small groups. These gatherings build community resilience, strengthen identity, and correct collective amnesia about who we are together in this home-place of the South Sound.

Community storytelling circles aim to create possibilities for

• Stories featuring historically underrepresented and silenced voices
• Spaces for collective self-reflection, remembering history, connecting through our shared humanity, across differences, and imagining future possibilities for change
• Engagement with ourselves, each other, and the world around us
• Arts and humanities activities that center the needs and strengths of the South Sound.

Approach

This series highlights the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in our local community. We feature guest narrators and partners who bring to light new perspectives of who we are in the South Sound. Narrator's stories come in many formats: a brief interview, audio or visual media piece, poetry, podcast, or other artistry. Participants collectively listen to the narrator's story and respond by sharing their own stories in facilitated small group conversations. Window Seat Media supports a small group of community facilitators who offer their skills in holding space at these events. The story circle creates opportunities for dialogue and civic engagement where folks can feel a sense of belonging and connection. We want this to be a consistent and low-barrier offering that serves as a point of entry into our organization's community of multimedia storytellers, artists, activists, and organizers.