With a BA in Community Education and background in Youth Development, community facilitation is at the heart of my storytelling practice. For many years I worked with community groups, seeking activities and methods that worked…discovering storytelling was a ‘eureka’ moment.
Stories and storytelling offer fantastic opportunities for engagement, empowerment, confidence building, and inclusion, and 20 years working in the community sector has allowed design and develop many programmes that use storytelling for the benefit of marginalised groups.
This is sometimes called ‘applied storytelling’.
Here are a list of notable programmes from the past few years:
- Multicultural ceilidh with refugees
- Amplifying the voice of people experiencing addiction and homelessness
- Storytelling and nature connection with young people
- Storytelling and confidence building with mental health groups
- Story making with those at risk of dementia
- Geographic community appraisal through story gathering and creative visioning
- Storytelling and outdoor learning with Nurseries
- Storytelling and community mapping in schools
- Storytelling and wellbeing
Each programme is bespoke, depending on the needs of the group and budget. Singular sessions can be effective although ongoing, regular programmes offer the best opportunity to make a lasting impact.
Often I work in partnership with existing organisations, recently I have worked with:
- Visit Scotland
- RSPB
- Scottish Communities Initiative
- Rosslyn Chapel
- Kinross Primary school
- Greener Peebles
- Three Hares Community Woodland
- Centre for Planetary Healing
- Scottish Mentoring Network
- Alzheimer Scotland
- Sustainability Scotland
- Oak, Ash and Thorn Hub
Email dougie@storyconnection.org to enquire about community storytelling
Part funded bookings can also be made through the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Fund:
Dougie Mackay Storyteller 