LIFE IS A CIRCLE

Storycircles for eldery people

Fonkelvogel organised 2 inspiration days about storycircles for elderly people, 18 volunteers, storytellers, retirees, people working with elderly people in community centres and elderly homes, attended. A Storycircle was set up with 12-14 people aged between 70 en 93 and two facilitators. We started the project in September 2019 with a meeting in the Netherlands with the experts of Platform Stichting Levensverhalen and ended in April 2019 with a local storycircle, facilitated by new volunteers/facilitators after they took the train-the-trainer workshop.

During the Inspiration days for storycircles for elderly people the group discussed following themes: what does the train-the-trainer concept involve, how do you organise storytelling groups, assessing strengths and weaknesses, what skills do you need as facilitator with the experts from Platform Stichting Levensverhalen and got a presentation of good practices from the Netherlands and Flanders (BE). Fourteen people attended the workshop (18 with the Members of Fonkelvogel).

The local Storycircle is still running. We have 12 to 14 participants of an elderly Home and some neighbours. The group even organised a storytelling Performance on Friday 27 March: each elder told a life story, a great success. This resulted in the continuation of the Storycircle with the 2 volunteers. They covered themes like: my childhood neighbourhood, my old School, the first Days of the war, Dating in the old days, entering an elderly Home, ...