Voices of the Displaced

Very often these stories are everyday with little thought to their importance. However we also tell stories about significant events in our lives some of which are difficult and sensitive.

Over the last 10-15 years many people who lived through the “troubles” have started to tell their story, sometimes this is only for their friends and family, sometimes it is for people who have had similar experiences.

However increasingly the storytelling takes place as part of a programme where the object is to allow the story to be heard in a wider context as part of a peace and reconciliation process.

With this in mind the Workers Educational Association in partnership with the Nerve Centre are seeking participants in the Voices of the Displaced project.

We believe that the project will allow participants to tell as yet unheard experiences of displacement. By displacement we mean people who have had to leave their home, community and/or work because of the conflict.

Over the 40 years of the troubles thousands of ordinary people had to leave their home of many years, sometimes overnight, and start life again in a different community with all the upheaval this entails.

We believe that these are stories that deserve to be heard. We believe that the process of telling these stories has positive benefits for the storyteller but also has the potential to inform the wider public so that they can appreciate the impact that displacement can have. We also hope that the act of collecting these stories well help add to the knowledge of the many people committed to making sure that others do not go through the same experience.

The project

With this in mind the project itself will roll out over the next 6 months in the North West. We are planning to use a technique called “digital storytelling”.

Digital Storytelling marries photographs and pictures chosen by the storytellers with an oral story in their own words. Given that the project is about place and moving place we believe that using images and words is a particularly powerful combination.

We will be running four digital storytelling course in Londonderry, Strabane, Omagh and Donegal. Each of the four courses will contain the following elements:

The delivery of facilitation and learning to the four groups to empower and skill them in the telling of their stories and the creation of digital stories. This will be jointly delivered by the WEA and the Nerve Centre. Each group will receive approximately 24 hours over an 8 week period. The learning will be based in the groups’ localities

The creation of digital stories. Approximately 40 stories will be created by participants telling their own experiences using images, music/sound and their own words and voices. Each story will last 2-3 mins. These will then be transferred to CDs

Sharing the stories. There will be a screening of all the stories as a celebration of the project in late 2010. The stories will also be archived as part of the NW Digital Film Archive and thus be available to the wider public. (Please note that whilst we will encourage participants to share their story it is not compulsory.

Other Useful information: The project is free there will be no cost to take part; Dates and times and locations are still to being worked out as expressions of interest come in. The first course will be starting in the Nerve Centre, Derry-Londonderry on Thursday 11th November at 2pm; No previous experience is necessary just a willingness to take part and share your story; Throughout you will be guided by a skilled facilitators who will help you shape your story and record it digitally; There will be a strong emphasis on creating a safe supportive environment in recognition that some of these stories are sensitive and difficult

If you are interested in hearing more please contact. Diane Greer at the WEA (028) 71 369947 or email [email protected]