Circular storytelling: reimagining stories as a means of doing community histories Prof Neil Ravenscroft, University of Brighton, and colleagues

Asking and Telling New AHRC/EU Joint Programme Initiative research: European Waterways Heritage (EU.WAT.HER): Re- evaluating European Minor Rivers and Canals as Cultural Landscapes We want to hear stories about cultural meaning – but whose stories, told by whom, mediated by whom, under what conditions? We are interested in the circularity of this; using Laverty’s idea of working within an hermeneutic circle, of creating spaces where stories can be told (and retold) in the round

Derived by a team of academics and youth workers who have been researching together for 10 years – Paul Gilchrist, Becky Taylor, Neil Ravenscroft, University of Brighton – Claire Holmes and Amelia Lee, LGBT Youth North West – Niamh Moore, University of Edinburgh (was Manchester) – Rachel Hanney, Tablehurst Community Farm We found that creating community stories was both fun and challenging Origins of our approach

Extensive range of resources for oral history work: OHS, BL, HLF, EMOHA … Methodologies like PAR do not always work for story-based research

Our Approach A methodology for supporting communities and partners, including academics, to engage in research which involves producing stories Where community history and story-telling are understood as a research practice Where communities are understood as dynamic and networked We wanted to create an approach to help communities to: – engage in ethical storytelling – produce critical stories – stories that are important to tell – stories that create change

The Collaborative Stories Spiral A spiralling four phase process 1)situating community stories 2)generating community stories 3)mediating community stories 4)remediating community stories

Situating stories Critical questions: Why is a story being created and told now? What do we want the story or stories to do? Who is telling the story? Who is the ‘we’? Who/what is being made in/visible? (How) does this matter? What stories have already been told by/for/ about this group/ area …?

Generating Stories Critical questions: Are inclusive, participatory methods being used? Are the methods appropriate for group? What kinds of stories are the methods eliciting?

Mediating Stories How is the story or story brought together from the materials? How does the format and the materials relates to the story? Who is involved?

Remediating Stories Stories continue to act on the world: What might happen the stories once they are finished? What work does the group or the community want their stories to do in the world? Has this been considered from the outset? What might the unintended consequences of creating and sharing stories be?

Tablehurst & Plaw Hatch Community Farms

Generating stories

Remediating the story Shift from pioneer to differentiated structure – Understanding why people move on – ‘it’s OK now’ The community as strategy forum – Creating a new spiritual relationship between land, farmers and community – Creating a new narrative of Tablehurst as a learning community – Community renewal

Conceptual resources We see the collaborative story spiral as a ‘boundary object’ (Susan Leigh Star) the passing on of stories as like a ‘cat’s cradle’ (Donna Haraway) and the remediating of stories as ‘transmedia ecologies’ (Katie King)

What next.... Paper Prototype Pilot Participation