Situation:
As part of their "Let's Get Engaged" conference, we were asked to provide a 90-minute workshop to demonstrate to property managers how storytelling could be used within their National Trust property. Areas to consider included how to re-engage volunteers and staff, bring in new audiences and help with interpretation and information dissemination. Among the delegates there were varying degrees of enthusiasm for the role storytelling might play.

Solution:
We provided a workshop that demonstrated practically the differences between communicating facts and information with and without storytelling. The delegates' stories would encourage them to re-engage with their first impressions of the property and to identify what is of importance and of interest to them. While the workshop would ask them to use their own responses to the property it also placed them in the mind of the visitor.

Results:
All present were enthused by the chance to share in each other's passion for their place of work and by the experience of both listening to and participating in storytelling. The positive environment created allowed the delegates the chance to discuss the benefits of storytelling and share how it could be used in their various properties. Each participant felt more confident about how they shared and interpreted information and were above all delighted by their new insight into their property and how they were now more personally connected to it.