Situation:
The Horniman use storytelling performance as an integral part of the museum's interpretation and engagement practice. The Education Department were interested in how it could further be used as a communication tool both internally and externally. There was also a desire to build a closer working relationship between its Community and Schools teams.
Solution:
Over 1 day the Schools and Community teams took part in a storytelling workshop, which used the Hands On Base as a cultural context onto which to connect traditional world stories. The techniques of the workshop offered various methods of communicating with different audiences and enhanced how the participants' shared their extensive knowledge of the museum and its collection.
Results:
During the workshop the participants were pushed beyond their comfort zones, and in doing so became aware of their own skills and talents. The 2 teams learnt more about each others' assets and therefore worked better together. Following the workshop the Education Department were able to take advantage of the skills and techniques of storytelling as a tool to enhance their interpretation of the museum's collections to both schools, community and general visitors.