From Colleagues to Friends: Bonding Through Sharing Personal Stories
Target Participants:
Organisations who want their staff members to bond together
Duration:
1 session, two hours per session
No. of Participants:
Min: 20 people; Max: 40 people
Pre-Workshop Preparation:
- Participants who are able to communicate fluently in English are welcome.
- Please bring a personal object of sentimental value.
- Please have in hand paper and pen/pencil for some writing exercises.
Notes for Organisers:
- Please make available a fair-sized room that allows participants to move about freely (for interactive games) and sit on the floor or on chairs in two or three large circles (for storytelling-related activities).
- Please provide a large whiteboard and pens.
- Please make copies of hand-outs that will be emailed to prior to the workshop. The hand-outs are to be given to the participants at the end of the workshop.
People have been telling stories to each other as a way of communicating information and bonding with each other since time immemorial. Using merely the power of the spoken word, a good storyteller can evoke clear mental images and inspire the listener. If you wish to improve your ability to share your experiences and enhance your storytelling skills, this hands-on workshop will provide you with practical tips on how to:
- Structure interesting and tellable tales from real-life incidents,
- tell your stories with confidence, and
- connect with your audience from the heart.
By the end of the workshop, you will be able to devise and convey your personal stories more effectively as well as forge closer ties with your listeners.
About the Facilitator
Verena Tay has spent more than 25 years acting, directing and writing for Singaporean English-language theatre. She has three published collections of plays and is now working on her debut novel and first volume of short stories. In addition, Verena is an active storyteller-cum-storytelling coach and a co-founder of MoonShadow Stories. Possessing an MA in Voice Studies (Central School of Speech and Drama, 2005) and an MA in English Literature (National University of Singapore, 1993), she has been helping people to improve their communication skills since 2001 and currently teaches voice, speech and presentation skills at various local institutions. For more information about Verena, please visit www.verenatay.com.