On 11 and 12 March, a storytelling workshop for young people took place in Liepāja and Kuldīga in the framework of the project “Storytelling. Nordic–Baltic Stories”. The workshops were orchestrated by Jakob Elofsson, a storyteller and storytelling tutor from Sweden.
Jakob Elofsson is a young, highly experienced, and passionate storyteller. He has a talent for teaching different storytelling techniques through captivating stories from around the world. In his workshops, he showed how to create compelling stories and engage an audience. Participants also learned various speaking techniques and practical methods to improve their storytelling, speech-making, and presentations. Jakob shared effective exercises to boost and open up imagination. The free workshops were intended to helped participants tell their stories more engagingly and convincingly in school and daily life.
Jakob’s professional storytelling journey began when he as teenager was working summers at the Museum of Legends in Ljungby – a UNESCO-monitored institution preserving Swedish oral traditions. He had also studied acting at the Folk School in Vik, and later religion and philosophy at Uppsala University. Currently, he teaches theater arts, music, and social studies. His passion for storytelling had brought him back to the Museum of Legends, where he rediscovered the art of storytelling.
In Liepāja, the masterclass “Everyone is a Storyteller. Masterclass for Beginners” took place at the Liepāja Puppet Theatre, bringing together 27 participants: schoolchildren, students, drama teachers, students, members of the school theatre and amateur theatre movement and others. The second masterclass took place at the Kuldīga Municipality Children and Youth Centre with 15 youngsters learning basic storytelling skills. Participants found the workshops practical and useful, applicable not only in school but also in everyday life. They appreciated Jakob's suggestions and knowledge.
Practical methods and techniques for stimulating imagination, storytelling, memorising and presenting were highly praised. The fact that storytelling is all around us in everything we hear in our everyday lives was a surprising discovery for several participants. They realized that storytelling is an effective way to learn and remember information. A successful story doesn't have to be complicated; simplicity is key. However, the way a story is presented, including posture, confidence, intonation, tone, and body language, is crucial. Participants found insight into different storytelling methods valuable.
The Nordic-Baltic Stories project will aim to engage youth up to the age of 26 in cultural activities where the main focus is on acute youth issues which influence well-being: social equality, human rights, and anxiety about the world issues such as the environmental crisis. Special focus will be put on youth in rural areas, vulnerable youth, and minority groups in the Baltics and the Nordics.
The workshops were held in English and free of charge.
To learn more about previous workshops in this project, please follow this link.
Photos from Liepāja: Ieva Hmielevska. Photos from Kuldīga: Ieva Hermansone.
