|
|
|
|
Curriculum VitaeJanet Dowling- Storyteller
Background I am a storyteller. Eldest of five children, I told stories to keep my younger brother and sisters occupied and out of trouble. Then I trained as a psychiatric social worker and used the concepts of storytelling and story-making in therapeutic work as a counselor, family therapist and group-worker. Since 2000 I have been working as a professional storyteller with children and adults in different settings - museums, schools, hospitals, and community projects, and relating the work to the National Curriculum. I have also used storytelling techniques in consultancy work. In February/March 2002 I completed the six week full time course at Emerson College with Nancy Mellon on "Storytelling as a Healing Art". From April 2002-2005 I was a Director of the Society for Storytelling. I am currently the chair of the Society for Storytelling special Interest Group on Storytelling in Health and Therapy Settings. I have a MA in Children's Literature where I have focused my work on the impact of traditional folk tales on children's literature. My dissertation was on how mental illness is reflected in children's literature (which included how mental illness is referred to in traditional folk tales). I have written further articles on this which are on the BookTrusted website. I tell stories from different settings and cultures - traditional, personal, and original stories, and plan the programmes to enable the target audience to both enjoy and be challenged by the stories. I run workshops to enable people to learn how to learn stories, and then how to tell them. I work with adults and children from 4 to 104 and aim to work inclusively with people of different abilities and experiences. I have experience of working with adults and children with multiple and profound physical and learning disabilities. I have been CRB checked and have my certificate. I have professional insurance, and I am registered as self employed.
Recent projects have included: Jan 2000 to date. Working as a Storyteller in schools, on community projects, in hospitals, day centres and museums in Surrey and London - telling stories and running workshops.
August 2001, August 2003, August 2004, August 2005 & August 2006. Sidmouth International Folk Festival - a week long festival of folk arts where I run daily story circles for adults, beginners workshops and talks on storytelling ( e.g. “Sex, Lies and Videotape- the Brothers Grimm Experience,” and “Sister of the more famous Jack”).
From Dec 2003 (one day a week for 8 weeks). Haringey City Learning Centre - working with children for whom English is a second language, to develop storytelling skills to tell stories on the radio. From this I developed the “Storyteller’s Apprentice” workshops which have been a popular request from schools.
From Oct 2003 (one day a week ongoing). Storyteller at The Children's Trust, Tadworth Court, Surrey working with children with profound and multiple physical and learning difficulties, and children recovering from brain injury.
From Feb 2004 (ad hoc as needed and ongoing). Storyteller at the Guildford House Gallery, Guildford, Surrey. The Gallery is a 17th century house which has a changing program of exhibits, and is part of the local museum cluster. I have been running storytelling workshops for schoolchildren, storytelling sessions for family audiences and lectures for adults relating to traditional stories (e.g. “Sister of the More famous Jack.”) I have worked with them on several different exhibitions.
From May 2004. Corporate events (ad hoc). I am registered with a speakers’ agency and have performed programs of stories at corporate events.
From July 2004 (one day a month). Storyteller at Chase Children’s Hospice, Guildford, Surrey.
From February 2005 Resident Storyteller at London Transport Museum (30 days over a year). Project 1 - Storytelling at the Livesey Museum as part of the “Museum Hub” and outreach with schools in East and South London. Included two sets of the “Storyteller’s Apprentice” at a school in Tower Hamlets. Project 2. - Going into schools with storytelling workshops on trains and buses, to promote the museum during its refurbishment.
March – June 2005. Participated in a group production of the retelling of the Mahabharata (Hindu Epic Story).
August 2005 & July 2006. Storyteller at the Roald Dahl Museum - using story plays which supports children participation in the story.
October 2005 to Jan 2006 (8 days over 8 weeks). Facilitating bereavement storytelling project in Central London day centre for Adults with Learning Disabilities.
February 2006. Awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to study storytelling in hospices in the US.
Janet has been featured on Radio Resonance (104.4 FM) (February 2004) a local London based station (available world wide on the internet). In this live broadcast, she told stories and talked about storytelling and the benefits it can bring for both the teller and the listener. She has also made several appearances on Southern Counties Radio.
References References can be provided upon application.
|
