I’m so excited to be launching my new 3-part online course, Crafting Family Mythologies – a course inspired by a workshop I was commissioned to run for the British Library.
The experience of developing and leading the workshop at the British Library was incredibly meaningful for me. I loved seeing participants explore their family memories, legends and photographs in such imaginative and creative ways. The conversations that emerged were thoughtful, moving and often surprising, and it reminded me how powerful storytelling can be when we connect it to memory, folklore and lived experience.
Following the success of that workshop, I wanted to create a space where more people could experience this creative process together – which is how Crafting Family Mythologies was born.
Reimagining Family Stories
This course is an invitation to explore the stories, myths, anecdotes and memories that exist within your family or community history.
Across three online sessions, I’ll guide participants through a process of narrative exploration combining oral history, storytelling, folklore and family objects to help create a visual, written or oral story inspired by the past.
Perhaps you have old photographs tucked away in albums, stories that have been passed down through generations, or memories you’ve always wanted to preserve and explore creatively. Perhaps there are gaps in your family history that invite imagination as much as research.
This course embraces all of that – the known stories, the forgotten fragments and the mysteries in between.
Who Is The Course For?
The course is perfect for anyone interested in creating an imaginative space to connect with their family or community history.
Writers, storytellers, artists, family history enthusiasts and curious folks are all welcome. My aim is to create a relaxed and welcoming environment where participants can experiment, reflect, share ideas and discover new creative approaches together.
What You’ll Learn
Over the three sessions, we’ll explore:
- Oral history practices for finding and preserving stories
- How myths, folklore and legends can shape personal narratives
- Using objects and photographs as memory triggers and creative clues
- How to creatively fill – or intentionally leave unresolved – gaps in family history
Course Outline
Week 1 – Choosing Your Story – 7th July
We’ll begin by exploring oral history techniques, including ethical approaches to interviewing and memory gathering. We’ll also look at how family photographs and objects can spark imagination and storytelling.
Week 2 – Shaping Your Story – 14th July
In the second session, we’ll explore the ingredients of myths, folklore and legends, and use traditional tales to help map and shape our own narratives.
Week 3 – Setting Your Story – 21st July
Finally, we’ll create imaginative and symbolic landscapes for our stories, drawing on rituals, traditions and proverbs to deepen atmosphere and meaning.
The process
Throughout the course there will be creative exercises, reflections and discussion, with plenty of space to develop ideas in your own way and at your own pace.
I’m really looking forward to welcoming people into this creative space and continuing the journey that began at the British Library – helping more people uncover the stories, myths and memories waiting within their own families and communities.