Page 17 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

AMPLIFYING RURAL VoICES
THRoUGH fouR Days of
fun anD Reflection
Heather Robertson writes about the process that led to the germination of Rural Voice II.
Twenty nine of the thirty stories which form the backbone of this book were created at a four day workshop held at the beautiful nineteenth century Goedgedacht farm, situated on the slopes of the Kasteelberg . Goedgedacht translated from Dutch means a place of ‘good thoughts’ or ‘good ideas’, an apt description for our four day storytelling workshop. one of the LDA leaders, Christiaan oerson from Cederberg Matzikama Aids Network was unable to attend the workshop, but he contributed his story after I provided him with a framework of questions to answer and editing support.
There are a number of storytelling techniques that I used which helped the workshop members develop the confidence to give voice to their own stories. Some of the techniques shine through the final stories, like a deep awareness of location and place. I was amazed by how dedicated the LDA members were to writing their Morning Pages1, a very challenging exercise devised by author of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron, to unblock and unlock creativity. Every morning each participant would quietly sit and write three pages of longhand stream of consciousness writing, never lifting a finger or getting distracted. This exercise is both therapeutic and cathartic.
A task which had participants both laughing and crying and giving each other group hugs was an exercise which required them to write a letter to their younger selves. This exercise unearths long buried emotions but also helps the writer reflect on the strides they have made in their lives. All of these creativity- unleashing exercises, group work and interviewing techniques were stepping stones to the final stage of the process which was to help participants find their own voice and tell their story about how and why they came to work at their local development agency.
Participants were encouraged to write in their mother tongues, but most opted to write their stories in English.
The results of the four day workshop can be read in the following chapters. You will discover like I did, that these LDA members are the true pioneers of social change and empowerment. Many of them have surmounted personal tragedies, injustice and economic obstacles to play pivotal roles in their often forgotten and ignored rural communities. They are the true unsung heroines and heroes of our country.
1. Cameron, J. (2019). Morning Pages | Julia Cameron Live. Retrieved october 21, 2019, from juliacameronlive.com website: https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/
heAther robertson
RuRal Voice ii: 35 stories for 35 years
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