 Story Walks
Story walks in the countryside are one of the greatest ways to listen to
stories. Whether its with family groups in the parklands of a hall or across the clent
hills with a group of seasoned walkers, everyone loves to stop for a story. When you
listen to a story, you stand still. Maybe it relates to the spot you are in, maybe not but
you take in the environment around you as you take in the story.
This has been one of the biggest expansions of Graham's work in the last couple of
years. He works in parks and woodlands and runs workshops with park rangers and colleges.
Environmental Sculpturing
A few years ago he introduced environmental sculpturing on some of his
walks. Mostly this is with children. They have a less inhibited approach to art than some
of the rest of us. They are working with a new media - the objects they have scrabbled and
searched for in the woods - so any previous feelings, good or bad, are as nothing as in
groups they build create new images.
New Mythologies
It sometimes ends there, we celebrate each others work and take
photographs. But you know this is just ideal ground for storymaking so now he sometimes
works with a group to create new mythologies created out of the environment. This work
usually ends with putting together a book containing a whole story cycle. It is great fun
and very rewarding for everyone who takes part.
Article in CREATE magazine
Graham's home page
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