The Bangalore Storytelling Society in action
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Storytelling is the oldest form of education and the art of storytelling has been an intrinsic part of Indian culture. From our folklore and Panchatantra to mythological tales and childhood favourites by grandparents, India is a land of wondrous stories. The Bangalore Storytelling Society (BSS) is one of the groups making a concerted effort to keep this fascinating art alive and relevant in today’s digital world.
Formed in 2013, BSS is a collective of storytellers who have come together with the objective of propagating and nurturing the art of storytelling. “We are a group of seven passionate story tellers who started BSS as a registered body with a focus on oral storytelling for adults,” says Vikram Sridhar. The core team, which includes Aparna Athreya, Aparna Jaishankar, Lavanya Prasad, Ramya Srinidhi, Shylaja Sampath, Sowmya Srinivasan and Vikram, ideate and execute all the activities of the collective.
Vikram says they have been successful in creating a platform where people from all walks of life come together to share stories resulting in creative cooperation, synergy of thought and ultimately, community development.
Human connect is key
While stories can be told in multiple ways, BSS champions the cause of oral storytelling. “Oral storytelling provides a unique opportunity for an audience to experience human connection in terms of facial expressions and emotions. It helps people empathise, develop their imagination and creative thinking as well as improve their communication,” says Aparna Jaishankar.
The Bangalore Storytelling Society in action
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Exchanging stories helps people connect their past to the present and this creates an environment of bonding and positivity, she adds. This is evident in the energy exuded during BSS’ monthly meet up. The theme for the meeting is brainstormed, finalised and a call for storytellers is put out on their social media handles and whatsapp group. These monthly meet-ups are free and most of them are open to those aged 16 and above.
“The theme is usually topical and is decided based on current events and happenings. It is heartening to witness how a single theme can conjure different perspectives and build diverse narratives. For example, we had ‘chair’ as the theme for one of our meets and it was fascinating to hear different stories ranging from nostalgia to politics,” says Lavanya.
Events galore
BSS has been involved in various programmes and workshops with many of them being public collaboration events. “We have been part of events conducted by Rangoli Metro Art Centre, Gudiya Sambhrama and BIC. We conducted a series titled, Heads and Tales which was a collaboration with Rangoli Metro at Rangasthala that brought families together to listen to stories,” says Sowmya.
Story Mania with Mentor saw a professional storyteller guide children on how to perform for their family and friends. “This was an online story coaching platform for children between five and 13 years,” says Shylaja.
Story Sans Borders was an endeavour by BSS to include stories and storytellers beyond the barriers of language and profession. “Through a process of careful selection, we invited people to share stories in their native tongues. As many as 42 languages were heard during these sessions and were narrated by authors, businessmen and other professionals,” says Aparna Athreya.
Katha Rasa was a notable project undertaken during the pandemic wherein children in rural Karnataka were provided audiovisual stories that had different learning concepts incorporated in them. These stories were recorded in multiple languages spoken in Karnataka and also included different dialects of Kannada, Konkani and Tulu.
“Another project saw BSS collaborate with the Bangalore chapter of INTACH to narrate stories specific to the history and heritage of Bangalore to children studying in government schools,” says Ramya.
Next on the calendar
The Bangalore Storytelling Society in action
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
BSS is now gearing up for its annual Bangalore Story Telling (BeST) festival scheduled for the end of this year, where it curates several learning and training events. It is a one-of-a-kind festival that highlights Bengaluru and acts as a bridge between traditional storytellers and contemporary practitioners. The festival has previously bought together some of the best names in oral storytelling including indigenous artistes practising art forms such as Yakshagana, Bhoota Kola, puppetry and the like, as well as a few international ones.
According to the core members, the philosophy of BSS is to create avenues for storytelling and provide a non-judgemental platform for both professionals and amateur storytellers. With an aim to make the art of storytelling accessible to all, BSS is working towards providing a safe space for people to practice and engage with this art.