Life Story Theatre: Everyone Has a Story to Tell

Alison O'Connor, Karin Diamond

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

    Abstract

    “Being given the chance to show how I felt about certain episodes in my life was both cathartic and empowering. Performing my story changed how I looked at myself.”
    Terri Morrow, Re-Live Participant
    Re-Live is an award-winning charity providing a dynamic, inspirational programme of Life Story Theatre. Based in Cardiff, we work alongside people and communities, inviting them to share their experiences, so that audiences young and old can witness the untold stories of our time. Our creative process takes people on a transformative journey and places their story centre stage.
    We have been developing our methodology of Life Story Theatre over the past 10 years. We have worked with older adults in community and residential settings, military veterans and families with post-traumatic stress, people diagnosed with a terminal illness and people living with dementia on a process of creative life review. Inspired by the work of Butler (1963) and Birren (1991) and our own theatre and counselling practice in a variety of settings, we have developed an approach which is collaborative and hopeful.
    We all need to make sense of the life we have lived, are living, will live in the future. We all need to find a story to call our own.
    This presentation will share our methodology and focus on the impact of Re-Live’s Life Story Theatre approach. Featuring testimonies from participants, film clips of work and stories of change, it will provide a powerful insight into the potential of Life Story Theatre with older adults.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication statusPublished - 2017

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