The world around us contains countless stories, each of these presenting countless learning opportunities. Add a dash of creativity to that and the learning becomes fun as well. This is what storyteller Nidhi Bagaria of The Creative World has set out to do. The Creative World is a storytelling and creative expressions venture which concentrates on the child’s language skills, imagination and confidence – all of which are very important in later years of life. It was started in the year 2013 with a center at Ghatkopar, Mumbai. Currently it has two more centers – in Chembur and Mulund, in addition to holding guest classes in Nairobi, Kenya.
We spoke to Nidhi about her love for storytelling and her experience with The Creative World.
What defines the storyteller in you?
Being Creative, innovative, energetic, nurturing, observant and listening to others are some of my innate qualities. As a storyteller, I have had the opportunity to sharpen these skills, especially observing others in my quest for unique methods to narrate stories.
What influenced you to become a storyteller?
Storytelling began as a hobby which I enjoyed, I specifically loved the interaction I had with children. Also narrating stories to my daughter helped in understanding the likes and dislikes of children and what worked best with them. I started conducting storytelling workshops more than a decade ago. The joy and satisfaction gained out of the experience of narrating stories to children and helping to make a positive difference in them, however small, were some of the reasons which influenced me to become a storyteller.
What motivated you to start The Creative World? Tell us something about its journey.
Taking a sabbatical from full time work three years back helped me to begin something new, The Creative World. Having an experience of around 13 years in education, I wanted to use my experience on a larger scale. That’s how The Creative World started. I started researching about storytelling and the idea of taking this art to the next level was born. Children are extremely creative and when they are given an environment that enhances this, they emerge as confident and happy beings. With this belief, we started one center and have spread our wings to more areas now.
What are kind of audiences The Creative World works with?
The Creative World works with children from one and half years to seven years. Apart from that I also work with children of different NGOs. There are special workshops organized for parents of young children as well. These workshops are to sensitize the parents towards the need for stories and creative learning practices.
How have the stories in your life influenced your style of storytelling and the way you use stories?
As a child I would listen to stories narrated by a neighbor. These were stories she had imagined. She would stop at a very interesting point and tell us that she will continue the story next day. The excitement to know what will happen next, would make me look forward to the next day. Listening to mythological stories like Ramayan and Mahabharat by teachers and my grandmother was something I looked forward to. These stories helped to imbibe values.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]Anything taught through stories becomes interesting, even boring topics like history.[/color-box]
These episodes left an indelible mark. Writing and selecting stories which the children can relate to is very important. Making stories exciting and not preachy while conveying a message through fun, curiosity and encouraging questions are ways that I narrate stories.
What is your favorite audience and why?
Children are my favorite audience. They come without any preconceived notions and are open to learning and listening. Their questions push me to research my topics well. I would say children teach me more than I teach them.
As someone who works with children of different age groups, how much of a role do you feel can storytelling play in mainstream education?
Having worked with children for over a decade, I have understood the importance of storytelling and how it can be used in education. Anything taught through stories becomes interesting, even boring topics like history. Stories help increase concentration, encourages imagination, as well as thinking out of the box.
Any particular incident/anecdote from your workshops/sessions that is special to you?
All the workshops have been special as there is a bond that one forms with the children. But one incidence that stands out is about a shy child who joined the class. In the beginning the child would keep to himself and just observe. But after attending four to five story telling sessions, the child started conversing and would narrate incidences to the parents. The parents were shocked to see the change in the child in such a short span. When we had a stage performance, the child spoke confidently on stage on the mike, which was a big change from when he had started. These kind of positive incidences reaffirm my faith in stories and its positive impact.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false] Storytelling is like art, where a child’s mind is the empty canvas and the storyteller paints it with beautiful pictures, words and thoughts. [/color-box]
Any suggestions to parents and teachers on how they can help in keeping stories alive?
Our culture is rich with stories like mythological stories, stories with morals, stories told just for fun and stories about various foreign cultures. In our busy lives, it may not be possible to read and narrate stories to children frequently, but making your own stories with characters who have unique characteristics and interweaving daily experiences goes a long way in shaping a child’s personality. Reading and imagining stories enhances language skills, vocabulary as well as helps build a beautiful bond with the child.
You advice to those who want to pick up storytelling as a profession.
Each of us is a storyteller in our own way. Storytelling channelizes ones creativity and imagination and is boundary less. It’s like art, where a child’s mind is the empty canvas and the storyteller paints it with beautiful pictures, words and thoughts. If one enjoys the process, is an active learner and looks for innovative methods to improve and convey this beautiful art, then this is the profession you can go for.
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You can follow The Creative World on creativeworld2013.blogspot.com.
Don’t Miss: We love storytellers as much as we love storytelling. On Tell-a-Tale, we’ve featured a lot of talented storytellers, in the past.
Are you a Storyteller? If you’re a storyteller who is actively pursuing storytelling and would like to be featured in this column, drop us a mail at contact AT tell-a-tale.com or reach out to us via Facebook.
