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Once upon a time…
What started as an experiment in 2008 has now become a lifelong mission – to tell stories not only children but also to adults, corporate employees, the aged and anyone interested. “Somehow we have forgotten to tell stories; teachers no longer narrate stories and grandparents do not live with most people these days,” says Deepa.
Who listens to stories’, is the common refrain but Deepa Kiran, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and educationalist is bringing back the tradition
What started as an experiment in 2008 has now become a lifelong mission – to tell stories not only children but also to adults, corporate employees, the aged and anyone interested. “Somehow we have forgotten to tell stories; teachers no longer narrate stories and grandparents do not live with most people these days,” says Deepa.
A story has the potential to enliven the dullest of kids and help them shed inhibitions. Deepa shares, “A girl who would never utter a word went to take part in an impromptu skit after listening to a Tenali Rama story. A child can imbibe listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar through a storytelling session.”
The substitution class is what every teacher hates but it was in these classes that Deepa Kiran found her true calling ‘storytelling’. Today, Deepa conducts storytelling sessions in schools, libraries, cultural centres, literary festivals, universities and even by a pond giving wings to words by missing music, dance and storytelling.
A firm believer that a teacher is a performer, more so an English Language teacher she says, “Storytelling can bring children closer to literature and the characters come alive. A good teacher should know how to dance, emote, recite, provoke and connect.”Connecting with students and the elderly is what Deepa has managed; she also trains other teachers in storytelling.
On the issue of teaching the rules of grammar, she believes in whole language acquisition. “Do we pick up our mother tongue through grammar?” she asks. For now, Deepa, who is the founder of ‘Story Arts India’, is engaging with schools which are interested in a long-term association of storytelling in their time-table.
While the chalk and talk method is still predominant in many schools, the winds of change are slowly blowing and stories are slowly making their way back. The next storytelling session is on Sunday, 4.30 pm at the Lotus Pond Park, Banjara Hills. Entry is free. Deepa can be contacted at 9849936248.
By:TP Venu
