Introductions and Establishing the Rules
Creating a welcoming space is important for establishing a good game, if the group is not familiar with each other run an icebreaker, such as the Who Am I? Game.
You might want to discuss some shared group rules, these could be co-negotiated by the group – they could include:
- Nothing leaves the group unless there is explicit consent.
- Do not tell other people’s stories – if you hear something in a breakout group it is not your story to share with the group.
- Time is shared – be aware of how much space you are taking up, ensure everyone has time to speak.
- Feedback is invitational – if someone shares a story, respond with care and curiosity. Allow people to state if they would like questions, or they prefer just to tell their stories. Use active listening and avoid interrupting, judging, or offering advice unless asked.
Food can serve as a powerful connector, however, not everyone has a cultural or personal connection to food in the same way. Food habits can be deeply personal, and some individuals may feel uncomfortable sharing this aspect of their lives.
Sandra Karner shares insights on facilitating a Biodiversity Storytelling workshop:
Sharing Stories
Storytelling:
- Invite storytellers to take turns sharing their stories within their group. Allow space for questions or comments, if the storyteller is happy to receive them.
- In the PLANET4B workshop, individual stories typically lasted around 5 minutes, although this can vary depending on the topic, available time, and the preferences of the group.
- Facilitators can share a story of their own to open the space, ensuring that the session does not place all the emphasis on storytellers, and can foster a greater sense of mutual exchange by showing that facilitators are also willing to share personal insights.
Plenary Discussion:
It is recommended that the plenary group is limited to up to 15 people:
- Once everyone has had a chance to tell their story, open the plenary session. If the group has been divided into breakout groups, bring everyone back together for this section. Give time for a brief summary from each group. Facilitators can then encourage further reflection and exchange about the stories that have been shared, identifying common themes, contrasts, or moments of insight.
- Introduce a set of illustrated factsheets that highlight different biological, ecological, culinary, and cultural dimensions of selected fruits and vegetables:
- Mushrooms – their ecological role and industrial applications
- Tomatoes – their links to agrobiodiversity and cultural symbolism
- Potatoes – their historical importance and global significance
- The fact cards link personal stories to broader themes. In the PLANET4B project, the fact cards helped connect storytellers' experience with foods to the topic of biodiversity. A story about mushrooms, prompted a discussion on mycorrhizal networks and forest biodiversity.
- The discussion after the stories could be around the instigation of a project or aimed at further bringing to light the direction in which the Learning Community might want to proceed (e.g. perhaps a cooking workshop or similar). The facilitator could ask at this point how they might enable this idea (resources, organising).
- Facilitators can also share additional resources related to the featured foods, such as short videos, social media pages, podcasts, or local stories and book recommendations to help storytellers continue exploring the topics raised. In the PLANET4B project, the storytelling workshop inspired one of the women to source a book on seeds.
- Storytellers might wish to contribute their own knowledge related to a specific topic. This also helps shift the dynamic of expertise – positioning storytellers as knowledge-holders and validating the diversity of experiences present in the group.
In this video Sandra Karner explains how Biodiversity Storytelling helped build connection within the Learning Community:
Closing the Workshop:
In the PLANET4B workshop, the storytelling session concluded with a shared meal featuring some of the fruits and vegetables discussed earlier in the day. Eating together offers a powerful opportunity for reflection, informal exchange, and deeper learning. It also reinforces the theme of food as a connector between people, places, and biodiversity. Not everyone may feel comfortable staying for a communal meal, so be aware of different needs, schedules, or cultural preferences around food and social interaction. Be aware also of any specific dietary restrictions.
If you are designing the end of the workshop, consider the following suggestions for transitioning out of the storytelling space:
- Offer a moment of reflection: Invite storytellers to share one word or phrase that captures how they are feeling, what they are taking away, or what surprised them. This can be done in a circle, in writing, or through drawing.
- Provide time for informal conversation: If possible, allow unstructured time at the end of the workshop for people to speak in pairs or small groups.
- Make space for feedback: Offer an optional feedback space, whether through a feedback form, or ‘post-it’ wall (etc).
- Debriefing: see the Debriefing Method for detailed guidance on possible follow-up activities and session closure.
