The Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in the Netherlands contains ICH of which the communities, groups or individuals involved have written a safeguarding plan. Those plans are reviewed by an independent review committee. Every three years an evaluation of the safeguarding takes place.

Description

 

To tell stories, a storyteller first looks for a story, from literature or the oral tradition (fairy tales, myths, sagas, legends). However, stories can also be found by listening to other storytellers, reading a lot, writing from your own imagination and in your own life.

With existing stories, a storyteller will edit the story and sometimes thoroughly rewrite it. A storyteller will then make the story his own. He rehearses the story with or without feedback from listeners, fellow storytellers, a coach or a director.

In storytelling, emotion, imagination, senses, fantasy/creativity and experimentation are of great importance.

In storytelling, inner images are created in the listener's imagination and open and direct two-way communication takes place between the storyteller and the audience. Storytelling enables interaction between those present.

 

The storyteller goes to his audience with his story. This can take place on different locations, such as (small) stages and theatres, libraries, schools, storytelling festivals, living rooms, Storytrails, etc.

Storytelling always happens in the moment, in the here and now. This means that if a storyteller tells a story more often, it does not always have to be with the same words.

Community

Story Telling is practiced by a broad field of professional and semi-professional storytellers, amateur storytellers, and many professionals who apply storytelling in their work.

Story Telling has been inscribed in the Inventory by the Federatie Nederlandse Vertelorganisaties, (Federation of Dutch Storytelling Organisations). The Federation is an alliance of storytelling organisations in which the Foundation Storytelling Centre, the Storytelling Academy, the Storytelling Foundation, Theatre Bureau Het Verteltheater, StoryTrail, Production bureau De Verhalenboot, Mezrab – The House of Stories – and the Foundation Platform Lifestories are affiliated.

In addition, many small storytelling stages, small and/or starting storytelling organisations and storytelling festivals are actively involved in Storytelling.

There are also a number of storytelling organisations active that use storytelling in a business setting.

 

History

We've been telling stories from time immemorial. The function of storytelling was to convey history and information, news, entertainment, social cohesion and art. Legends, sagas, fairy tales and fables were told. All these stories are about history, about life and understanding for the world.

Partly due to the influence of books (reading and writing) and developments in the twentieth century, such as television and internet, a large part of the storytelling culture has been deprived of attention. Storytelling therefore got a bit of an old-fashioned image; it would only be meant for the elderly and children.

In recent decades that image has slowly but surely reversed. In the digital image culture with perfect images, there seems to be a growing need for the storyteller’s own imagination and fantasy and certainly also the direct contact of the storyteller with his audience and of people among each other.

 

The storytelling revival that emerged in Great Britain more than thirty years ago, has also shown itself in the Netherlands in the last 25 years, while storytelling has been often confused with reading aloud and with the idea that it is only for children.

Meanwhile, however, there are more and more artistic developments and crossovers with theatre, music, movement, mime, stand-up comedy, Cabaret, actors with a narrative playing style.

In addition, more and more storytellers are cooperating with libraries, cultural institutions and small theatres, thus increasing the support base.

Safeguarding

2019-2020

  • The Federation wants to be a serious discussion partner for government, administrators, social, cultural and educational organisations in the field of Storytelling. In this way, the Federation can also inform these organisations what Storytelling stands for.
  • For the longer term, the Federation will work on the recognition of Storytelling as a genre within the theatre.
  • In the next three years, 500,000 primary school children will be introduced to a professional storytelling performance.
  • In the coming years, 2,000 primary school teachers will be introduced to telling a short story in class in a workshop.
  • Within a period of five years, 1,000 primary school teachers will be trained in the basic skills of free storytelling in class.
  • Within a period of three years 100 young talented future storytellers (16-30) will be trained in basic storytelling.
  • Within a period of 5 years, 10 young storytellers (18-35) will be professionally trained and supervised for several years.
  • The various organisations will continue their activities, which they are already doing for and with children and young people.

Contact

Federatie Nederlandse Vertelorganisaties
Biltstraat 166
3572 BP
Utrecht
Utrecht