When children listen to and tell stories

A group of 70 children enjoyed listening to stories and narrating them at an interactive storytelling workshop organised by a leading clothing store in the city on Saturday.

Hosted by Arvind Mills as part of its apparel and accessories brand Unlimited at the Thillai Nagar showroom, the three 90-minute sessions were conducted by Bangalore-based storyteller Priya Arun.

Ms. Arun, who also runs the Kathapriya storytelling initiative, related three stories, that were meant to raise awareness among children about textiles. “Children are very open to listening to stories, but it is parents who shut down their entertainment options by giving them gadgets,” Ms. Arun told The Hindu. “That is why we always advise them to remove technology and narrate stories to them instead. It can start at any age, and will trigger their creativity and imagination.”

In the afternoon session after Ms. Arun was done with her narration, there were giggles aplenty as children gathered around to tell stories that they had thought up on the spur of the moment.

While some of the younger kids froze after uttering a line or two, several older children held the floor with stories that had even the grown-ups listening very carefully. Fun activities like games and sing-alongs had the children in high spirits.

“The mission of this initiative is to inspire children to indulge in their imagination and help them create stories, that comes from who they are, their dreams and their culture. As a brand that offers a lot for children, we feel that it is important for us to enable kids to not only be passive listeners but to actively engage them to be storytellers themselves, tapping into their aspirations and fantasies,” Shekhar C.S., CEO, Unlimited, Arvind Brands Limited, said in a note.

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