The StoryBox Project

This spring we are participating in the StoryBox Project, which unites writing groups throughout the Lower Mainland of Vancouver. Each group creates a themed box of some sort, which we fill with physical objects related to the theme and pieces of creative writing related to the objects.

The Thursdays Writing Collective chose to work with a carpenter’s toolbox our apprentice Anne Hopkinson found in an abandoned house. We decided to create a “toolbox for living,” and contribute small objects or representations of objects that speak to what we each consider necessary for life.

If the item is large, such as a piano, we could include a toy piano or picture of one. Then we will tuck the piece of writing sparked by the notion of piano- whatever that may be- into the box with it.

Participants are invited to two salons – for participants only – at Storyeum at 151 Cordova (across from the W Building, not the Water St entrance!), the first on Friday, May 7, 5:30-9pm, (snacks provided) and the second, longer one on Saturday, May 8, 9:30-4pm, (lunch provided). These salons are our opportunity to present the box to the other groups and hear about their creations. The idea is that these exchanges will spark further ideas about narrative and theme.

Then we’ll swap boxes temporarily with another group and bring their creation back to our class to write “off” their objects and pieces. After that, fifteen participants from the entire StoryBox Project will self-select to push their stories further in more rigorous workshops with the goal of reading or performing their work at the Vancouver Storytelling Festival in June.

We are lucky to be working with storyteller Naomi Steinberg as our facilitator. The project is directed by the wonderful people at UrbanInk and is part of the City of Vancouver’s Great Beginnings Initiative. Thanks to these organizations and people for igniting creativity!