The Art of Storytelling for National Storytelling Week

National Storytelling Week is once again on the horizon, landing between 1st-9th February 2025, and we’re jumping on the chance to dive deeper into the art of storytelling.

The Art of Telling Stories

Telling stories is as old as time itself, and as every good fairytale begins, “Once upon a time...” stories were told around campfires by explorers from faraway lands.

Nowadays, the art of storytelling has changed quite dramatically, although the premise remains the same – to either entertain or educate, or both.

The Evolution of Storytelling: From Oral Traditions to Digital Media

We are a species of storytellers, just look at the history books. From prehistoric cave drawings to Ancient Egypt artworks, we’ve discovered stories told from long ago to help us understand our ancestors and how we’ve come to today’s world.

As we’ve developed through the millennia, we’ve created legends and parables, told engrossing stories and made-up jokes that will continue to be told in years to come.

In the past few years alone, think of how many big events have happened and stories that have been told that have helped us shape the future. These events and stories are what the future generations will use to educate themselves on what we went through, to learn about their past and work towards a better future.

Thanks to digital media, storytelling has never been more fruitful. Long gone are the days of waiting for the daily newspaper, going to the bookshop on publication day or sitting by the radio waiting for the daily news broadcast. Stories are now available at an endless rate via our phones and computers; whether via social media or online publications, it’s just important to also remember that (unfortunately) fake news is rife, so when reading up about particularly divisive topics, remain cautious.

The Role of Storytelling in Business and Leadership

Storytelling sits at the heart of great speeches. Whether from an external motivational keynote speaker, internal senior managers or interns, everyone within the business has a story to tell.

There is great value in storytelling within businesses. Not only does sharing stories about oneself increase/develop team culture and work relationships, but stories told by fellow employees can help those who may be new in their role learn from longer term team members. We learn from those around us, and if a new employee is struggling with a particular aspect of their role, a fellow team member can share a similar story of struggle with them to reassure them that it’s part of the education process.

From a leadership perspective, the value in storytelling is astronomical. As mentioned above, not only does it help bond senior team members with those lower down in the business, but storytelling also provides perspective, motivation and education. We invite you now to think back to a time when you heard a great story from a leader, and how it impacted you in your career...

Techniques for Crafting Compelling Stories

Us here at Speakers Corner don’t like to brag, but we have had the pleasure of hearing countless speeches from speakers in every industry imaginable, which makes us experts in the world of storytelling!

Not only have we written multiple blogs on this topic, including How to Deliver a Good Speech and How to Deliver a Big Speech to Celebrate a Big Occasion, but our MD, Nick Gold, has written a book on this exact topic.

Speaking With Confidence by Nick Gold reveals his decades of experience in coaching and producing some of the top speakers this country has seen. Condensed into one expert guide to help you connect with your audience every time, his techniques will certainly help you craft the most compelling stories!

For further information regarding our showcase events or to book a speaker, call us on +44 (0)20 7607 7070  or email  info@speakerscorner.co.uk .

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