Telling stories of practice – a workshop for youth workers and researchers

Date: 14th September 2015, 14.00-17.00pm

Venue: Queen’s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN

This workshop will bring youth workers and youth work researchers together, using collective approaches to story-telling to explore what youth work practice means for practitioners in their current settings.

It aims: • to describe, analyse and ‘unpick’ examples of youth work practice; • to reflect on the relationship of these examples to the ‘cornerstones’ of youth work; • to consider how practitioners and researchers can help to sustain this practice, within        and beyond their organisations.

Who can take part? Youth workers (including full-timers, part-timers and volunteers), youth work students, youth work lecturers, youth work researchers).

Background: In 2011, In Defence of Youth Work published This is Youth Work – twelve ‘stories from practice’ written by young people and youth workers. With a thousand copies distributed free, the illustrated book and its accompanying DVD were warmly received and widely used, throughout and beyond the UK. As the first In Defence of Youth Work story-telling workshop in Belfast, this is one of a series of workshops that aim to develop this work further.

“The Storytelling method cannot be confused with day to day conversation. Everyday we as youth workers tell each other our stories, and in many ways we are experts in ‘anecdotes’. However the storytelling method builds on our conversational strengths, allowing us to capture our practice through a thought-out methodical approach. This involves a combination of strong facilitation, informed probing / questioning, peer interrogation and a thorough documentation of the stories… Being involved in the story telling workshop … has been a unique experience.” (Youth work co-ordinator, voluntary youth organisation)

Organised by BERA Youth Special Interest Group, In Defence of Youth Work, and Ulster University Community Youth Work team Price: Free (however pre-registration is essential)

Book your place at the event online below: www.bera.ac.uk/events

Don’t be put off if it says registration closed, e-mail as directed.