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Nebraska Humanities Council  For nonprofit organizations in Nebraska, Jym has programs available through the Nebraska Humanities Council. For information about the specifics of grant applications and qualifications, see http://www.lincolnne.com/nonprofit/nhc/hrc.html. Jym's available program
titles are: Exploring Our World through the World of StoriesFrom history to music,
from the arts to the sciences, the unique ways in which a given
people view their world are discovered in the stories that are
central to their lives and culture. Drawing on personal conversations
and collected stories, this program offers insights into the
historical motives and present aspirations of a variety of cultures
from Europe to the Middle East and from Africa to Asia. Discovering and Telling Your Own StoriesWith the resurgence
of storytelling, many people are discovering that listening to
the stories of others brings to mind stories from their own lives.
In a very real sense, the meaning we attach to our lives depends
upon our memory of who we have been and our vision of who we
expect to be tomorrow. The telling of stories is one of the best
ways we have to keep that memory alive and formulate the dreams
of what we would like to be. This program addresses the question
of why we tell stories, suggests techniques for discovering the
stories in our own lives, and describes methods for transforming
the remembered moments of our past into stories to be shared
with others. Well-Traveled Seeds: Folktales from Many LandsSeeds are unpredictable.
Soaring with the wind or hitchhiking on a casual passer-by, they
journey to unexpected destinations. The soil on which they land
and the environment in which they grow nurture them in unique
ways. So it is with stories: they travel around the world soaring
on the wings of the oral tradition and hitchhiking on the pages
of collectors' notebooks. One of the unique contributions of
folklore is its power to hold within it both the nuances of a
given culture and the global appeal of themes that have crossed
the borders of many nations. To illustrate these characteristics
of the narrative tradition, stories from a variety of countries
are included in the presentation. Storytelling is More than Kid StuffPerhaps the most powerful
element of storytelling is its ability to free us to remember
our own stories. Our stories are being told in our minds as we
listen to the stories of others. In listening to storytellers,
we see their spirits open before us in a way that lowers our
defenses and causes our stories to be interwoven with their words.
Art in all its forms tends to accomplish something like this;
but storytelling is especially suited to the task because of
the relational dimension between the teller and the hearer. This
presentation draws on the power of the spoken word by weaving
together story and analysis to participate in the revival of
storytelling for adult audiences. Examples used in this program
illustrate the power of story for all ages as well as the storyteller's
unique power to communicate with a variety of different groups.
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