Heartstone Story Circles

A project for 9-12 year olds to challenge prejudice, intolerance and hate

The Story Circle project follows out of main Heartstone exhibition events and reaches children in age group 9-12, the transition years. It uses Heartstone stories – literature, photodocumentary, history – as a vehicle through which to generate discussion and debate, helping to develop literacy, confidence and self-esteem as well as critical thinking in the most impressionable years. The strength of the project lies in its creative approach, using an engaging, addictive story, ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’ together with linked images from the present and past to explore the many facets of prejudice and intolerance – not just how these issues manifest themselves in everyday life but where the ideas behind prejudiced behaviour may have come from.  The project provides an innovative route for children to understand intolerance due to background, race/cultural differences, faith, disability and gender,  learn to recognise it and have practical interventions in place should they see an incident happening. It also provides a route to build contact with other communities and backgrounds. reduce isolation, build empathy and understanding, to see the common human story. The project explores identity, being proud of yourself and raises aspirations. By looking at the origins of prejudiced behaviour, it helps children break away from learned behaviour, develop resilience and thus leading to longterm impact.

How much time does it need

The Story Circle project, when delivered in schools, has been designed to ensure it can be easily incorporated into a busy curriculum. It is story-based, thus building literacy and communication as well as dealing with the issues. Most schools tend to deliver the project in around 1 hour a week over a period of 2 terms, often as a ‘class reader’. In some primary schools, it is delivered in two half-hour sessions, or sometimes as a ‘fun’ activity to go into the weekend. Delivery is flexible, there are no set rules – it is designed to fit with the circumstances of each location participating. In libraries, a Story Circle is similarly delivered as a 1-hour activity led by library staff.

The Heartstone Odyssey

The story used at the centre of all Story Circles is the book,  ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’, a magical fantasy about Chandra, the dancer heroine, the mice who become her friends and the 200-year old legend of the Heartstone. A gripping inspirational adventure about overcoming enormous obstacles and winning against the odds, the book was written for children and first told as an oral story on a 3-day train journey from Mumbai to Chennai in the 1980’s.  However, its deeper thread dealing with prejudice in the current time and over 200 years of history told from a different, non-Eurocentric perspective, makes it is as captivating for many adults too – as one reader put it, ‘The book is for all children age 9-99!’

Photo-documentary

Heartstone photodocumentaries provide the second ‘story’ strand used in the project – the real life complement to the fictional tale as told in ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’. Since Heartstone came into existence in 1990, a photolibrary of over 1 million images has been produced by Heartstone photographer/writer, Nick Sidle, which address the issues of prejudice/intolerance from multiple angles. This photolibrary, to which Heartstone has access, includes stories which have produced as a result of invitations received over the years from global partners who provide ‘behind the scenes’ special access. This includes locations such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Balkans and Afghanistan. Heartstone photostories also cover environmental issues, some of which have similarly been secured through special access.  You can see examples of these stories by clicking on the photos at the bottom of this and all other pages on this website. This will take you to Nick Sidle’s flickr galleries which carry some examples of what he has produced to date. All Heartstone Story Circles receive a set of photographs and photodocumentary images linked to the book. 

History

Heartstone has a collection of over 3500 historical engravings ‘painting a picture’ of life in Britain during the early 1800’s, the period covered in ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’, a period of intense social change including the Industrial Revolution, European colonial expansion, slavery, the Land Clearances in Scotland and many other key historical events which connect with where we are today. As their third ‘story’ strand, all Heartstone Story Circles receive a set of engravings providing an opportunity to explore history of their own area in this period with the help of local museums and historians. 

Safe space for discussion and debate

The Story Circle programme has been commended at national government level for its ability to provide school children in the key transition period covering Years 5,6 and 7 with a safe space in which to discuss these sensitive issues naturally and comfortably.

Paul Britner, the Year 5 teacher leading Story Circles in Oldham since 2015 and now a member of the Heartstone Story Circle Advisory Team, says:

‘As a class teacher, it would be easy to stand in front of a class and tell children not to use racist and other intolerant language or develop intolerant beliefs. However, children need to choose to be tolerant for this to be meaningful. By reading Chandra’s story we are able to stimulate debate and encourage children to consider the importance of respect, tolerance, fairness and equality……’

The project is often delivered in an hour a week over a period of two terms, in which time the story is read, discussed and the exhibition constructed. This is a flexible approach with no two Story Circles being the same – it is a child-led and child-centred approach, not dictated by Heartstone or the Story Circle leaders. Discussion thus reflects the world around the children and their own experiences.

Libraries and Community Centres

Heartstone Story Circles are now also running in libraries and community groups providing a new route to connect with and bring together local communities. Libraries are also working in partnership with local schools to help support Story Circles in a variety of ways, including bringing their own expertise as readers and storytellers. In community centres, the project is most often focussed on the creation of artwork for an exhibition. 

A Long Track Record

The first Story Circle programme using the same three Heartstone story inputs was initiated in 2000 when a pilot project leading to evaluations from three universities – London, Sheffield and Exeter – demonstrated the above outcomes. This led to a programme of conferences and nationwide spread with funding from the Department for Education, under Citizenship and Literacy, to almost all UK regions through schools and libraries. 

The UN, UN Women and The Elders

In 2001, Heartstone and ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’ were selected to represent the UK through an exhibition event in Glasgow to mark the UN Durban Conference on the subject of challenging racism, xenophobia and intolerance. To see the web post on the Tramway performance, follow the link: 

HEARTSTONE REPRESENTS UK FOR UN WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST INTOLERANCE

More recently, in 2017 Heartstone was selected by the Elders, the organisation set up to carry forward Nelson Mandela’s legacy and including notable retired diplomats such as Ban Ki-Moon and the late Kofi Annan, as their first acknowledged project for the UK. 

A further welcome acknowledgement came in 2018 from UN Women, who recognised in Chandra, the Asian heroine of ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’, a powerful and empowering fictional female role model for girls and young women worldwide. Laura Haynes, Head of the UK branch of UN Women, opened the Heartstone procession event in Westminster to mark this support. To see the full post, follow the link below:

Mice on the March in Westminster

The House of Commons event – November 2016 

In 2015-16, a new national Story Circle pilot project was initiated through endorsement from the Home Office and National Policing leading to an event in November 2016 at the House of Commons to present the results from seven English authorities representing urban and rural communities with a range of populations – monocultural to high % BAME. The event was sponsored by MP’s Dame Louise Ellman and Justin Madders and demonstrated different ways in which the project can be implemented and the flexibility of the approach, providing a practical, positive, sustainable intervention and tool for the age group, and professionals working with them, reaching all communities. 

As a result of this project and event, Heartstone Story Circles have since spread across all English regions and led to the Scottish project in 2018-19 which culminated at the Scottish Parliament in January 2020. 

CONTACT HEARTSTONE TO GET A FULL COPY OF THE REPORT

The Scottish Parliament event – January 2020

On January 30th, to highlight the results of the Scottish pilot Story Circle project in 2018-19, an event to match the House of Commons event took place at the Scottish Parliament, sponsored by David Stewart, MSP and supported by MSP’s Kate Forbes and Fergus Ewing. The project was initiated with the assistance of the Scottish Government’s Health & Wellbeing Unit following introduction from Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, who had attended the House of Commons event.

Results from the four authorities which took part – Highland, North Ayrshire, Midlothian and West Lothian – were presented by some of the children who took part to a distinguished audience including Minister Fiona Hyslop, other Ministers, numerous MSPs and the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service. The event was supported by the Edinburgh Women’s Interfaith. Group, led by Nila Joshi from the Heartstone team. To see the full post, follow the link below:

Heartstone at the Scottish Parliament

The support of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) in Glasgow (see below), The Third Sector Resilience Fund, Police Scotland, Awards for All and other Scottish funders, which has come as a result of the 2018-19 Story Circle project and Scottish Parliament event, has led to further spread of the Story Circle programme across the country into new Scottish Authorities. 

CONTACT HEARTSTONE TO GET A FULL COPY OF THE REPORT 

Project resources

The Heartstone Story Circle pack includes a class set of ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’ book, Discussion Notes which are constantly updated to reflect discussion topics as relayed back to Heartstone from project areas, the exhibition photoset covering some of the real locations and characters featured in the books and an Art Activities pack incorporating a set of historical engravings connected as closely as possible to the local area of the project. 

Training and Support

Training is online through Zoom or Microsoft Teams, delivered over a 2 hour period, either as a single session or as 2 1-hour sessions and led by Sitakumari, Director of Heartstone. The training focusses on ensuring teachers/leaders are confident and ready to deliver the project to their groups themselves, making it a sustainable concept.

Additional support over the period of the project is provided for Story Circle leaders through:

• monthly online ‘sharing’ sessions;
• storytelling online events;
• 1-1 support if required booked through the Heartstone office. 

The Heartstone Story Circle Advisory Team

To further support the schools/groups in this project, the Heartstone Story Circle Advisory Team are available for telephone / email advice for teachers, librarians and community groups, providing additional guidance and answers to specific questions which may arise.

A longterm resource, intervention and practical route to involve other experts/speakers in the area:

The Story Circle provides a longterm resource and sustainable practical intervention to challenge prejudice/intolerance, build resilience to hateful messages coming from wider society or older peers, and reduce isolation. 

Story Circles will often invite someone with a specific area of expertise who can add to each session eg. a local police officer,  local historian and other individuals who can provide a beneficial input to a Story Circle discussion, helping to build contact with individuals, groups and communities the children might otherwise not meet. Many of Heartstone’s partners who have been involved in the photodocumentary production are also available to provide further background on the stories featured thus facilitating even wider contact.

Schools, libraries and other groups running Story Circles are encouraged to share what they have done so that their plans can be added into the pack and shared with others picking up the project. In this way, the pack becomes a growing resource reflecting experiences of a wide range of areas, ages, backgrounds, faiths and cultures.

Outcomes – a few additional responses

The following responses from teachers and others linked with Story Circles in different parts of the UK will give you a further feel for the outcomes you can expect to see from this project. 

The statement below is from a Story Circle in London:

‘The students in my class have absolutely loved this project! I can’t put into words how effective it has been in creating an environment of acceptance and tolerance. The children have loved reading the book and we have spent hours and hours discussing all of the different issues and ideas that arise throughout each chapter. One of the biggest differences I have seen since the start of the year is the ability these children have to debate and challenge each other’s ideas in a respectful and mature way. We have also been able to incorporate some very meaningful art and poetry into the project! The finale event was the perfect way to celebrate all of their hard work and bring the story together. It has been so successful that we will continue to run the Heartstone Project in Year 5 next year!!‘ 

Sarah Dorman, Year 5 class teacher

 

 The statement below from Will Robey in London demonstrates the value of the project in the context of both hate crime and the Prevent agenda and highlights how it is child-led and thus reflecting local experiences:

‘From my experience, the Heartstone Project astounds in three key areas. The project offers an opportunity for schools & teachers to diversify the curriculum, offering scope for greater pupil led learning, as opposed to traditional prescriptive based teaching. Secondly, by discussing sensitive issues at such a young age, the project excels in equipping young children with the skills and tools to tackle hateful and extremist narratives. In fact this project fits hand in glove with the wider goal of building resilience in our young people.

  Finally and perhaps most importantly, the Heartstone Project is led and shaped by the children themselves, the confidence of which not only inspires them to believe in a cohesive, hate free world, but empowers them to deliver it.’

Will Robey, Prevent Education Officer.

 

The statement below is from the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU), introduced to Heartstone in January 2020 by the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland, guests at the Scottish Parliament event following which they brought their support. As a result of the additional support of SVRU, Story Circles have now been spread further across Scotland:

‘In 2020, Heartstone did not have a particularly large footprint in Scotland however once we heard the aims and purpose of the Heartstone project, we knew that this was something that we would like to be involved with.There have been various initiatives for young people over the years to try to address hate and prejudice and these issues are still very much prevalent in today’s society. Enforcement and the criminal justice system are very important in dealing with these serious issues, however prevention should always be the preferred option.  

On hearing more about the Heartstone project, it became clear that this was much more than an initiative which parachutes into children’s lives to talk about discrimination and hate, then leave the same day.  

Heartstone is something which engages children by way of a captivating story and providing much more opportunity to open up discussion over a longer period of time, giving space for old ideas to be challenged and new ideas to embed.  

The Heartstone project promotes community cohesion which in today’s climate, is of particular importance as well as also helping to improve literacy. Heartstone is now being delivered in primary schools in north Glasgow, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh and will shortly be introduced to both primary and secondary schools in Tayside, thus adding to the four authorities who participated at the Scottish Parliament. We are delighted to see these schools delivering Heartstone, which can only help to address discrimination, prejudice and hate.’ 

Dario D’Andrea, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

 

The statement below came from David Smith, Chair of LANPAC, one of the guests at the launch event for The Heartstone Odyssey Book Festival on July 8th, 2022:

LANPAC is a registered charity and forms a special and, in many ways unique, collaboration between the Police, Businesses, Public Services and the Voluntary Sector. Our aim is a short and simple one, to help the Lancashire Constabulary’s efforts to reduce levels of crime and disorder across the county.

Our membership fees create a pot of money which takes funding applications from members of the Constabulary, and gives grants to implement local initiatives which aim to prevent crime and disorder, and which would not otherwise attract mainstream funding, or could otherwise have been delayed, reduced in scope, or lost altogether through insufficient time or resources.

We at LANPAC are delighted to have been part of the early development of the Heartstone Story Circles in Lancashire. Going back some three years ago we have supported funding applications from Burnley, Preston and Lancaster. These have often been part of larger schemes which draw matched funding from other public sector and voluntary bodies.

It was a delight for Vice Chair, Wendy Walker, QPM, and myself to be invited to the launch event at UCLAN in July and to hear from the young people and see how much progress has been made since we first became involved. It is most encouraging to see how great oaks can grow from small acorns, and we wish you well as the project moves forwards.’

 

The statement below came ‘out of the blue’ on New Year’s Day 2019 from someone who had participated in the project 20 years ago and demonstrates the impact the project can have. She contacted us to see where she could get ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’ books 2 and 3:

‘It was nearly 20 years ago when I and several other Year 7 pupils joined the after-school club run by a teacher, in which we read and explored the first volume of The Heartstone Odyssey and the social issues around it. This club, fascinated with the way it had opened our eyes, persisted even after the teacher left the school right up until we left in Year 11. The story made an indelible impact on me and I have treasured it ever since….’

 

The statement below was received in January 2020 from Dr Yvonne Stollard, Chair of the Worcestershire Interfaith Forum:

‘As a retired primary school teacher, I know how powerful stories can be, and how they can be used to introduce difficult concepts or ideas in a way that children can understand. 

The most interesting part for me, was the rationale behind the Story Circle project given to the group of observers, teachers and others interested in promoting community cohesion and tackling issues of prejudice and hate crime. The project can be initiated through dance, poetry, art, or music, for example. It is designed to cut across all aspects of hate crime, from micro-aggressions to violence, and is largely cross-curricula. The story, ‘The Heartstone Odyssey’, encourages empathy and not seeing people as ‘other’. The aim is not to ‘teach’ about the dangers of prejudice, but to provide the opportunity to have conversations about it and to debate the issues. This can lead the children to make, or add to, their own, class, or school rules, giving them a stake in keeping everyone safe. Guests from different faiths, police and other interested organisations, as we were, are encouraged to join the story circle. I will be very interested to see how the project is developed in this school and throughout the county.’

 

Below is a statement from Rebecca Roach, leading the Story Circle programme with 11-12 year olds at Shuttleworth College, Burnley, Lancashire, received in April 2021:

‘At Shuttleworth College eighty-five students in Year 7 are reading “The Heartstone Odyssey” in three different classes. Both staff and students alike have thoroughly enjoyed the narrative so far, both in terms of reading for pleasure but also through discussing Chandra’s story and the relevant issues it raises. Students have said, “Our attention was hooked at the start when Chandra’s dance was cancelled,” and, “We think Hugbundle is Chandra’s spirit animal who reflects her emotions.” We can’t wait to read more!’

 

Below is a statement from Abdurrahman, leading the Story Circle programme with 9-10 year olds in Harrow as part of the MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime) funded London project, received July 2021:

‘At Roxeth, we have noticed that the children are having more open conversations about racism and discrimination in their everyday life.  They are now able to articulate their feelings about racism and talk about real life events that they may have witnessed.  The children have a better understanding of the insidious effects of bullying and racism thanks to the Heartstone Odyssey.’

CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN SET UP STORY CIRCLES IN YOUR AREA