About the circle book of childhood stories

‘There is no way by which the events of the world can be directly transmitted or recorded in our brain. They are experienced and constructed in a highly subjective way. Our only truth is a narrative truth. The stories we tell each other and ourselves, the stories we continually re-categorise and define . . . ‘

                        Oliver Sacks The New York Review of Books February 21, 2013.

The circle book of childhood stories

is a large circular book 3 metres in diameter where everyone can share their childhood stories.

The book travels to different community groups, schools and places where people can:

read what others have written,

illustrate the stories of others,

or join in with the storytelling.

The circle of childhood is a giant circular book in which everyone can participate in writing, illustrating and reading stories of childhood. The book travels to different schools and communities where people add stories about their childhoods that they want to share and read the stories that other people have written. Through writing, reading and illustrating the stories we can share our own experiences and learn about the experiences of others.

The circular book is actually a series of ten books that fit together, and sit on a matching doughnut shaped table. The table is three metres in diameter. The inside of the circle is empty and makes room for people to go inside the book to write draw or read.  Being able to access the inside and the outside of the book makes it possible for a number of people to work on the book and read the book at the same time.

The book and table are in sections and can be easily dismantled and moved. Thus the book can tour to different schools, communities, places and events to be gradually filled up with stories and shared.

How it will be used:

The idea is that many people will contribute to the book, and that it will tell a broad range of stories about childhood, which will enable people to write their own memories but also to read and have some insight into the experiences of others. There are vast differences between childhoods depending on generations, places and family circumstances.  We all have a story to tell and the book will provide learning about other people’s lives and experiences across the world and over several decades. The book will tour community groups, places and events so that people can write their stories, draw pictures to illustrate the stories of others, or simply read the book.

The idea of the circle is that the stories can be written all around the circle, or in depth over pages like a normal book. Pages will be numbered so that people can say for example ‘this story continues to the right on page 20’ or they can give directions to someone to find their story for example Book 7, page 23.

One of the table sections has wheels so that it can slide out quite easily allowing people to go in and out of the inside of the book. The removable table will have a book section on it that matches its edges.

The Circle Book of Childhood stories sits at the height of a standard desk which will allow access for people who need to be seated to work on the book and should be accessible for most school aged children if they are standing, and also is accessible for wheelchairs with the appropriate height and width standards. This book enables accessibility for a range of people with different abilities and provide fun and entertainment for its users.

The purpose of this book
To book provides a place for telling stories of childhood. I have some good stories to tell and I imagine that others would also like to share their stories. If we all tell our stories of childhood we might find out some things about each other about the differences in our childhoods and the similarities.

I have also made a smaller circle book and wanted to find a way of making a larger book which could be worked on by many people.

I think that childhood comes around again and again. Its memories are used to tell ourselves stories about our lives. We sometimes remember childhood as the shaping and making of who we are today. This book shares the childhood stories of many, some written from within childhood and others from beyond childhood, who look back, dip in and retell. With many people telling their stories I hope this book tells of other childhoods and of stories that bear resemblance to each other in themes and circumstances. The book will be a forum for learning about other people’s childhoods, for finding similarities and differences in the stories of others, towards a deeper understanding and empathy of the experiences of other people.

Progress:

In June the doughnut  table was made with the generous assistance of Michelle Barry and Glen Walsh. It needed our three brains put together to figure it out and there were many discussions with specialists at hardware stores. 

Now the table is made, I am busy putting the books together!

In October the Circle Book of childhood stories went to St Theres'a Primary School where many children wrote their stories into the book. 

Then the book went to the ThinkWest Children's Festival at VU MetroWest, 

to the Footscray Pop-up School, 

The circle book a the  Footscray Pop-up School 2016, image by Shuttermain.

run by the Institute of Public Pedagogies,
and in November to the Public Pedagogies Institute's Annual Conference Workshop Day.

In early December the Circle Book of Childhood Stories was returned to St Theresa's to feature in their Annual Art Show and so that the children who started off our book with stories could have a read of what other people had added to it.

Thank you to all those who have participated in this project so far.

Thankyou to Brimbank Council for providing the seeding funding for this project through their Sunshine a\Artspaces Seeding grant.