All of thought and perception is in language. The stories we tell, and those that we do not tell, speak to how we appreciate and view the world around us. In ancient maps of Africa, the Latin phrase ‘Hic Sunt Leones’ or ‘here are lions’, was printed in the centre of the map. This phrase signified that the cartographer did not know what lay beyond the boundary of that which had already been explored and discovered, and so the assumption was that wild beasts lurked beyond the boundaries of their knowledge. If we fast-forward to today, how much has our understanding of Africa developed? We have filled the maps with lists of countries and cities; but what do we know of the culture and stories of the people who live within those land borders? Even to call people from Africa, ‘Africans’ is to imply a homogenous group. To call us Europeans, we understand the great cultural diversity that exists across our country borders; but that we have a common identity. The same is true of Africa. However, in Europe, we do not know the cultural heritage of those from other continents that chose to make Europe their home. Just as Europe has a rich cultural diversity, so too does Africa. The story of Africa is not a ‘Single Story’. It is a multi-lingual; multi-cultural; multi-faceted narrative and it is time that it was heard among Western audiences. What is a typical African story? Can you tell an African nursery rhyme? A ghost story? A fable? In Europe, our children learn from Mother Goose, they hear the fairy tales of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and are frightened by the Boogey Man. These are narratives that we teach our children, so that they will recognise the morals, values, and lessons that they should learn so that they can understand, function and contribute as part of our society. These stories are how we instil European values in our children from an early age. However, the European tapestry of culture has become more diverse, and richer since Charles Perrault first penned ‘Le Contes de ma Mere I’Oye’; and so it is time that stories from other cultures, other perspectives, are also woven into our culture, added to the European narrative; helping to create a new tapestry. Regardless of how far the African diaspora has spread, little of their history and stories are included in European teachings. From a review of available adult and school education programmes in all partner countries, we have not been able to find any instances where African storytelling is taught. African history courses are available; however, these tend to be confined to tertiary level education. In many instances, ‘Black History’ is severely underrepresented in Western Society, and even in the knowledge-based society that we pride ourselves on in Europe, it is very unlikely that if you stop a person on the street, that they will be able to name a famous African philosopher, poet or playwright. They do exist, but we do not learn about them. A ‘griot’ is a West African historian or storyteller. A living archive: these figures embody the cultural traditions, lessons and tales of communities and tribes of the past. The SingleStory project aims to bring the ‘griot’ into the year 2020, by promoting African stories through the medium of digital storytelling. By finding our own local ‘griots’, and supporting them to develop digital stories, SingleStory aims to provide local schools, adult education centres and communities in our respective countries, with a unique perspective that can only be fostered by learning the stories of Africa. What is an African proverb? What are African idioms? What do they teach us about the culture and heritage of this diverse continent? Wouldn’t you like to find out the answers to these questions? SingleStory project partners aim to work with local members of the African diaspora in each of our countries to collect, record and archive these stories. Once collected, our aim is to share these narratives with school communities, social and community groups, family support centres, youth clubs and cafes, older persons service providers, etc. and to share the stories of Africa. These stories will be recorded and displayed in an online portal and accessible to all. When SingleStory partners view ancient maps of Africa, we see the phrase ‘Hich Sunt Fabulas’ or ‘here are stories’; and our aim is to unlock these stories, and to share them among educators, young and adult learners in Europe to appreciate and celebrate the cultural diversity of Africa, and its contribution to European cultural heritage and diversity. To achieve these aims, SingleStory partners from France, Italy, Ireland Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Germany will collaborate to develop and deliver the following intellectual outputs: IO1 – Digital Storytelling Curriculum IO2 – Induction Training Programme for Adult and Community Educators IO3 – SingleStory Digital Repository and MOOC
The aim of the Singlestory project is to collect stories and raise awareness across all social strata of the rich cultural heritage of the African people. This has led the SingleStory project partners to work with local members of the African diaspora in each country to collect, record and archive these stories. Once collected, these African stories and histories are shared with school communities, social and community groups, family support centres, youth clubs and cafés, and elderly care providers. These stories are recorded and posted on an online portal accessible to all. Another aim of the project is to promote greater inclusion of the diverse peoples living in Europe through interculturality and tolerance of cultural diversity.
All thought and perception is in language. The stories we tell, and the stories we don't tell, bear witness to the way in which we appreciate and see the world around us. In the old maps of Africa, the Latin phrase "Hic Sunt Leones", or "here come the lions", was printed in the centre of the map. This phrase meant that the cartographer did not know what lay beyond the limits of what had already been explored and discovered, and so the assumption was that wild beasts lurked beyond the limits of their knowledge. Africa is perceived as a homogeneous group, whereas in Europe it is first understood that there is a great diversity of cultures across the borders, but that we have a common identity. The consortium's motivation for implementing the Singlestory project is to combat the stereotype of African unity. Africa is perceived as a single story to be told, whereas it is a continent made up of many different countries with different cultures, rhythms, tales and stories. The consortium has understood the need to inform the people of the African diaspora, Europeans and socio-community groups about African tales and stories, and the messages and values they convey. With the help of the Singlestory project, the consortium has set up a training programme on African storytelling for all adult learners, as there is a lack of teaching on African history in all the countries in the consortium. The project has also highlighted the African griot, who is a historian or storyteller. A character who embodies the cultural traditions, lessons and endogenous values of the communities and tribes of the past.