This wasn’t just theory. The aim was to equip
participants with the skills to safely and effectively work with refugees
facing emotional vulnerability.
April 2025 • Zutphen, Netherlands
Within the project Erasmus+ Voices of
Resilience, coordinated by INICIJATIVA – Centre for Education Croatia, in April
2025, a small but passionate crew of educators, youth workers, and community
facilitators from Croatia, Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands came together
in Zutphen for an intense week-long Train-the-Trainers workshop. The goal? To
learn how storytelling can genuinely support the mental wellbeing of
Arab-background refugees.
Led by Arjen Barel, director of
the Storytelling Centre Amsterdam, the workshop introduced the Share to
Connect methodology — a narrative-based approach designed to help
people in vulnerable situations reclaim their sense of identity, agency, and
resilience.
Why We Were There
This wasn’t just theory. The aim was to equip
participants with the skills to safely and effectively work with refugees
facing emotional vulnerability, displacement, or trauma. The week was a mix of
reflection, hands-on exercises, and practical theory sessions. Topics included:
- Building trust and creating emotional safety
- Understanding identity, memory, and values
- Using narrative tools like the Way of Life and Tree of Life
- Recognising and responding to stress and trauma
- Designing storytelling workshops with structure, care, and
sensitivity
What We Actually Learned
By the end of the week, we weren’t just
ticking boxes we had developed a real feel for narrative facilitation.
We learned how to guide people in making and sharing their stories, how to
prompt reflection on personal values, and how to adjust techniques depending on
vulnerability levels. On top of that, we practiced empathy, group facilitation,
and trauma-aware communication. By Friday, everyone felt ready to run their own
workshops with confidence.
Learning By Doing
The highlight of the training was hands-on. On
the final day, participants led a storytelling session with a group of Arab
refugees. Suddenly, the tools and theories weren’t just exercises on paper,
they were real, alive, and human. This practical experience gave everyone
invaluable insight into what it really means to hold space for someone’s story.
The Impact
Since returning home, the trainers have
already put the techniques into practice. Local workshops have sprung up across
all partner countries, giving refugees the chance to explore identity, express
emotions, and reconnect with their personal stories. Early feedback shows that
the Share to Connect approach really works: people leave more
confident, grounded, and connected with others.
Zutphen was more than just a capacity-building
workshop. It planted the seeds for a growing European network of storytelling
practitioners who are using these methods to make a meaningful difference — one
story at a time.