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Activity
Collaborative Storytelling
1
Nominate one person to be the
Facilitator, the rest of the group
stand in a circle. The objective of this
activity is to craft one continuous
narrative that follows the story of a
young person who becomes homeless.
The Facilitator’s role is to introduce
complications into the story, while
successive players propose ways of
overcoming them and moving the
story along.
The game follows the following
sequence. First the Facilitator
establishes the scene.
—
Facilitator
“You find yourself on the street. You
have the clothes on your back and
the items in your bag and nothing
else. You cannot go home.”
Player 1
“So… I call my friend to ask if I can
crash at their place.”
Facilitator
“But… Your phone runs out of charge
so you can’t call your friend.”
Player 2
“So… I go to their house to ask them
in person.”
Facilitator
“But… You don’t have a driver’s
licence or any money for public
transport.
2
Repeat the But/So structure until
each player has had a turn, or
continue until the story has been
resolved. Discuss how relatable you
found the character’s journey and
reflect on the outcomes of their
decisions.
A note for the Facilitator
To ensure the group’s story stays
grounded in the realities of youth
homelessness, consider the following
themes as inspiration for the
complications you introduce into
the story:
Safety (e.g. You are frightened to
go back to the shelter because of
someone who stays there)
Accomodation (e.g. You are asked
to leave emergency accomodation
without any other long-term solution)
Social (e.g. You can’t afford to go out
with your friends)
Health (e.g. You get sick and can’t
easily access health care)
Education (e.g. You are falling behind
at school)
Employment (e.g. You don’t have
clothes for a job interview)
Logistics (e.g. You aren’t able to
top—up your Opal Card, charge your
phone or wash your clothes.)