Get on board for a trip to the magical world of Storipur

CHENNAI: When was the last time you listened to a story without being distracted by the constant beeping of your phone? Priya Muthukumar is here with her venture Storipur, a Bengaluru-based story-telling initiative, to spin tales for those keen ears.

Prior to this venture, Priya worked in different industries: pharmaceuticals, a news channel, and the airline industry. She stumbled upon the storytelling opportunity when she substituted for a teacher in her daughter’s school. Having worked there for seven years, Priya decided to embark upon the journey of storytelling.

“Stories helped me convey messages, present abstract concepts and so-called boring topics in a different light. That sowed the seed for Storipur and with my family’s support I conducted my first storytelling session on our apartment terrace,” she recalls. She went on to explore storytelling and understanding stories of different genres.

The five-year-old venture has taken Priya places and she has conducted storytelling sessions in cities including Chennai, Mysuru, Pudhucherry, Coorg, Raipur, and Bengaluru. “All of these cities have been kind to me. Despite the varying backgrounds we all come from, the beauty lies in the fact that in a storytelling session there are only two kinds of people — a teller and listeners,” she adds.

Literature festivals, public/community events, classroom storytelling sessions, have all helped her understand the nuances of the art.

Although generally there is a misconception that stories are only for children, Priya is breaking that notion and has been working with different age groups. “It’s a scientifically proven fact that we humans are wired for storytelling. Take a pause, from the hustle and bustle, from the whirlwind of activities you are a part of and simply listen to stories just like good, old days. Go on, give it a shot,” she urges.

Priya believes that there is a child in all of us and sometimes we need to cater to it.  “Sometimes that spirit needs to be gently woken up, sometimes it needs to be shaken up to be woken up...well, the story and the ‘telling’ take care of that. I never for a moment forget the fact, that I cannot sail alone, I need to have my audience on board throughout!”

When asked about her upcoming session in the city ‘Pot, Pumpkin and Pasta’, Priya says that the name popped up in her head when she thought of fun-folk tales. Aiming to attract all age groups, she adds that the session is meant for the entire family, just like how you go as a family to a restaurant or a movie theatre. “The idea is to make ‘interactive storytelling’ appealing to both the youngest and oldest member of the family” she says.

(Catch Priya live on May 6 from 11 am at Backyard, Adyar. For details call: 73584 58117)