Janine Vorfeld

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a social awareness project fighting stereotypes

Stereotypes foster discrimination and hostility. They support separation. At the same time they are deeply embedded in our believe system. Most times they appear unconsciously which often makes it difficult to approach them.

‘more than only’ publicly tries to move stereotypes into the conscious state of mind. By talking, exploring and reflecting actively and inclusively about the overall topic on emotional, informative and activist levels, personal and societal prejudices shall be challenged and at best grow into connective encounters instead.

Master Thesis (110 with honors)
Eco Social Design (Master of Arts)
Free University of Bozen
Bozen, 2022

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more than only ...
benches

Benches are places of encounters just as places of lone contemplation.

They offer space to observe the environment, to see and to be - and in a next moment to talk to a stranger. This bilateral characteristic of benches invites to consider them as a medium to tell stories and to get to know those of others.

Consequently benches could be used as a public medium to present and inspire through stories of individuals and e.g. their favourite benches, to tell own stories of benches and to finally build bridges from stereotypes to understanding and connection.

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Story Cup Exchange

It is as simple as it seems:
“Make one, take one!”

The ‘ Story Cup Exchange’ action is about sharing stories and thoughts with strangers while getting inspired and connected to one of them. It is about telling a personal story or message by drawing and writing it on a cup. Instead of taking it home, you choose a cup another person made. Optionally a card with contacts can be added to reach out or even meet the person that told the story on your cup. Or to be contacted by the person that chose yours.

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more than only ...
a public book shelve

The concept of public bookshelves is simple and in cities nowadays we see them a lot. So how about using this public space to not only share stories of others, but to tell own stories? To become an author ourselves.

The idea behind the ‘more than only a public bookshelf’ is to invite the users to share personal messages or stories with other users. Not online, not on a public board, but in a safe small space, where it silently can be discovered and inspire others.
Beside that it could become a place to share the personal storybooks, that get created in the storybook workshops (see below or follow the line on the right)

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more than only ...
a local café

One possible output of the implemented workshops are story cups made by the participants .

These story cups could become a medium for spreading diversity and individuality by introducing them to local cafes... to get the visibility and usefulness, they deserve and to surprise the people sitting in a café with an inspiring story in their hands.

More than that also the café's set an active sign for supporting diversity by taking part in such project.

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more than only ...
instagram

An excessively used instagram account could tackle different spheres of the project at the same time.
While using stories and posts the instagram account shall present different categories to fight against stereotypes:

1. detailed background information about the broad topic of stereotypes, 2. individual stories, 3. presentation of the different sub projects of ‘more than only’ and 4. including the user through inspiring questions to sparkle individual self-reflection about the topic.

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more than only ...
a report

To sparkle the visibility and prominence of the 'more than only' initiative and to spread the word of diversity and individuality that it stands for, different journalistic media shall be actively used.

Radio shows, TV shows and magazine reports shall spread gathered stories and inspire the audience while referring to and advertising the other sub-projects.

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community action:
patchwork wall storytelling

We all have stories to tell, we all know an ugly wall in our neighbourhood and we all have some kind of stereotypes about our neighbours. Let's bring it all together and create a collaborative painting based on the stories the participating people of the same neighbourhood tell each other. Everybody creates a patch of the wall and all together the patchwork will represent a (newly) connected community, diversity and individuality.

And at the same time it brings joy and stories to whoever passes by.

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more than only ...
a website

In order to connect all the different artefacts and sub-projects of the 'more than only' initiative, a website shall act as a clarifying and linking umbrella. It shall provide an overview and meanwhile be an informative artefact itself.

One section for example would present the stories of the women of the workshops (see below) while distinctly linking the webpage to an informative background-section about complexity, individuality and balancing stories.

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cafe action:
story sharing cafe

The project ‘Story Sharing Café’ of the theatre ‘Story Sharing Universum’ in Helsinki provides an inspiring format, in which everybody that is interested can take part to get to know strangers and listen while telling stories about specific topics at alternating tables.

"Story Sharing Café is an easy and fun event where people from all over the world, with diverse backgrounds and realities can meet and share everyday stories." (Website of Story Sharing Universum)

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more than only ...
a new cup

The idea behind the story cups could be expanded also in an economic dimension.

The cups could be produced in collaboration with an open pottery laboratory and finally spread everyday stories of the people taking part in the production. Each cup would tell an individual story of the person standing behind it. So the producers become authors. Finally these cups would be sold on social events and in chosen local shops. This economic dimension of the project could even offer an income for the participating people and partly finance the project.

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event activity:
living books

In order to foster face to face encounters between people that usually would not intersect, the 'Living Library' tool offers great inspiration.

“The Living Library (...) works just like a normal library: visitors can browse the catalogue for the available titles, choose the Book they want to read, and borrow it for a limited period of time. After reading, they return the Book to the library and, if they want, they can borrow another. The only difference is that in the Living Library, Books are people, and reading consists of a conversation.” (vgl. Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover! The Living Library Organiser’s Guide)

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more than only ...
posters

Posters are also in digital times still a valuable medium to spread ideas and to raise the visibility of a certain project or event. Especially strong informative and emotional statements and stories, that trigger thoughts about diversity, individuality and complexity shall act as an initial state of public communication.

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community activity:
follow up workshops and
peer to peer

One of the implemented artefacts are the storytelling workshops (see below or follow the line on the right). To not let this valuable experience for the participants end after one meeting, follow up workshops and regular meetings will be offered, that deepen the topic of storytelling and stereotypes as well as the established relationships and encounters.

Also, instead of me leading the workshop, any other person that participated could take over. Generally the concept of peer to peer offers a deeper dimensions in future.

What helps better to fight stereotypes than actually getting to know individuals of the groups, we have stereotypes about? To foster these encounters the storytelling workshops guide the participants in a safe and inclusive environment through inspiring and connecting dialogues with strangers.

To provide a tangible and empowering output, each participant finally creates their own personal story artefact: a personal story book or a cup story.

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During the cup story workshop the participants are guided through dialogues to finally create their own personal Story Cup. 

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Another version of the storytelling workshops guides the participants to create a personal story book as a tangible output.

In behalf of the thesis presentation and the exhibition of all art and design graduation projects, a room in the Free University of Bolzano was conceptually arranged to explain the project’s idea, concept and process and to exhibit the outputs to the university community and the public. 

To present the project in its complexity, yellow stripes connect the different spheres and ideas behind the project. Starting just around the door the stripes first lead us to a thematic introduction to then arrive at the collection of ideas and finally at the workshops and its creative outputs. 

Click yourself through the written thesis,
if you want to have a deeper understanding.

For further project related
documents like story book templates or
invitation posters, click here.

© 2024 Janine Vorfeld

"Many stories matter.
Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign.
But stories can also be used to empower.
And to humanize stories can break the dignity of a people.
But stories can also repair that broken dignity."

Stereotypes hide our complexity, our individuality. They make us judge others. Stereotypes build distrust, fear and doubts. They separate us. Stereotypes make us follow external ideas instead of following and reflecting upon personal ones.

People are not aware of their stereotypes and continue to foster harm. Without deciding for it.

.… everybody is affected by stereotypes of others and has internalised stereotypes about others. Everyone is victim and offender at the same time. And everyone is responsible.

... raising awareness about the diversity, individuality and complexity of people.

... spreading knowledge about the overall topic of stereotypes.

... connecting people that otherwise might not intersect.

... collecting and presenting multiple, versatile and self-told stories.

Take it home and show it to your family and friends ... place it in a public bookshelf and spread your stories ... dive deeper into one of the stories in a follow-up workshop ... use it to remember who you are and that you are unique.

Follow the links
and get more info.

The stories in the personal story books are based on the prior dialogues and its preliminary questions. Each answer to a question becomes a story. For that reason and to avoid fear of blank pages, each question has a respective book page template with inviting illustrations, that supports the process of telling and creating the story on paper. 

Personal story books tell diverse short stories by and about the author. They provide multiple perspectives and insights on one person, they show complexity and individuality. 

A cup warms your hands, when you hold it. It offers a feeling of security and calmness - a moment only for yourself. On the other side cups are conversation facilitators. Be in two, have a cup of something and the talks will come by itself. 

Cups are round and edged, smooth and textured, same and individual. They are out of clay, out of glass, out of wood, out of metal, out of plastic, out of porcelain. Cups are not only used for hot drinks, but for soup, for cereals, for stews, for plants, for candles - for stories. Cups are representing tradition and culture. They are art in itself. They tell about the maker and they tell about the chooser. 

A cup has many different stories to tell.
Just like each of us.

The Story Cup might surprise you in the next local cafe ... or you find them in your kitchen closet after a story cup exchange activity … or they might simply become an extra income for the producers and the project.

Follow the links
and get more info.

Story Cups tell a story about and by the maker. They might consist of a unique drawing, a single word or a whole written story. They are personal. They give us a glimpse about the moment and the conversations the respective person was in and meanwhile sparkle interest to get to know more about them. 

To support vivid, mellow and fun conversations and to frame the generally uncomfortable situation of meeting a stranger as easy and comfortable as possible, the dialogs are guided by conversation cards. 

Each conversation card shows up a new question to inspire a personal story and a topic to talk about. In total 27 well-chosen, inclusive and sensitive questions are divided into five different topics from which the participants can choose.