Brief description: A story circle is a small group of individuals sitting in a circle, sharing stories—usually from their own experience or imagination—focusing on a common theme. Each person gets equal time and attention and no interruptions or contradictions, then the group reflects on the body of stories that were shared. It's a way to share experiences, exploring commonalities and differences, to have a real dialogue around potentially polarized issues, and to surface stories for use in devising theater, murals, or other arts projects.
How to: http://usdac.us/storycircles
Impact statement: As stories are layered, complexity and richness emerges, and so do underlying commonalities between participants and onlookers. The sum of any story circle is a multidimensional exploration of its theme, making the point that there isn't one way to look at any topic or situation.