Mimesis Heidi Dahlvseen
Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

with the presentation
Poetic Presence of the I – The Vanishing Point

Mimesis Heidi Dahlvseen has worked as a storyteller since 1996 both national and abroad. Her artistic projects are often developed through working interdisciplinary with other artists, where she combines traditional and autobiographical narratives with theory. She is part-time associate professor in oral storytelling at OsloMet – Metropolitan University in Oslo, Norway. Her research focus is on how the traditional narratives shed light on contemporary themes, and the poetic aspects of artistic processes. She has written several academic articles on oral storytelling, where she uses artistic research as an input to understand oral storytelling and narratives.

Arjen Barel
Storytelling Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands

with the presentation
Till Death… How Creating Narratives Can Support Coping with Loss and Grief

Arjen Barel is a producer and director, mainly in the field of storytelling performances, and spends a large part of his professional life listening to stories and training people in the art of storytelling. Until 2017 he was responsible for the program of the International Storytelling Festival Amsterdam, which he founded in 2008, and he regularly coaches storytellers, both amateur and professionals. Arjen teaches Storytelling and Polarisation at the University of Amsterdam. He also delivers training for professionals in how to use storytelling in youth work and community work in several places in the world. Last years he trained people from Hungary, France, Morocco, Palestine, Israel, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Greece and the UK. Arjen Barel studied Drama Studies and Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam. In addition to his work within Bureau Barel he teaches at various courses and put together the book Theatre & Marketing, Tension & Thrill (2004) in collaboration with Esther Lagendijk. In 2020 he published a new book about Applied Storytelling, called Storytelling en de Wereld (The World is Storytelling, how sharing stories can contribute to personal growth and social impact). The book is translated to English and Turkish. His next book, Sterker staan met je eigen verhaal (Standing Stronger with Your Own Story) was published in June 2021. Currently he is working on a series of publications on how to apply storytelling as a method in various fields.

Peter Frühmann
StoryBag, Hilversum, Netherlans

with the presentation
Memories: Positions and Questions

Peter Frühmann is a consultant, researcher and trainer at Storybag (applied storytelling), lecturer Story Development at the SAE Media Institute Amsterdam, guest lecturer at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (Rotterdam School of Management) and the University of Utrecht, and a research & development partner in Erasmus+ (educational) projects. After his BA in Fine Arts he has worked as a designer/art director and later also as a copywriter and communication strategist (creative director) in international communication agencies. His interest in what makes people tick led to a BSc in Psychology and the establishment of Storybag, his own consultancy. He believes that the age-old heritage of storytelling and the narrative approaches inspired by this vast domain are indispensable and are widely applicable in many fields in society today. Within Storybag he and his network of story practitioners try to develop narrative approaches as effective and inspiring (change & development) tools in organizations and educational projects (also within the Erasmus+ program).

Ovidiu Gavrilovici
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași

with the presentation
Narrative and Identity – Intersections in Supporting Personal-Professional Development

Ovidiu Gavrilovici is a PhD. Habil. Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, the Psychology Department, „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iași and founder president of Psiterra Association. His teaching activity includes psychological counselling and narrative therapy courses. For over a decade he has been promoting the narrative approach in psychology, therapy, education, healthcare, professionalization, and leadership techniques in Romania. Ovidiu is a licenced private practice psychologist, trainer and supervisor, certified by the College of Romanian Psychologists.