Shannon M. Turner

Shannon M. Turner

StoryMuse specializes in training people in how to cultivate & perform their true, personal stories as you might hear on The Moth or Snap Judgment. By combining a background and training in theatre with 20+ years of experience as a professional and community leader, the curriculum involves vulnerability, empathy, resilience, empowerment, change, and the consequences of our choices. It is located in a fundamental belief in the transformative power of our stories to communicate our values and manifest the future that we want. Students are encouraged to move from being hapless victim, to hero, and ultimately, the narrator of their own stories.

Arts Disciplines:  Storytelling

Core Content Curriculum Areas:  Theatre/Drama, English/Language Arts, Social Studies/History

Specialized Content Areas:  Arts Integration, STEAM, Anti-bullying, World Cultures, Character Education

Grade Levels:  6-8, 9-12

Special Populations:  At-Risk Students, Special Needs Students

Pre-Service Learning and Professional Development:  Post-Secondary/Pre-Service Learning, Professional Development for Teaching Artists, Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Geographic Availability:  Metro Atlanta, North Georgia, Middle Georgia, South Georgia

Program Fees:   

  • Workshop fees – $500.00/ 90 minutes
  • Individual Coaching fees – $100.00/ hr
  • Travel fees – $.50/mi for travel outside metro Atlanta, $40/day per diem, and lodging under negotiationArtistic Profile:    

    StoryMuse specializes in training people in how to cultivate & perform their true, personal stories as you might hear on The Moth or Snap Judgment. By combining a background and training in theatre with 20+ years of experience as a professional and community leader, the curriculum involves vulnerability, empathy, resilience, empowerment, change, and the consequences of our choices. It is located in a fundamental belief in the transformative power of our stories to communicate our values and manifest the future that we want. Students are encouraged to move from being hapless victim, to hero, and ultimately, the narrator of their own stories.

    Teaching Experience:   

    StoryMuse has conducted long & short-term residencies in academic settings, in behavioral treatment facilities with youth, and at nonprofit organizations serving youth/young adults who are currently homeless.

    Sample Programs:   

    Our Stories, Our Journeys

    • Week 1-Promo session-Participants get a light taste of the material, almost like a commercial, with invitation to apply. This is an important step that alleviates attrition and contributes to better outcomes down the line.
    • Week 2-Intro class-Overview of how to tell a true, personal story, including first/last line, outline, etc.
    • Week 3-Life maps-Participants are led through the process of making a visual map of their lives, which pulls out life moments in a unique way.
    • Weeks 4 & 5-Individual coaching-StoryMuse will work one-on-one with participants, one or two per hour, on the story they have selected to craft into a 5-minute performance.
    • Week 6-Dress rehearsal & critical response-Using a revised version of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, participants rehearse their stories and give feedback to each other.
    • Week 7-Final performance/celebration-A public performance to board members and the community, followed by a light reception and “graduation ceremony.

    Residency Plan

    • Utilize a StoryMuse residency to teach students the fundamentals of exploring personal narrative, how to tell a good story. For history or social studies courses, investigate how and whether they have been upstanders, bystanders, victims, or even anti-heroes in their own personal narratives and how they identify with social movements.

    Workshop Plan

    • Utilize a StoryMuse residency to teach students the fundamentals of exploring personal narrative, how to tell a good story, leadership and professional moments when being able to represent yourself well through your stories will apply in both the near & far future-college interviews, job leadership, etc.

    Sample Lesson Plans/Study Guides:

    Program Photos and Videos:

  • Listing ID: 6063