Raiza's Storytelling Workshop

Stories live in and around each one of us, but sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we might forget how to hold a story in the palm of our hands and nurture it. This workshop loosens the block, creates a safe space for ideation, sharing and discussion among kindred spirits.

I also share stories about my journey as a creative storyteller, my life, and about finding the courage to be authentic.

  • Two rows of people sitting on the floor of a long studio, facing each other across a line of bottles and jars of snacks.
  • A selfie at the end of a workshop, a dozen or so people crowded into the frame, all grinning.
  • People sitting cross-legged on a patterned rug under a string of fairy lights, listening to someone off camera.
  • Raiza sitting on the floor beside a laptop, talking with her hands, a wall of pinned-up film posters behind her.
  • The group lined up outside a tin-roofed building, notebooks in hand.
  • A group photo indoors at the end of a session, everyone throwing peace signs.
  • Children lying on the floor drawing on sheets of paper, a box of markers open between them.

What you leave with

By the end, participants will:

  • Have identified tools and techniques for creating and telling their own stories
  • Feel more confident expressing themselves authentically
  • Have broken through specific creative blocks they came in with
  • Walk away with a stronger sense of how to connect their stories to themselves and others

Who it's for

Absolutely anyone! No experience in anything is needed.

What to bring

A notebook, coloured markers and a pen.

Testimonials

  • As an admirer — nay, worshipper — of beautiful minds, the collective consciousness in Raiza's space allowed everyone to enter a state of flow. It felt magical in some ways, and everyone entered a trance where stories of all genres and natures started flowing as we began to transcend the limitations in our minds, whatever they may have been. This storytelling workshop allowed everyone to be vulnerable to unprecedented levels, and perhaps this might be where the purest art originates from. The workshop also had just the right amount of structure to guide and educate everyone in their pursuit, regardless of what point they were at in their journey. With the right dosage of inspiration to let loose and dream, along with the necessary education on the technical side, it allowed for a perfect balance of chaos and order.

    — Sonu Xavier

  • I had been planning to attend one of Raiza's workshops for quite some time. I texted her right away when I got to know about this one. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical, confused and scared, but my excitement level was a ten on ten. Meeting all you beautiful humans was the best part. I don't usually get the nerve to speak up in front of people, but let me tell you that it was so easy and effortless to express my thoughts in that beautiful safe space you all created. The workshop undoubtedly gave me clarity on a lot of things — things I never even knew needed clarity. My biggest takeaway was the realisation that I wasn't really trying all along. I would think of ideas, get some, but always stop midway just because I never believed it would work. But Raiza proved that there are hundreds of stories in everyone you meet, everywhere you look, everything you touch, smell, hear.
  • Thank you so much for the workshop. This is exactly what I needed. When you played those tracks and asked us to write about emotions, I somehow poured out everything that had been affecting me for a very long time. After I finished, I somehow achieved a feeling of closure — not completely, but a small acceptance and confidence about myself. I can't thank you enough.
  • I am so glad I joined this workshop. You are one cool person. The way you talk and the methods you mentioned are really helpful. I got so many ideas in these two days and I really hope I bring them to life. Even the stories you told from your own life were really, really interesting, and I admire the way you see life. It's been a while since I have actually created something, and I feel like I will get back to it after this. Please do conduct these more — I'm sure it's going to help so many people like me.

    — Anna

  • Best workshop I have ever attended!
  • It's been a long time since I've met people who are so passionate about telling a story. Listening to everyone's perspectives and intentions — why they want to tell a story, and what filmmaking means to each of them — made me realise things I couldn't hope to learn from any random workshop. It was all possible because of the way you interacted with us and made each of us find our own vibe, through your wonderfully organised segments and activities. I'm glad I decided to attend. I can't wait to create now.
  • What I felt from yesterday's workshop was that our passions and dreams flow in the same direction, and Raiza is the one who gave us the wonderful opportunity to gather in a corner of a tiny piece of earth. Raiza, the way you shared your experiences, the laughter on your face, the enthusiasm you showed in drawing our thoughts out from deep in our minds and into words — it was all so admirable. I felt so happy to meet you all. I hope we will all meet again; let the universe conspire for that.

    — Neethu Philip

  • I just want to say: the things you taught, no one teaches. This process is personal to you, and it taught us a lot. It's hard to get ideas onto paper, and your process is very helpful. It doesn't matter that you didn't go to film school — you taught me more than this school did.

The next one

Currently on holiday — keep your senses peeled for the next workshop!

Leave your name here and I'll let you know the moment there's a date.

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