Sister Stories Values, Mission and Beliefs
OUR MISSION
Sister Stories is on a mission to revive the practice of sitting in Circle so it becomes woven into the tapestry of life once more.
We imagine a world in which access to Women’s Circles is seen as a vital part of our wellbeing and they’re both geographically and financially accessible.
OUR BELIEFS
We believe our world is crying out for places to gather, to be with one another in the flesh. It aches for ritual and spaces which help us connect to that ancient yearning.
We believe in the simple, yet potent act of telling our stories. Stories connect us to the universal. They help move us towards a deeper sense of compassion both for ourselves and others.
We believe sharing from the heart is one of the most generous acts we can offer other women: our stories may be different, but underneath, there is a thread of raw humanity that connects us all.
We believe that each one of us yearns to be witnessed, especially in a world that so often neglects to listen to our most tender needs & desires.
We believe everyone has a place and seek to create spaces that include and unite a spectrum of lived experiences.
We believe in women. We believe we are stronger together. We believe in the power of Circle to heal and transform.
We believe our humanity is complex and therefore welcome all parts of ourselves in Circle.
Every woman, every circle allows us the opportunity to enrich our lives through connection, compassion & community.
OUR VALUES
Our foundational values are Community, Compassion and Connection which we seek to place at the heart of everything we do.
EQUITY
Circle work is an ancient practice, kept alive by native communities. We recognise the rich lineages which preserved the practises that are so essential to our humanity.
Seeking to have a widespread revival of Circle cannot mean it is reserved for a privileged few. Since the inception of Sister Stories, we have been asking questions of how this work can be more accessible and how bursary schemes can accompany all our paid offerings. We offer a range of free places to attend Circles and provide training resources at no cost. We have offerings that are low cost and provide heavily subsidised bursary places for our Facilitator programmes as well as higher investment access points that helps sustain us in our work.
INCLUSIVITY
We desire everyone to feel invited, included and empowered to share the truth of their experiences in our spaces. If we are providing a space for stories to be told, these spaces must feel brave.* (*This idea is taken from the article “From Safe Spaces to Brave Space- A New Way to Frame Dialogue around Diversity & Social Justice by Brian Areo & Kristi Clemens, originally published in The Art of Effective Facilitation. This poem by Beth Strano encapsulates the idea here)
As Founder, I am actively engaged in “the work” of anti-racism and challenging myself to see the ways in which my position as a white woman may be impacting those who enter my spaces from different backgrounds. This is an ongoing process to which I am committed. A growth area of my learning is gender expansiveness and weaving this work into the spaces and trainings we create.
We want to reduce harm in our spaces and desire to create an environment in which a rich, diverse tapestry of stories and voices can be shared.
Although Sister Stories and the Circles we provide feel ‘spiritual’ to many and tends to that part of us that yearns for meaningful connection, we are a secular space and do not discriminate on the basis of any belief system or faith.
EDUCATION
The Women’s Circle movement is an important one and holds great potential and power for transformation. It also holds the ability to cause harm. Our facilitation programmes seek to create a community of Space Holders & Circle Facilitators who are devoted to their learning, who hold space with nuance and integrity. Who have the skills and learning to hold complex emotion in the space and feel equipped to do so with sensitivity, confidence and care. We believe that Facilitators who commit to their own ongoing practice and learning can create spaces of real depth and impact whilst actively seeking to minimise harm caused in their space.
REMEMBRANCE
Engaging in Circle work is a remembrance. Of who we are, where we come from and the ways in which being together in community is vital to the health of ourselves and the land. We believe that reconnecting ourselves and our communities to Circle work can be a gateway to activism for some of the most important issues of our time.
TEACHERS
Nisha Moodley- Devotional Leadership
Eva Glamaris- Sacred Inclusion (Anti-Racism)
Katie Kurtz- Trauma Informed Space Holding
Claire Rother- Trauma Informed Teaching & Coaching
Institute of Narrative Therapy
Pause Place- Love, Presence Connection
Beautiful You Coaching Academy