Narges Govahi has found the courage to transform her life in the tale of The Little Black Fish– thanks to the Burnaby Storytelling Project.
Political and religious persecution forced Govahi and her husband to flee their native Iran in 2006. They settled in Burnaby to be near family, and Govahi found work at the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House.
The 45-year-old Burnaby woman dreamed of resuming her career in theatre in Canada. But she lacked the confidence to do so until she signed up for the Burnaby Storytelling Project this spring.
“I was a drama and theatre teacher back home and I love storytelling,” said Govahi. “As an immigrant, I saw this as a good opportunity for me.”
The project is sponsored by the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table. Funded by EmbraceBC, it’s part of the Burnaby Welcoming Communities Initiative and designed to increase awareness about the value immigrants and refugees bring to the community.
And Govahi took to the storytelling training like, well, a fish to water.
“I loved it – I enjoyed every moment of it,” she said. “I made new friends and found new mentors.”
Govahi was one of a dozen newcomers to Canada who received 12 hours of training from Naomi Steinberg, Artistic Director of the Vancouver Society of Storytelling, who helped the group develop their personal experiences into stories.
Govahi was inspired by a children’s story written by Iranian writer Samad Behrangi in the 1960s: The Little Black Fish.
“I used The Little Black Fish as an archetype. I chose it because Naomi said, ‘Be yourself.’ I never use violence. I always avoid violence – I am more of a victim than a villain,” Govahi said.
In Govahi’s story, the Little Black Fish and her husband live in a pond where the fish are oppressed by a corrupt ruler. Little Black Fish persuades her husband to leave the pond with her and they take the perilous journey downriver to the sea. After facing many dangers, they find a new home where fish of different sizes, colours and shapes can practice their beliefs without fear of persecution.
Govahi said she brought a lot of her own personal experiences to the tale. Fusing a children’s story with her grown-up, real-life drama in another language was a demanding task.
“I never had to have such a performance in English. I had to practice more and look for different imagery and use my imagination and work hard to find the words,” she said.
But the hard work paid off. Govahi has performed her story at the community centre, a couple of schools and on Burnaby Village Museum radio.
Creating a compelling tale of courage and endurance has helped her transform her own life. She’ll soon be going to Capilano University to study theatre.
“It definitely helped me with my confidence and my self-image,” she said. “I feel more confident and it gave me the courage to go back to my own profession and approach the university.”
Burnaby Storyteller Project Coordinator Jan Taylor said the initiative is looking to train another group to follow in Govahi’s footsteps.
“We are about to hold a second training session and hope for another 20-24 people to come out,” said Taylor.
For more information, you can check out www.bipt.ca.
