Rohini Vij

I have always been fascinated by what happens when a story enters a room. People lean in, barriers begin to disappear, and suddenly a group of strangers can be laughing, imagining and connecting together.My own journey into storytelling grew naturally from my work as an educator. Over the years, I found myself using stories not just to entertain, but to teach, explain, encourage conversation and help people express themselves. Eventually, storytelling became much more than something I used in my teaching — it became the heart of my work.Today, I am a professional storyteller, educator, children’s author and the founder of NutSpace, where I create story-led learning experiences for children and adults. I perform in schools, libraries, festivals and community spaces, and I design workshops around storytelling, communication, creativity and confidence.What I love most about teaching is watching the moment when someone surprises themselves.For a child, that might be finding the courage to stand up and tell a story in front of a group. For an adult, it might be realising that they do have stories to tell, that they can use their voice expressively, or that they can let go of the fear of “performing” and simply connect with the people in front of them.That is a big part of what my workshops are about.Sometimes we simply gather to listen to wonderful stories. Sometimes we explore how to tell a story well — using voice, expression, movement, pauses and character. In other workshops, we look at where stories come from, how to find the stories within our own lives, and how storytelling can help us become more confident communicators.And we play. A lot.I believe people learn best when they feel comfortable enough to experiment, laugh, make mistakes and try again. You do not need to arrive at one of my workshops thinking, “I am a storyteller.” You just need to arrive curious.One of the things I particularly love about storytelling is that it belongs to everyone. Long before stories were written down, people were telling them — around fires, at family gatherings, while working, travelling and celebrating. You don't need an elaborate stage or special equipment. Sometimes all you need is a story, a voice and someone willing to listen.I have built an online storytelling community of more than 60, 000 YouTube subscribers, sharing stories and story-based learning with families and educators well beyond the room I happen to be performing in.But whether there are hundreds of people in an audience or ten people sitting together in a workshop, the part I enjoy most remains the same: that wonderful moment when a story makes people forget to be self-conscious and simply become part of it.That is the kind of space I hope to create in every workshop I teach.