en route
WHO WE ARE
brave spaces
En Route's mission is to create a platform where courage and empathy thrive, connecting speakers and audiences through the immersive power of live storytelling
En Route Stories is a storytelling platform for those that hold space for more than one place, culture, group or belief.
Those that tend to fall between the wall and the ship, who don’t completely feel at home here nor there, or maybe in both places at the same time.
When you switch between two communities something strange happens: on the one had we are more free, because we are not held back by the old beliefs or unwritten rules of our old community. But on the other hand it can be extremely lonely because people do not know us and we lack a sense of belonging.
At En Route Stories we believe that to belong we need to contribute. Therefore, on this platform, we chose storytelling as our medium to connect and contribute to our communities.
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of contribution.In offering our these experiences for reflection, learning and connection, we create a space of shared understanding and empathy; more often than not, leaving both the storyteller and the audience deeply moved, bursting with laughter, in tears, or with seeds for transformation.
This journey of sharing and listening, is an embodiment of the symbiotic relationship between us and our stories, continually evolving together.
As Carl Rogers beautifully put it, “What you are to be, you are now becoming.” Or as we like to say: by telling our story, we find ourselves perpetually EN ROUTE.
OUR VALUES
CONTRIBUTION
A sense of belonging is quintessential to our wellbeing, and contribution is one of the major factors in achieving it. En Route is all about contributing.
COURAGE
The courage to get on stage and be a little more "naked" than you think you should be. How much you are accepted, depends on how much you put on the table.
EMPATHY
Through empathy we get to experience the world from different viewpoints. When we truly listen, our mirror neurons fire and we create moments of connection.
REFLECTION
All good things start with awareness, and the primary method of gaining awareness is reflection. For a compelling story to be told the storyteller has to look inside.
PLAY
Play happens when you feel safe enough to try things out. Play is a state of creativity and flow. Only in play we can truly be ourselves.
From the founder
creating belonging
I haven’t lived in my home country for many years. Most recently I relocated to Spain and experienced that profound sense of loneliness that comes with living in a new place.
I enrolled in different communities and quickly found a group of friends to hang out with, but something seemed to be missing, and it was pulling me down. A real sense of belonging did not seem to come despite all my efforts.
Only upon further reflection I realized that the sense of belonging I felt in other locations I’ve lived, was strongly connected, not to what communities I was in, but to the way I contributed to my community.
En Route is my way to contribute and pay it forward to the people in my chosen place of residence, but more than that, En Route is a platform for everyone to experience the joy of contribution.
When you are on stage and you tell your story, you are bringing something of yourself to the audience. And in return, the audience gives you their ear.
Oki Alexander
Founder
En Route is set up as a non-profit organization. Proceeds will be reinvested to promote the art of storytelling and empower those without a voice find one.
