I tell old stories. Folktales myths and legends from all over the world which connect us to the lives we have led and the lives we are leading. Passed on for centuries, they hold the wisdom of the ages.
I tell new stories. Spontaneous tales. Woven in the moment, plucked from the immediate present and shaped according to what needs to be shared in that space, at that time with those people. These are stories to delight, to heal, to connect us to the present.
 I came to storytelling through my career as an actress in the theatre. A fellow actor invited me to tell tales at ‘Infectious Stories’ at Calder Bookshop in London. After successfully rising to the challenge, I was invited back to tell again. This inspired creative collaborations with other storytellers. I became part of a small group who were telling tales together and hosting storytelling events.
The more I told, the more I came to understand the value of stories. I immersed myself in the old folktales, myths and legends; I listened and learnt from some of the great contemporary masters of oral storytelling; I told stories wherever I could and I began to experiment with different styles and forms of telling. Storytelling has now become my passion and my profession.
In 2015 I moved to Edinburgh where a warm  community of storytellers and artists welcomed me. Here I’m making storytelling performances, running workshops, coaching storytellers, and using storytelling in teaching. I’m finding audiences of all age groups who love to hear a good tale and learn about the art. I now lead workshops in schools and universities; I specialise in storytelling for language learners and teachers; and  I offer one-to-one storytelling coaching for individuals.
Since 2016 I have been collaborating with Danish storyteller Svend Erik Engh on the storytelling project GIANTSÂ . Together we perform a live show and deliver workshops for children and adults nationally and internationally. In 2020 we started-up Giant’s Heart Storytelling School with storyteller Linda Perttula, as an online space for story lovers to learn the craft of oral storytelling from all over the world. As our collaboration has evolved over the years Svend-Erik and I have developed new performances, one being Orphan James and the Prince of Denmark, which was a piece commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in 2020.
In 2019 I co-created a performance of the Celtic wonder tale The Golden Fly with musician Graham Dickson which performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 and 2021. I now collaborate and perform with Graham on a range of projects in theatres and schools.
Through storytelling I’ve found a deeper connection to our collective human experience and infinite possibilities for learning, teaching, and healing. But most importantly for me, telling stories has brought me immense joy in connecting with others, and I hope above all my work brings you some of that.
Alice is registered with The TRACS Storytellers Directory and  The Scottish Book Trust.
BOOK ALICE FOR A PERFORMANCE OR A WORKSHOP BY COMPLETING THE FORM BELOW WITH YOUR ENQUIRY OR EMAILING alice@alicefernbankstoryteller.com .
Alice Fernbank Storyteller 