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This week I had the privilege of working with students from Berwick Academy and Longridge Towers as part of The Berwick-Upon-Tweed Literary Festival. I spent one day with each school introducing them to the art of storytelling and exploring the theme of Mythical Monsters and Fantastic Beasts.

We shared stories, chants, songs and games. The students created stories using characters and places from their own experience, and then adding monsters and beasts from myth and folktale. They rose to the challenge and allowed their imaginations to run free, creating stories of Kelpies, Selkies,  Boggarts and Bogles and their encounters with cadet soldiers, grannies wearing fake tan and rugby players. They practised telling their stories to each other and they bravely performed in front of their whole group.

Some of the students have volunteered to join me in a storytelling performance on 19th October 2018 for the lower schools in Berwick where they will get to share their stories with a bigger audience. I’m looking forward to seeing how their stories develop between now and then.

 

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On Saturday 10th March I led a ‘Character and Dialogue’ workshop for Burgh Blatherers storytelling group at The Scottish Storytelling Centre.

It’s a workshop that gives storytellers tools for swiftly accessing characters in their stories using simple techniques derived from character archetypes. The work also invites storytellers to embody their physicality as a storytellers and find confidence and power in integrating movement into their telling.

The Burgh Blatherers wholeheartedly embraced the experience, and together we had a joy filled morning at The Scottish Storytelling Centre.

 

 

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In May and June 2017 I began working with storytellers and singers who were searching for new ways to embody character voices in stories and songs. I led a 2 part workshop at The Scottish Storytelling Centre where we explored a range of physical theatre skills which can be applied to oral storytelling and folk song.

I worked with a courageous group of storytellers and singers, who each found a greater joy in their craft through working with the body.