What is storytelling?
Storytelling is a traditional artform which is still relevant and vibrant today. It is the telling of stories without the aid of books or any other form of media.
Storytelling can reach back in time to the half-forgotten epics of yesteryear, or can repeat yesterday’s anecdote from the pub.
It has a magic for all age groups, and can be used to entertain, to educate, to share, to persuade and to heal.
Storytelling can (and does) happen anywhere. I’ve told stories in schools, museums, churches, castles, festivals, libraries, soft plays centres, care homes and at living history events.
I can (and do) tell stories on many different topics but three of my specialities are: sea stories, Regency storytelling, and bringing books to life.
I also run workshops and give talks on different elements of storytelling practice. Contact me for more information.
Sea Stories
Most of us feel the pull of the sea and I am no exception. The tide brings in so many stories about mermaids, selkies, heroes and villains! My sea stories set can be adapted to very small children (with songs and actions) to adults. They include:
- ‘The brown-eyed seal’ – my adaptation of a traditional selkie story retold for young children with songs and actions.
- ‘The Mermaid of Zennor’ – a story in which a mermaid hears a strange sound carried on the waves and has to investigate even if it leads to danger.
- ‘The Bell Rock’ – a story about a pirate who later regrets his youthful crimes.
- ‘Grace Darling’ – the story of a real-life Northumberland heroine who battles a storm to save lives.
- ‘The Four Bonnets’ – a story from the Scottish traveller tradition (through the telling of Stanley Robertson) in which a young fisherman gets caught up with witches.
- ‘The Flounder and the Fisherman’ – the well-known tale of a fisherman who finds a magic fish.
For children, I interweave songs and rhymes along with sea superstitions and facts.
Regency Storytelling
There’s a new storytelling set in the ton. Combining my research as a Romanticist and over twenty years of storytelling experience, I tell adults stories from around the Regency period along with the tales that people during the Regency told each other:
- Hear Walter Scott’s story of cross-generational trauma, magic and enchantments when I re-tell The Bridal of Triermain.
- Find out about a heroine who refuses to be the victim of a smooth-talking mysterious stranger in my version of ‘May Colvin.’
- Discover about real-life characters such as the exciseman-cum-forger, Malcom Gillespie.
- Find out why a pirate regretted his youthful crime in my telling of ‘The Bell Rock.’
Bringing Books to Life
Research has long shown that listening to stories improves children’s literacy. I take this one step further with my storytelling set in which all the stories are either taken from or about books.
- Join in as we find out whether a proud king can climb all the way to the moon as his book-loving daughter watches on.
- Laugh along as we find out what happens to a very silly cockerel in my re-telling of Chaucer’s ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.’
- Be scared as we hear about a ghostly horse and its rider and the woman who willingly goes with the, based on Bürger’s ‘Lenore’ [for older children and teenagers]
Workshops
Do you want to learn more about storytelling? Or do you just want to build your confidence in creativity or public speaking? My workshops are designed to meet people where they are at, building on their current skill and knowledge base to improve all elements of storytelling. Workshops are bespoke but can include:
- An introduction to storytelling
- Creating and performing your own stories
- Public speaking
- Using storytelling and creative practice in language café settings
