STORYTELLING TO LISTEN TO

Great stories are not only for children! Folk Tales, Myths, cultural narratives from around the world as well as popular fiction offer a great deal to young people as well as adults.

My love of stories has been with me for as long as I can remember and continues to shape me. Growing up with the abundance of books and wonderful storytellers in both my parents my imagination has been my constant companion throughout my life and I strive to continue this through my storytelling.

Stories and storytelling can be for any age, in any location and for any length and frequency of time.  They can be an access to creativity, help us to understand the unexplainable and make sense of the senseless. Stories can create and shape dreams and keep them in sight for us to follow.

As narratives, characters and environments of stories hold so much weight in their own right it is only my voice that accompanies my storytelling. I listen and respond to my audience, adjusting the telling according to how engaged, excited or moved they are. Some stories require quiet listening environments in hushed settings while some can be lively and engaging, requiring participation.

The nature of my storytelling work is flexible and always open to new ideas and possibilities. Whichever form it takes I can guarantee that being pulled into a fantastical narrative can be empowering, calming, enjoyable, humorous, challenging, fun and engaging to all ages.

STORYTELLING TO ENGAGE WITH

I run a variety of Storytelling Workshops offering a range of skills for Children and Young People and Adults. They can range from one-off themed workshops to specialised sessions looking at particular modern, historical, religious or cultural narratives.

• Develop your imagination and vocabulary.
• Train yourself or your students or your staff how to remember and internalise a story, using the methods of the storyteller.
• Increase your confidence and learn and develop useful drama skills.
• Be able to recite a story, recalling the structure, descriptions and rich vocabulary without of the aid of a book.
• Identify your listeners and learn how to get and hold their attention using the story, your imagination and your voice.

Understanding Stories: These workshops look at traditional stories and storytelling, explored through dramatic methods of design and delivery. The focus of the workshops can be divided into sections or particular areas looked at in depth; these include Understanding Narrative Structure, Traditional Characters, Archetypes and Storytelling Skills.

Creating Stories: The workshops are particularly successful within educational and teaching settings. They allow participants to create stories by structuring their imaginative impulses into a format, developing their understanding of character archetypes and exploring their speaking, writing and and literacy skills. Consideration is given to the art of telling stories and what is interesting for the listener or the reader. This is explored creatively through drama games and dramatic methods, such as role-play, improvisation, mime and Forum Theatre.