Places Where I Have Told Stories

July 24, 2016 cr5zo

 

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL APPEARANCES

    • Canada
    • In 1997, I was given a very special invitation, by the Metis people of Winnipeg, to attend one of their  healing day’s, where real life stories are shared in a healing circle.   I was invited to share a ‘real life’ story, for healing purposes. I felt so very privaledged and humbled, as I was one of only two, white european’s there.
    • Holland
    • Dutch International Storytelling Cafe, in Den Haag, invited to tell a crafted personal Ancestor story.
    • Amsterdam Storytelling Club, invited to tell a crafted personal Ancestor story.
    • Online event for the Dutch International Storytelling Cafe as part of a 2020 Lockdown storytelling event.
    • Morocco
    • Invited guest storyteller to attend, ‘The Inaugural  Marrakesh International Storytelling Festival’. I co-facilitated 4 English/Arabic storytelling workshops for English learners. I also shared stories with several listeners in Riads, Cafe’s and in the Atlas Mountains.
    • Sweden
    • Telling stories as part of a personal winter bushcraft expedition, to northern Sweden, very close to the Arctic Circle.
    • Ireland
    • Listowel Storytelling Festival, County Kerry in collaboration with Kerry Writers Museum.
    • Northern Ireland
    • Storytelling in County Antrim as part of a week spent with the incredible Liz Weir MBE (for services to storytelling).
    • Storytelling on Raithlin Island, as part of The Glens of Antrim, Storytelling Festival.
    • Storytelling in Carnlough, County Antrim, as part of a multi cultural storytelling collective.
    • Scotland
    • The International Scottish Storytelling Festival, Edinburgh. By very special invitation to participate in an evening of Duncan Williamsion (RIP) stories, at The Scottish Storytelling Center Edinburgh..

 

STORYTELLING 2023

  • Panners Coffee Shop, Black Notley, Essex. An evening telling a set of stories for Halloween.
  • Chelmsford Community Radio. A  live Halloween story in the studio.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Half term day camp. I ran a daily outdoor storytelling workshop for the children.
  • Cae Mabon Retreat, Wales.  A week long course with Eric Maddon and Hugh Lupton. Taking a deep dive into Myth, on the theme of ‘Death and Resurrection’.
  • Ashurst Campsite, New Forest, Sussex . A relaxed evening around a camp fire telling stories.
  • Framlingham Suffolk. An evening of stories outdoors around a fire, for a group of Eco-therapists.
  • Society for Storytelling, ‘The Gathering’. I was part of the organizing team in helping plan and set up the event. I also ran a storytelling round and told stories.
  • Gloucester Folk Museum.  Storytelling as part of a group, to raise funds for the Moroccan Earthquake Appeal.
  • Listowel Storytelling Festival, County Kerry, Ireland in collaboration with Kerry Writers Museum. 3 days of storytelling.
  • Into The Wild Festival, Sussex. Lead storyteller and curator of the ‘Storytelling Tent’ for 4 days.
  • Folk East, Festival,  Suffolk. 3 Days of storytelling.
  • Barking Folk Festival, Barking, London. A day of telling stories from many cultures.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Chertsey Surrey.  Resident storyteller for 4 weeks, for children during the summer holidays.
  • Harlequin Fayre, North Norfolk. 4 days of storytelling. I was also an MC running the main stage.
  • Drake School Summer Festival, Thetford Norfolk.
  • Chelmsford, ‘Streets Alive’ as part of Chelmsford Arts Festival.
  • Chelmsford ‘Storyfest’ as part of Chelmsford’s Arts Festival.
  • Circles Alternative Education, in Stock, Essex. A storytelling day with several of the young people attending Circles.
  • Essex Book Festival, Cressing Temple Barns. Family storytelling as part of ‘Midsummer Madness’.
  • Leigh Folk Festival, Leigh-on-Sea  Library. A story workshop session for mixed groups.
  • Leigh Folk Festival, telling a Family story set, ‘Tell It To The Animals’.
  • Leigh Folk Festival, an evening performance piece for adults,  ‘Bear’s, Bird’s & Bee’s’.
  • Drake Primary School. Thetford, Norfolk. Delivering environmental stories to two assemblies and then running two workshops. Based on my self penned modern folk story ‘Little River’. In collaboration with the Brecks, Fen Edge & Rivers Landscape Project.
  • Stealing Thunder, storytelling festival, Bowland Bridge, Cumbria. A collaboration with ‘Super Great Kids’ a Podcast award winner. Preforming a live show on two consecutive days, alongside the fantastic Ghanaian storyteller ‘Tuup ‘ and Super Great Kids producer Kim Normanton. (Check out the ‘Super Great Kids’, award winning Podcast).
  • Ufford Arts Festival, Ufford Suffolk. Family Storytelling.
  • Ufford Arts Festival,  The Crown Inn. Adult themed storytelling & song, in collaboration with singer songwriter Peter Hepworth.
  • Little Venice, Regents Canal, London. Family storytelling in collaboration with Widgeon Theatreboat and the Inland Waterways Authority. As part of the Canal Boat Cavalcade.
  • Teybrook Orchard, Camping & Glamping site in Essex, storytelling for a private group of families.
  • World Earth Day, storytelling for Chelmsford City Council in collaboration with Chelmsford Museum at a ‘Pop-up’ venue in a shopping mall.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, I was resident storyteller all week, as well as my role as a bushcraft instructor. Being in a woodland many of my stories connect the children to place and nature.
  • Chelmsford Library, family story telling over Easter.
  • South Woodham Ferrer’s Library, family storytelling over Easter.
  • ‘Mad For Road’ , I am part of a storytelling collective, we meet up 2-3 times a year, this one was in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where we told stories.
  • The ‘3 Foot Festival’, Chelmsford City Council. A day of storytelling and songs in tents & marquees for children under 4 years of age.
  • TASIS Foundation, a private, American International Boarding School. Storytelling as part of a students enrichment day.
  • Orion Primary School, Barnet. (Ofsted ‘Outstanding’) . Storytelling for a whole School assembly and then throughout the day with years 2,3 & 4, for the schools ‘Word Up’ Literary Festival .
  • Woodcroft Primary School Barnet. Storytelling for assembly and year 4, 5 & 6 all as part of their ‘Word Up’ Literary Festival.
  • UEA Norwich, University of East Anglia in collaboration with, ‘Dandelions Outdoor Day Care’ providers for under 5’s.  I ran 3 seperate one hour outdoor workshops with the Degree students, looking at  ‘applied storytelling’ in outdoor spaces & the connection with nature and emotional welfare. We then went into the semi-covered circle area in the Dandelions Outdoor centre, where the students were able to observe the theory and art of storytelling, with me telling stories to all the children. This was watched by staff and all of the students. In the afternoon, I went to the UEA campus and continued with another workshop, with the same students, looking at specific student led questions, regarding aspects and techniques of ‘applied storytelling’ both outdoors and inside.
  • Aurora Eccles, Special Educational Needs School, Norfolk. Sharing stories with the students around a camp fire, in their Forest School area.
  • Sweden; sharing stories at a ‘Winter Immersion’ Bushcraft Camp, Angestrask, Norbottens Lan, Sweden.
  • Town House Prep School, Norwich Norfolk. Two full days of storytelling, including  mini workshops with ‘storytelling tips’, as part of National Storytelling Week.
  • Salmestone School, Margate, Kent. A full day of KS curriculum based storytelling, as part of National Storytelling Week.
  • Hill Homes, Highgate London. Residential supported living complex. Storytelling for the residents, as part of National Storytelling Week.
  • World Storytelling Cafe (Online)  storytelling for families online with world wide transmission.

 

  • STORYTELLING 2022
  • Afghan Refugee Children, I ran a one hour workshop with a large group of children. I used stories and singing, to entertain and encourage the children to use spoken English. As well as building community bridges, in conjunction with the ‘Ideas Hub’ . A Chelmsford based charity, using various aspects of the arts, to reach out particularly to marginalized groups in the community.
  • Dartmoor Storytelling Club, Mid Winter Solstice stories. Telling an old Icelandic story about Mid-Winter (Online).
  • ‘Christmas & Winter Stories’ at The Gnome Cafe, Maldon (sold out). An evening of sharing stories for the season.
  • ‘Wardour Studios’, London. for ‘Super Great Kids’, recording 3 stories for their awarding winning, Podcast.
  • ‘Chelmsford Heritage Society’, Essex, Christmas & Winter Stories.
  • ‘The Chalk Restaurant’, Wokingham Buckinghamshire. Christmas and Winter Stories, for Families.
  • ‘The Drawing Room’ (retaurant and bar) Dark & Twisted Tales set. Cheshum Buckinghamshire.
  • ‘Lets Get Out’ CIC Essex. Telling stories at a Childrens Home Ed woodland community.
  • London Irish Cultural Centre, as part of a multi cultural collaboration of storytellers.
  • Chelmsford Community Radio, I was invited in to tell two Halloween tales and to talk about my storytelling journey.
  • A Dark & Twisted Tales story set, for Halloween, at The Gnome Cafe, Maldon.
  • Markshall Estate Country Park and Visitor Centre, Essex. A return visit this year for more Halloween stories. A storywalk with the children in the afternoon, followed by an adult nightime storywalk in the dark, culminating in a dark wood for more stories.
  • ‘Wild At Heart’ WI group, invited to tell a set of Halloween stories online.
  • Scottish International Storytelling Festival in Edinburgh, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. I was a ‘Special Guest’ storyteller to help celebrate the life of Duncan Williamson (RIP). One of Scotlands most revered and celebrated tradition bearers of  oral stories, from the Scottish Traveller Community. I was invited to celebrate his legacy with his widow, Linda Williamson, his son, Jimmy Willamson, and his friends, Heather Yule, Amy Douglas and David Campbell.
  • Northern Ireland, ‘Glens of Antrim Storytelling Festival’. Including a special storytelling event on Rathlin Island.
  • Tipi Woods Alt Ed community group Halloween Tales.
  • Chelmsford Cathedral, telling a traditional Native American story, for the opening first day of the large National and International art installation Gaia, by artist Luke Jerram.
  • Running part two of a ‘Beginners Storytelling Workshop’ for adults, in Essex.
  • World Storytelling Cafe, online event, Woodland Stories for children.
  • Howl Bushcraft, Sheffield, around the fire.
  • Oxford Storytelling Festival. A beautiful long weekend of Storytelling for adults, ‘Breathing The Land’ and running a storytelling workshop, ‘Dreaming The Story’. How to access more that is unspoken or unwritten, from a story. I also helped to collaborate on devising and collaboratively perform an opening ceremony.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Daily storytelling for children. 22nd -25th August.
  • Folk East, Glemham Hall Suffolk. A long weekend of Family Storytelling.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Daily storytelling for children. 16th -18th August.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Daily storytelling for children. 8th -12th August.
  • Harlequin Fayre, Norfolk. Family Storytelling .
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Daily storytelling for children. 1st -5th August.
  • Beginners Storytelling Workshop; I ran a beginners workshop, in a private woodland location, for people new to Oral Storytelling. Bradwell,  Essex.
  • Strumpshaw Tree Fayre, Norfolk. A gathering celebrating Gypsy, Romani & Traveller culture, Family Storytelling.
  • ‘Get A Word in Edgeways’ festival, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.  I was invited by David Campbell, (author, poet, storyteller and BBC Scotland presenter) to tell a story from a collection by Duncan Williamson (RIP) a Scottish Traveller. David was delivering a talk on the late revered storyteller, Duncan Williamson.
  •  Bishops C of E School Academy, Thetford. Running creative writing workshops all day. I was asked to write a modern ecological folk story, about the local river and landscape and its flora and fauna and how it is being damaged by human pollution and litter. The story is called ‘Gertie Greenteeth’. This was a project in collaborative with The Brecks; Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership for Suffolk County Council.
  • St Helens Primary School, Ipswich, Suffolk. A day of Storytelling as part of ‘International Week’
  • Big Hat Bushcamp storytelling to children from The Rowans Prep School.
  • Leigh Folk Festival, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
  • Somerton Church, Suffolk. Storytelling as part of an evening of entertainment in St Mary’s Church Somerton, as part of a church roof repair, fund raising event.
  • Chelmsford Folk Music Festival. Essex. Storytelling between some of the music acts.
  • Wimbleden Primary School, storytelling as part of a Bushcraft experience.
  • Harwich Platinum Jubilee Festival, Essex. A day of Storytelling on the coast, (my second time there).
  • Barking Folk Festival, London Borough of Southwark. Two full days Storytelling, my sixth year as their sole storyteller.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Three days ‘Woodland Storytelling Workshop’s’ for children, as part of their Bushcraft Experiance.  (I am the seasonal resident storyteller for Big Hat Bushcamp)
  • ‘Haremoon Storytelling Camp’, Cambridgeshire. A yearly four day gathering opportunty to share, listen to and discuss Stories.
  • Chelmsford Rotary Club, Oaklands Park Museum, Chelmsford, Essex. Breakfast Club Storytelling.
  • Norfolk Libraries ‘Nature Project’. Three days of ‘Outdoor Storytelling’ to Men’s Group’s, to help improve Mens emotional and mental welfare, community cohesion and getting them outdoors, post-covid.
  • Get A Word In Edgeways (GAWIE) Shropshire based storytelling club. Appearing on the same billing as Mary-Ann Ochota, Anthropologist, Author & TV presenter on Time Team, award winning Storyteller Jason Buck, Storyteller & Ballad singer Cath Edwards & Poet Michelle Isava, from Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Online storytelling with Essex Scouts Annual Gathering, telling a traditional story with a message to some 400 young people and parents at Essex County Cricket Ground.
  • Chelmsford Community Radio, I was invited in to talk about my recent storytelling visit to the  Marrakesh International Storytelling Festival and to tell a short story.
  • Bushcamp Storytelling, running a storytelling session each day for 5 days, at a Bushcamp in Chertsy Surrey
  • Crick Crack Club London. I was one of three, specially invited Guest Judges, to judge the annual ‘Liars Contest’, held at Rich Mix, Bethanel Green, London.
  • Ukraine Fundraising Concert. A wonderfull concert in a packed Suffolk Village Hall. The concert featured Folk bands, Poets and I was invited to be the evenings guest storyteller. The evening raised £1,250.00 for the DEC charity.
  • World Storytelling Day Ireland ‘Lost and Found’ (online) I was one of the featured storytellers.
  • Woodbridge Storytelling Club, I had a  great night as the featured storyteller, once again.
  • ‘United in Diversity’, a multi cultural Fashion Show, at ‘The Pop Up Art Place’, Chelmsford. Where I was asked to open the show with a story. I chose a Jewish Folk Tale about a retired Tailor, who makes a Blue Coat for his Grandson.
  • ‘Green Communion’. I was invited to come along and tell some Nature influenced stories, to the congregation at St Johns Church Chelmsford, as part of their ‘Green Communion’.
  • Chelmsford City Artists Network ‘Ignite’. Invited Special Guest Speaker, my presentation was on Oral Storytelling and the links to the Art’s, Education and Business world.
  • George Street Primary School, Hertfordshire. World Book Day, a full day telling stories, using song and puppets, with Nursery aged through to Year 6 children.
  • Morocco, Guest storyteller and workshop storyteller for English learners, at the first Marrakesh International Storytelling Festival 2022 .
  • Writtle Primary School, a morning of Stories and some singing, as part of a larger Arts Council funded project, celebrating the birth of radio’s, first offcial broadcast from Writtle, Nr Chelmsford Essex.
  • Norwich, Norfolk Library Service. Two days outdoor filming of Stories, for a promotional film, as part of Community based, Applied Storytelling & Nature Project. I will then go on to run  three, Applied Storytelling Workshops as part of the Project.
  • Scotland, Grampian Association of Storytellers.
  • Northern Ireland, Lisburn City Library, County Antrim,  in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust
  • Northern Ireland, another visit (online) to Dungiven Library, County Antrim,  in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust

 

STORYTELLING  2021 

  • Marks Hall Country Estate, Marks Tey, Essex. Delivering a total of 110 stories. Over eleven days, involving five seperate sets each day, in each set, I told two Winter Folk Tales, from a selection of five stories. I was dressed in charactor as Father Christmas. Each set lasted 45 minuets.
  • Northern Ireland, Banger Yarnspinners, storytelling. In collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust.
  • The Storyteller at the Saxmundham Victorian Street Fayre, in Saxmundham, Suffolk.
  • Wales, Invited Workshop Presenter to ‘Casglu’  (‘Beyond The Border Festival’, Cymru, Wales). Offering an invocation relating to my experiences of Oral Storytelling in the Wild and Wooded places of  Nature.
  • Northern Ireland, Lisnaskea Library, County Antrim, Special Guest Storyteller, in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust.
  • Live in Northern Ireland, telling a story beside a beach in Cushendun, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, In collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust.
  • Northern Ireland, Banger Carnegie Library, County Antrim,  in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust.
  •  Northern Ireland, Tulley Carnet Library, Belfast, in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust.
  • Northern Ireland, Dungiven Library, County Antrim,  in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust
  • Chelmsford City,  Community Art Hub, Childrens Halloween Stories, (Live), including an Arts & Crafts Workshop, run by a colleague.
  • Marks Hall, Country Park, Essex performing Live Childrens Halloween stories in the afternoon and again in the evening, telling Adult Halloween stories. All in the grounds and woods of Marks Hall, Marks Tey, Essex.
  • Three days in October, once again, running a short storytelling workshop at Big Hat Bushcamp, in Surrey.
  • Chelmsford Community Radio, invitation to record a story for Halloween.
  • City of  Chelmsford Mencap ‘Autumn Tales’
  • Tipi Woods Halloween Festival. Performing two story sets Live,  in an ancient Essex wood, around a camp fire.
  • Dungiven Library, County Antrim, Northern Ireland in collaboration with Liz Weir MBE and The Armstrong Storytelling Trust, Northern Ireland.
  • Southend Festival 2021. Live storytelling, with stories connected to the sea.
  • ‘Angel Canal Festival 2021’ Islington London. (Canal & River Trust) Invited Guest Storyteller Live.
  • Into The Wild Summer Festival over the weekdnd 27th-30th August. Invited Lead Storyteller (Live) for the weekend.
  • ‘Essex Book Festiva Finale’. I set up my own storytelling tent and decorated it, to make a storytelling camp for the day.
  • Big Hat Bushcamp, Surrey. Three weeks of daily storytelling for children
  • .Chelmsford City, Art & Culture Festival 2021, Walkabout Storyteller.
  • ‘Rootstock Gathering’ a week long gathering in a wood, in Cambridgshire. I was a Featured storyteller, telling nature based stories all week. I also ran an Applied Storytelling Workshop. In addition  I ran some creative nature based land art workshops.
  • Four times guest solo storytelling for  ‘Wilderlands’ a New Land Rewilding Project in Sussex, in association with, Into The Wild Festivals, in a Woodland setting.
  • ‘Tipi Woods’ Alternative Education Community, Summer Fete.
  • All Farthing School, Wandsworth, Bushcamp Storytelling.
  • Rosemead Pre-paratory School Dulwich, Bushcamp Storytelling.
  • Running a Live Storytelling Workshops each day for one week in June, at a Childrens Bushcamp, Chertsey, Surrey.
  • Contributor at ‘Haremoon Storytelling Camp 2021’ Cambridgeshire. Live, after lockdown restrictions lifted.
  • Woodbridge Storytelling Club, (Zoom)
  • Special Guest teller for ‘Chalking Stories’. (Zoom)
  • Running a Live Storytelling Workshops each day, for two consecutive weeks in April, at a Childrens Bushcamp, Chertsey, Surrey.
  • Mencap, Irish Folk Tales for St Patricks day (via Zoom Group).
  • I  am a reguler contributor at, ‘Once Upon A  Wednesday’ storytelling club, Burton Upon Trent (Zoom).
  •  Northern Ireland. I am an occassional contributing  storyteller at ‘Cushendall  Barn Ceilidh’. (Zoom).
  • SCHOOLS
    • Drake Primary School, Thetford, Norfolk.
    • The American Internationsl School, at a bushcamp in Surrey.
    • Orion Primary School, Barnet, Hertfordshire.
    • Woodcroft Primary School, Barnet, Hertfordshire.
    • Dandelions Outdoor Nursery, Norwich, Norfolk.
    • Salmestine School, Margate Kent.
    • Bishops C of E school, Thetford Norfolk.
    • St Helens Primary School, Ipswich, Suffolk.
    • Wimbledon PrimarySchool at a bushcamp in Surrey.
    • George Street Primary School, Hertfordshire.
    • Writtle Primary School, Essex.
    • Tipi Woods, Alternative Education setting, Essex. Summer Fete 2021.
    • Allfarthing Primary School, Wandsworth, London, at a days outing in a woodland location.
    • Rosemead Pre-Preparatory School, Dulwich London, during an overnight stay in a woodland location.
    • Latchingdon Primary School, Essex, telling tales for all the pupils for World Book Day.
    • John Ray Infants School, Essex, for a 2nd year, telling stories on World Book Day.
    • Clockhouse Primary School, Romford, Essex. A full day, telling traditional stories to Years; 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. As part of ‘ World Book Day’ (week).
    • All Saints Primary School, Lawshall, Suffolk. A week long residency in the school, running Storytelling workshops for years 3,4,5 and 6, that I designed for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week and National (Oral) Storytelling Week. With the theme of, “Find My Brave”. In a wonderful collaboration with the Suffolk, children’s mental health charity, ‘FineNotFine’.
    • Lyndhurst School, Southwark, London. Winter Fayre Storytelling.
    • 270 children at ‘Chatham Green Project’ Schools Farm and Countryside Day, Essex.
    • East Kent Sudbury School, Margate, Kent. A Self Directed Learning Community, story share.
    • Brentwood Prep School, Essex. My 3rd year, Storytelling for the children’s ‘Enrichment Day’.
    • Holly Trees Primary School, Brentwood, Essex. My 2nd visit, Storytelling and workshops for the children to enhance their, imaginations, creativity and understanding of story narrative structure.
    • World Book Day, John Ray Infants School, Braintree, Essex.
    • Ashdown Preparatory School, Forest Row, Sussex
    • Steiner Pre-school Forest Row, Sussex
    • ‘Blooming Moulsham’ Child-minding after school group, Chelmsford. Resident storyteller for 2 years.
    • ‘Tipi Woods’, Chelmsford, Essex. An Alternative Education setting for Self Directed Learning Community of children. In-house storyteller, for 18 months.
    • Highwood Primary School, Chelmsford, Essex.
    • Kingsfleet Primary School, Felixstowe, Suffolk. Pirate stories and songs for the 5-7 yr old children
    • St Marys Primary School, Woodham Ferrers. Essex. Oral Storytelling, for World Book Day
    • Christ Church Infants School, Brick Lane, London. All day Storytelling at the school.
    • Woodcroft Nursery School, Chelmsford Essex. Songs, nursery rhymes and story.
    • Hatfield Peveral, Essex.  Childminders and children’s Summer Party.

 

STORYTELLING DURING THE  PANDEMIC OF 2020

  • I am a regular teller at, ‘Once Upon A Wednesday’ storytelling club, Burton Upon Trent.
  • I am an occassional teller at, ‘Cushendall Barn Ceilidh’, Northern Ireland.
  • I was commisioned by The Land Trust, to curate and put together a programme of 9 storytellers, to create an Online  programme of Winter Stories for The Land Trust, a UK wide,charitable organisation, that looks after the land and cits community use, in and around new housing projects. The programme was put out online across The Land Trusts 8 UK community sites.
  • ‘Tipi Woods’, I was invited back to Tipi Woods childrens Learning Community, to tell some Winter Tales, as part of their last day before breaking up for Christmas.
  • I am pleased to be providing stories once again, for Barking Folk Festival, (in collaboration with Summer of Festivals), this year due to the restrictions it is online, instead of being outdoors in the Abbey Park. Family Stories for four consecutive Saturday mornings, as part of the festival celebrations.
  • I provided a Winter story for the annual Leigh-on-Sea, St Clements Church, annual Christmas Folk Carol Service.
  • I provided a Winter story for MENCAPS annual Christmas party, this year it was Online.
  • ‘Males Tales’ storytelling club, Norwich Norfolk.
  •  ‘Carrying The Songs’, Ireland. I was very honoured  to have been invited along to the Irish initiated, International storytelling project, ‘Carrying The Songs’. A project started by artist Alannah Robins from Ireland, as part of ‘Interface Inagh’, a Creative artists collective. Alannah, recorded a young person telling a 5 minute story, to be passed on orally, via the internet. One voice and version of the story, became more than 250 storytellers from across the UK , Europe, Scandinavia and as far as Turkey.  As the story travelled it began to change, as was expected. The final story was told to many of us online, what was wonderful, was although the story had changed, it still had the essence of the original story.
  • Big Hat Bush Camp, a large Surrey based Bushcraft Experience provider. I was a lead Instructor for four separate weeks, teaching Bushcraft skills to children.  During the four weeks I ran a daily Storytelling Workshop, for the children. (all with Covid safe practice).
  • Sam Lee, award winning Folk Singer. As a paid member of the public, I  joined his nature walk in part of the Sussex countryside. In the evening around the camp fire, I shared a Duncan Williamson story about the nature on the land and the interaction between humans and animals.
  • ‘My Green Prescription’ , Family Storytelling for My Green Prescription , a new woodland based venture in Sussex.
  • ‘World Storytelling Cafe’, I was requested to co-perform online, a themed storytelling of fairy tales, with my friend Su Squire, for children with Learning Disabilities.
  • Crick Crack Club, ‘Fairy Tale Confessional’. I was delighted to have been invited to collaborate with the London and Bristol based Crick Crack Club on a storytelling and art project. I worked online with Artist, Sophie Herxheimer.  I shared with Sophie one of my earliest memories from childhood of a fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, along with some other personal childhood memories. As I spoke with Sophie, she began to paint with brush and ink, my words, imaginings and memories onto paper. How cool is that? The painting  join’s a gallery of similar works, that a few other storytellers have collaborated with Sophie in the same process. Thus creating multiple voices, memories and images.
  • ‘Once Upon A Wednesday’ storytelling  club, Burton Upon Trent.
  •  ‘Tapas and Tales’, storytelling club, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
  • Mencap Chelmsford. Two separate evenings of online ‘ Zoom’  Storytelling for the students, one for the adolescents and one for the adults.
  •  ‘WORLD STORYTELLING CAFE’ Delighted to have been  asked to contribute a 45 minute storytelling set to the, ‘World Storytelling Cafe’. A  virtual gathering, of World Storytellers, during the 2020 lockdown. 
  • Delighted to have been asked to perform a 2nd set of stories for the ‘World Storytelling Cafe’, during the 2020 lockdown. It was lovely to have been asked by a fellow Storyteller Justine De Mierre to perform a joint piece of Storytelling with Folk stories celebrating all things Suffolk.
  • ‘WONDERLAND’ Summer Solstice Free Festival. A festival that was online across the world. I was invited to curate several sets of storytelling, with an Environmental and Rewilding theme for the weekend. I liased with 12 professional  storytellers and put on two storytelling sets, with the help of master Storyteller Paul Jackson. 
  • Amy Douglas interview regarding Duncan Williamson. I was asked to curate and interview professional storyteller and author Amy Douglas for one and a half hours., about her apprentiship with renowned Scottish Traveller, Duncan Williamson (R.I.P) This was part of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month. Amy (from a non-Traveller background) undertook an apprenticeship with renown Scottish Traveller, Duncan Williamson, who was not only a tradition bearer of his people’s stories, but was also a renowned Ballad singer of their songs. As well as being an author of some 12 books of Scottish Traveller Folk and Fairy Tales.
  • DUTCH INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING COMMUNITY (DISC) I was invited back to DISC via ‘Zoom’, as a storytelling guest to the DISC Cafe, The Hague, Holland.
  • ‘Busking in Zoomland’. A monthly online gathering of Storytellers, Musician’s and Poets sharing their material.
  • ‘ISOLATION MUSIC FESTIVAL’ Delighted to have been the sole Storyteller to have been asked to contribute an Oral story to this day of World wide online music. To help raise funds for the ‘National Emergencies Trust’,  UK. During the 2020 lockdown.
  • PROJECT 49, Learning Disabled Group. Southend-on-Sea. Delighted to have been invited to tell some Oral Folk and Fairy Tales, via ‘Zoom’, to the people using the service.

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FESTIVALS

  • Marrakesh International Storytelling Festival 2022, Morocco. Guest storyteller and Workshop facilitator/storyteller for English learners.
  • Southend Festival 2021. Live storytelling, with stories connected to the sea.
  • ‘Angel Canal Festival 2021’ Islington London. (Canal & River Trust) Invited Guest Storyteller Live.
  • Into The Wild Summer Festival over the weekdnd 27th-30th August 2021. Invited Lead Storyteller (Live) for the weekend.
  • ‘Essex Book Festiva Finale’ 2021. I set up my own storytelling tent to tell stories from.
  • Chelmsford City, Art & Culture Festival 2021, Walkabout Storyteller.
  • Storytelling  at ‘Haremoon Storytelling Camp/Festival 2021’ Cambridgeshire. Live, after lockdown restrictions lifted.
  • I am pleased to be providing stories once again, for Barking Folk Festival 2021, (in collaboration with Summer of Festivals), this year due to the restrictions it is online, instead of being outdoors in the Abbey Park. Family Stories for four consecutive Saturday mornings, as part of the Festival celebrations.
  • ‘Rootstock Gathering’ 2021 a week long gathering/festival  in a wood, in Cambridgshire. I was a Featured storyteller, telling nature based stories all week. I also ran an Applied Storytelling Workshop. In addition,  I also ran some creative nature based land art workshops.
  • Chelmsford Art & Culture Festival 2018. I was commissioned to curate 9 days of Storytelling throughout Chelmsford.
  • Cambridge Folk Festival, (the biggest in Europe), by Special Invitation. Four days of Storytelling.
  • Barking Folk Festival, asked back for a 3rd year. The festival’s sole Storyteller all weekend.
  • ‘Kenya In The Park’. Storytelling at, “The largest Kenyan Festival in Europe”. Barking Essex. .
  • ‘Into The Wild Festival’, my 5th time at this fantastic 4 day festival.  I help curate the Storytelling, Spoken Word and Singing.
  • The East Anglian Storytelling Festival, for 4 year’s running.
  • ‘Larmer Tree Festival’ Wiltshire. A one hour performance to approx 100 people around a camp fire, in a woodland glade.
  • Leeds Literature Festival; ‘Leeds Storytelling Takeover’. A weekend dedicated to Oral Storytelling.
  • ‘Roots Gathering’, Kent. Asked back for a 2nd year to this micro festival, 3 days of Storytelling.
  • Harlequin Fayre, Norfolk. Back for a 2nd year, 3 days of Storytelling and Comparing the music tent.
  • Essex Book Festival, telling Oral Pirate Tales and Sea stories on-board, the ex-Pirate Radio Caroline ship, docked in Harwich.
  • ‘Culture in the Park’. A multi cultural festival, a 2nd year of telling World stories. Oaklands Park Museum, Chelmsford, Essex.
  • National Trust ‘Wood and Craft Fair’ at Ickworth House in Suffolk. My 3rd time Storytelling there. 2 days family storytelling.
  • ‘Folk East’, Suffolk, my 3rd year, Storytelling.
  • ‘Folk by the Oak’ Festival, Hertfordshire. Telling folk and fairy tales all day.
  • ‘Village Green Festival 2019’, Southend, all day telling Oral Stories, as part of a collective of Performance Storytellers.
  • ‘The Fling Festival’ 2019, Chelmsford Essex.
  • East Anglian Children’s Hospice, Cambridge, ‘Each Summer Festival’, all day storytelling.
  • Hare Moon Storytelling Camp, Cambridgeshire, my 2nd time.
  • Palace Theatre, Southend. ‘Festival of Stories’ A day of storytelling performances as part of National Storytelling Week.
  • Chelmsford Ideas Festival, Cultural Community Tea Party, in the Library, telling family tales all day.
  • Chelmsford Ideas Festival, Storytelling at a Children’s award ceremony for a Peace Poetry Competion.
  • Chelmsford City Council. Art and Culture Collective, end of year celebration with some Winter Stories.
  • ‘Folks Fest 2019’, Storytelling in the centre of the City of Chelmsford, at a mini pop-up festival in collaboration with Mencap
  • The ‘Ufford Arts Festival’, Ufford Suffolk. A one hour family storytelling session.
  • ‘Ufford Arts Festival’. A two hour adult storytelling, shared with an acoustic singer. Alternating story and song.
  • Maldon Essex. ‘Oyster Festival’, all day Family Storytelling, with a Sea & Pirate theme.
  • ‘Tipi Woods’ Forest School & Alternative Education setting, Family festival in the woods. Chelmsford Essex.
  • ‘Winterfest’ 2016, Arts event in Brightlingsea, Essex.
  • ‘ArtSeaMusic Festival’ Family storytelling, Wivenhoe, Essex.
  •  ‘The Estuary Fringe Festival’ . Special Guest, Southend-on-Sea.
  • Special Guest, Storyteller, ‘CompassFest’ Compass’ Inn Suffolk.
  • Special Guest, Storyteller, ‘Spill Festival’ Ipswich.
  • ‘Beside The Seaside Festival’, Storytelling from a Beach Hut, Dovercourt, Essex.

OUTDOOR SETTINGS

  • Essex Wildlife Trust, Winter Tales, at Belfairs Wood. (Sold Out)
  • ‘Winter Gathering’, tales in the woods, for ‘Tipi Woods’, Alternative Education Setting, Essex.
  • Essex Wildlife Trust, a summer evening  performing ‘Dark and Twisted Tales’ at dusk in the wood. (sold out)
  • Invited Storytelling Guest for ‘Woodlife Trails’ a bush craft company working out of Hatfield Forest, a National Trust forest. We sat in the evenings around a camp fire as I told stories.
  • Storytelling at a Bushcraft Birthday party for 8 year old girls, in Surry.
  • Telling tales and running a Bushcraft Camp Birthday Party for boys, Farnham Surrey.
  • Bighat Bushcamp, Sussex, 25 Girl Scouts group, camp fire storytelling.
  • Bighat Bushcamp, Sussex, a boys 10 year old birthday party Storytelling in a Wood.
  • Storytelling at a 6 day Bushcamp/Nature Experience with adolescent’s, in Staines, Surry.
  • Storytelling at a 2 day Bushcamp/Nature Workshop as a teaching aid for Teacher’s, in Staines, Surry.
  • Children’s ‘Bushcraft Holiday Club’ in Thaxted, Essex.
  • ‘The Wilderness Foundation’ Essex. On their adolescent ‘Out There’ programme
  • Outdoor Nature Based Project for Renew Counselling,  with year 7 boys, for an Essex School.

 

COMMUNITY STORYTELLING

  •  As part of ‘Dying Matters week during isolation 2020, I was asked to contribute an audio story with animation added, for a virtual Dying Matters online event.
  • A 2nd time on ‘The Widgeon Theatre Boat’, for February half term, family stories on the Canal Boat, docked at Regents Canal this time .
  • Russian Community Group, Chelmsford. Russian Folk Tales.
  • ‘The Widgeon Theatre Boat’, London Fields, Hackney Canal. Halloween storytelling for families, on a unique Canal Boat.
  • ‘The Bearded Gypsy’, pop-up shop in Chelmsford. Telling folk and fairy tales for children as the parents shop.
  • N22 Art Studios Wood Green, London. Two days of family storytelling and the odd song, as part of an Open Day for families.
  • Beaulieu Park residents community, Summer Fete, Chelmsford Essex.
  • Beaulieu Park residents community, Halloween Storytelling for families, Chelmsford Essex.
  • ‘The Mustachio Club’ in Chelmsford. Special Guest telling Halloween Stories.
    HMP Family Visitor Centre waiting room, my 4th time Storytelling there, as part of the ‘Essex Book Festival’.
  • Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Guest Storyteller for children, as part of National Storytelling Week 2018.

STORYTELLING CLUBS

  • Chelmsford Storytelling Events; ‘Tall Tales & Short Stories’. A storytelling evening that I started up 3 years ago. I curate and run the evening, at The Two Brewers public house in Chelmsford. I am supported by a wonderful bunch of other storytellers, poets and musicians.
  • Norwich Storytelling Club. Special Guest. Telling a one and a half hour story set, ‘Dark & Twisted Tales’.
  • London Dreamtime Story Circle. Invited Guest several times.
  • London at ‘The Skip Garden’ storytelling events, St Pancras.
  • Cambridge, ‘Othersyde’  Special Guest, telling a set of Folk Stories relating to Landscape and the Countryside .
  • Southend Storytelling Club, Anke’s Café, Southend, .
  • Leigh-on-Sea, storytelling club at The Fishermans Chapel. Essex.
  • Woodbridge Storytelling Club ‘Tapas ‘n’ Tales.
  • Ipswich Storytelling Club, Guest Storyteller, Ipswich Suffolk.
  • Southend-on-Sea, ‘Voice Box’ spoken word/music event at ‘Twenty One’ .
  • Blackmore Folk club Essex
  • Cambridge Storytelling Club, as  part of a troupe, telling real life ‘Ancestor Stories’. Cambridge.
  • Southend-on-Sea, ‘Pint of Tales’ Storytelling event Essex .
  • Billericay Storytelling club, The Fold,  Essex.
  • Sussex Storytelling club

 

WORKSHOPS

  • All Saints Primary School, Lawshall, Suffolk. I had a week long residency in the school, running Storytelling workshops for years 3,4,5 and 6, that I designed for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week and National (Oral) Storytelling Week. With the theme of, “Find My Brave”. In a wonderful collaboration with the Suffolk, children’s mental health charity, ‘FineNotFine’.
  • Holly Trees Primary School, Brentwood, Essex. Storytelling and workshops for the children to enhance their, imaginations, creativity and understanding of story narrative structure Co-facilitator at a Climate Change Workshop, at the Cambridge Folk Festival on how to use Story, to convey your message.
  • .’BIG KID Foundation’ Creating and providing a Storytelling workshop and performance for Young People deemed ‘at risk’, from gang violence.
  • Storytelling Workshop, delivering an all day workshop  with students at ‘Jump Start’ in Bury St Edmunds. In conjunction with ‘Suffolk Art Link’ a project working with adults who have a learning  disability.
  • Adolescent Mental Health Secure Unit Hospital,  A one day Storytelling Workshop Project.
  • Mencap Chelmsford,  telling Thai Folk Tales as part of a  Thai shadow puppet workshop.

ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING

  • ‘Global Generation’ an Ecology charity, my 4th time telling environmental stories. St Pancras, London.
  • Holywells Park, Ipswich. Wassailing Apple tree celebration stories.
  • ‘Spring Wood’ May Day Celebration, Ipswich. Family storytelling for the 2nd year running.
  • (See other venues in schools section.)

VOLUNTERY SECTOR STORYTELLING

  • ‘Donate4Refugees’, at The Thenga Café in Kings Cross, London. I was invited back for a 3rd  time to be part of a company of storytellers, telling ‘World Tales’, to raise money for this charity, working with refugee children.
  • ‘BIG KID Foundation’ Creating and providing a Storytelling workshop and performance for Young People deemed ‘at risk’ of street gang culture..
  •  ‘Safe Passage’ , A children’s Refugee charity, as Guest Storyteller, in Southend-on-Sea.
  • ‘Refugee Week’, Ancestral Stories at St Ethelburga’s, Peace and Reconciliation Center, Bishopsgate, London.
  • ‘Calder Bookshop Theatre’, Waterloo, London. Invited storytelling guest for a Charity fund raising event.
  • ‘Support 4 Sight’, Chelmsford,  a charity working with visually impaired people.
  • ‘Support 4 Sight’, Braintree, a charity working with visually impaired people. 2nd year Storytelling in their Braintree club.
  • Mencap Chelmsford. A forth year telling World Tales, each year they pick a country to focus on, this year it was India.
  • Mencap Chelmsford Adolescent group, Folk and Fairy Tales, for National Storytelling Week.
  • Mencap Chelmsford, Adult group, requested Robin Hood themed stories.
  • Mencap Chelmsford, Adolescent group, requested Robin Hood themed stories.
  • Mencap, Chelmsford Adult group, Folk & Fairy tales, for National Storytelling Week
  • Mencap,  Chelmsford, Adult group, Scottish Folk & Fairy Tales..
  • Mencap, Chelmsford, Adolescent group, Scottish Folk & Fairy Tales.
  • ‘Twenty One’, Southend-on-Sea, charity evening, raising money for a Mental Health Charity.
  •  ‘Ruby Riot’ for Ruby, an 8 year old girl with Retts Syndrome.

OTHER PLACES

  • RHS Wisley, back at Wisley for a weekend of family storytelling for RHS Wisley’s theme; ‘Whatever The Weather’.
  • RHS Wisley, an evening of curated Halloween stories.
  • Chelmsford ‘Ignite’, attended a Storytelling Symposium.
  • ‘The Skip Garden’, Kings Cross, London for a Children’s Birthday Party, in a Yurt
  • Halsway Manor, National Centre for Folk Art, Storytelling Weekend. Somerset.
  • Emmerson College, Forest Row, Sussex. Telling stories as part of a Ceilidh evening.
  • Essex Poetry Festival 2018, reading three of my own poem’s.
  • Moulsham Lodge Cub Pack, Chelmsford. Storytelling, preparing them to work on their very own stories, for a writing competition.
  • Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. ‘Ten Green Bottles’, music and spoken word venue.
  • Braintree Pagan Moot, contributing stories to a storytelling evening for the club.
  • ‘Root Camp’ A residential camp for teenagers, in Suffolk. Week 2 students.
  • ‘Root Camp’ A residential  camp for teenagers in Suffolk. Week 1 students.
  • .BUPA The Lodge Nursing Home, Hatfield Peveral. Essex. A Family Day Storytelling.
  • ‘Winter Folk & Fairy Tales’ Chelmsford. An event that I organised and curated with the support of 6 other Storytellers.
  • Spoken Word event, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
  • Spoken Word event, Palace Hotel, Southend-on-Sea.
  • ‘One World Garden’, Hylands House, Chelmsford. A storytelling special event for the service users of Mencap.
  • .Storytelling at ‘Poetree Walks’, Suffolk
  • Chelmsford, A Street Party for the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.
  • Groups in my home
  • Some of my satisfied customers have kindly provided testimonials for my storytelling.
  • Find out more about my Traditional Oral Storytelling for any age and any occasion. Contact me at shane@storytellershane.co.uk