Storytelling - Mythstories · the needs of a modern audience. All sessions are highly participative, demanding responses to riddles and dilemmas, inviting choral echo and chorus,

StorytellingYour guide to your local storytellers

12 tellers – 12 different styles & voicesUse one – or use them all

mythstories booklet 2/2/15 10:05 Page 1

[email protected]

01588 638497

Amy Douglaschild-led innovative inspiring adventureoutdoor learning landscape fun collaborationriddles word-relishing tongue-twisting

• Storyteller and Author• Experienced with Foundation, KS1,

KS2, KS3, KS4 and students with SEN• Performances, workshops and

extended projects• Shropshire folklore and riddles• Using storytelling techniques to

scaffold writing skills• Using storytelling to explore concepts

and build key skills in all areas of thecurriculum

I first discovered storytelling in my teensand I've been performing, promoting andplaying with stories ever since. I was thefirst ACEWM Storytelling Apprentice andspent a year (1993-1994) studying withstorytellers throughout Britain and inAmerica. I am an experienced performer,workshop leader, author and projectmanager – and still excited and inspiredby stories every day!

I am passionate about using storytellingin schools. Storytelling is animaginative, inspiring, intrinsicallyhuman artform, effective at describingemotion, building empathy, exploringplaces we may never go, bonding agroup and building shared experiences.

I enjoy working with children of all ages.Inspiring children into a love of

language at an early age candramatically change the course of theirlearning career. As they grow,storytelling can help explore difficultconcepts, provide a frame-work forlearning new skills and build selfconfidence.

My workshops are about play,exploration and experimentation.Creating a sense of adventure throughstory, trails, mirror writing, invisible ink;helping children devise their ownadventures and encouraging them todevelop their own voice and abilities. Ilove to work outside and much of mywork is cross curricular.

Storytelling is the perfect medium forinspiring creative thought, with thepossibility to lead into a wide range ofexploratory, arts and creative writingavenues. Most importantly, it is fun!

For more information, details of previousprojects and sample workshops fordifferent curriculum areas please visitmy website – or even better - phone upfor a chat!


are a lively, entertaining duo based onthe mid-Wales borders. With over 40years’ professional storytellingexperience behind them they offer bothperformances and workshops for allages from pre-school to senior citizenand everything inbetween. CliveHopwood and Pauline Bennett haveworked in schools, libraries, artgalleries, museums, castles, festivals,day centres, prisons, residential homes,community centres,

Myths, legends and folktales fromaround the world can be shaped andselected to any individual needs or

themes. Extensive experience inworking in schools across the countrywith both pupils and staff, and using oralstorytelling as a foundation for enhancingliteracy skills, creative writing, drama orvideo work. Full back-up resourcesprovided as part of the service.

Fantastic fun guaranteed with tangibleoutcomes. Used to working with alllevels of literacy or ability includingspecial needs children. Starred inRadio 4’s Goodnight Tales documentary,winner of the British Award forStorytelling Excellence’s OutstandingCommunity Project 2012.

E-mail: [email protected]: 01938 811 355 Mobile: 07930 378 110

Website: www.villagestorytellers.org.uk

VILLAGE STORYTELLERS


I live in Shropshire and would like to tellstories to your children. Every week Ishare traditional tales in schools fromthe smallest rural settings to the largestcities. I have a vivacious, interactiveand warm approach and my workshopsinclude lots of sensory delights; I canengage the most hard to reach children.

“The children weremesmerised and they said itwas awesome”Rushgreen Primary, Romford

Workshops support the NationalCurriculum, especially speaking andlistening. I have a broadrepertoire of tales to suit allages or if you prefer, I canwork with you on a theme.1.World War 1 and The

Christmas Day Trucean interactive andinformative programmeof anecdotes, myths,poems and stories withhelmets, whistles,songs, games andbandages, oh and a tapemeasure too – how do youmeasure up for soldiering?

2.Greek Myths, especially TheOdyssey. How did boastfulOdysseus outwit the oneeyed Cyclops? How didgoddess Circe turn men intogrunting pigs? What went whooshwhen the sailors peeked into thebag of winds?

Dawn Powell Storyteller

www.dawnpowell.co.uk07530 775288

3.Traditional Horror Tales (suitable forKS2.) Stories to startle, shock, amuseand make the heart flutter some withcatchy refrains and songs too.Includes Beowulf and Mr Fox.

4.Fairy Tales – tales from a variety oflands and cultures that journeytowards the happy ever after – SnowWhite, Rapunzel, Aladdin.

5.Nursery Tales, Rhythm and Rhyme.Let little hands explore the soundswithin the stories – Crash, bang,scrape and shake.

A day comprises up to 4 sessions andcan be with one class or many.Sessions are multisensory and include

props, percussion, games andriddles. Longer sessions can

include creative writing, artsand craft activities or drama.

I can work with you on alonger project or a

piece of actionresearch.


Fran is an experienced storyteller whohas worked with all ages and abilities inschools all over the UK and Ireland fora good number of years.

His focus is on helping children to takean interest in literature and helping themto develop their literacy skills bybuilding confidence and stimulating theimagination through storytelling.

He is particularly adept at working withchildren who are challenged withbehavioural and learning skills.

Fran mixes cartoon and illustration in

Fran O'Boylewith his sessions and also brings historyto life with a Victorian living history timetravelling character who gets thechildren to create a story usingingredients brought with him in variousbottles and jars.

His stories are mainly of Saxon, Norseand Irish origins with one or two of hisown thrown into the mix.

He is based in Shrewsburyand you can contact him on 07807260558

or StorytellerFran O'Boyle (Facebook)


Helen East – traditional storyteller /originalauthor…was born in Sri Lanka with atale on her tongue, had her first poempublished when she was eight,expanded into sagas while growing upin Scandinavia, and has been listening,telling and writing all round the worldever since. She now lives in Wales.Helen started telling storiesprofessionally in 1979 and her hugerepertory of folktales and songs, oftenlearnt in the traditional manner ‘mouth tomouth’ enables her to be extremelyversatile in both style and content. Herwide experience of working with diverseages, situations and cultures hasenabled her to initiate a tremendousrange of story and combined artsprojects, as well as countless visits toschools. Her writing credits reach to over70 publications, mixing original work withcollections of stories and music.She particularly likes working with olderchildren and teenagers using story toget everyone listening, then creatingand shaping their own tales- spoken,written and sometimes sewn. Oracy andliteracy are, she believes, the left andright hands of learning.Rick Wilson – drummer /percussionist…has worked extensively atboth primary and secondary levels. Hehas studied his craft both at home andin India and Morocco and has created awide repertory of original performingand teaching skills. He has taken hisskills to classrooms worldwide, often incollaboration with Helen. He has a long

list of recorded projects fromuncompromising electric music toseveral of the best-selling educationalcollections.Rick offers a hands-on opportunity tointroduce/develop rhythm based skillsusing a wide variety of percussioninstruments gathered from his travels,and newly created from natural andrecycled materials. He draws on socialgames, singing, clapping, spokenrhythms (traditional and modern) andbody co-ordination games to buildtowards dynamic group playing, as wellas activities that further listening andresponse. These components are a lot offun. And they lead into all sorts of wordgames and compositions, particularlyencouraging musical poetry and rap.Helen and Rick together… create adynamic combination of words, rhythm,movement and music. Narrativemeanders in and out of song; drumsand melody instruments underpin thepace and atmosphere. Themes areexplored with humour and ingenuity,following thin threads of reason andconnection. Traditional tales are told withcontemporary relevance and an ear forthe needs of a modern audience.All sessions are highly participative,demanding responses to riddles anddilemmas, inviting choral echo andchorus, and frequently requiringrhythmic patterns to be learnt and heldbeneath story and text.Formats are variable, allowing biggroup story sessions and separateclass size workshops, but we wouldalways recommend a final ‘sharingsession’ at the end of the day.

Further information contactwww.eastorywilsound.co.ukHelen: [email protected]

Rick: [email protected]: 01691 791333


I have been involved with storytelling forabout 6 years after being introduced tothe art while I was at High School. Forthe next few years I only really didstorytelling sporadically, winning acouple of competitions but mostly justfor a bit of fun.

It was while I was away on a college tripto Kenya, that the power of storytellingreally dawned on me though. Beingable to tell stories in all the schools Ivisited on the trip was invaluable. It wasgreat at breaking the ice, making newfriends and I found that storytelling caneven bridge language barriers.

Now over the last couple of years,alongside my university studies, I havebeen focusing on storytelling more andmore, expanding my story repertoire

Jake Evansand working, performing and leadingworkshops in schools, libraries,museums and many more venues andevents. I won National Young Storytellerof the Year in 2014, which I am hugelyproud to have done so and this hasopened even more doors and wonderfulopportunities to me.

My ultimate ambition is to combine mystories with environmental and wildlifeeducation, another area where I amhighly passionate. When done well,storytelling is totally engaging andentertaining and I hope to pass on thetransferrable skills I have learnt from itto as many people as I can!

[email protected]


I’ve been working with young peopleand storytelling since 2008, building upa range of experiences and skills. I’verun workshops for younger pupils whilstI was still in college and since startinguniversity have continued to return toShropshire to lead workshops,performances and projects in thecounty. I’ve also compered an event forthe council, and performed at schoolfetes with my repertoire.

I work with traditional fairy tales whilstgiving them my own twists alongsidetelling the yarns of King Arthur and hisknights. I also thoroughly enjoy makingthe Greek mythology accessible toyounger students. In addition, I canwork on a topic of choosing if givenenough notice.

Joe WhiteNational Organisation of Young Storytellers (NOYS)

Having started storytelling at the age of15, I not only bring 6 years ofexperience but also a youth aspectwhich can really inspire and engagewith students; they can see their ownpotential through witnessing otheryoung people performing. This is alsoevident through the organisation Ifounded and run – NOYS. We work withyoung people to give themopportunities to develop skills, performand work within the arts – all throughstorytelling and completely youth led.

My contact details are:[email protected]

077077119800161 460 4004


Pat learned the beauty of the spokenword from his earliest days as he listenedto the “wireless.” From it he learned thepleasures of voice and vocabulary. ForPat, using the spoken word is a joy as hecreates situations and scenery inside theheads of his audience.When he started to travel the world Pathadn't intended to collect stories. Onhis return he would find that they'darrived in his luggage. His lost luggagefrequently came home weeks after hedid so he can't say for certain wheresome of the stories came from but hisrucksack seems to have had anexciting time. Stories don't stay shut upin bags and so he now has thedelightful task of bringing them out intothe light and polishing them wheneverhe can. Thus he has become anuntraditional teller of traditional stories anda traditional teller of untraditional stories.

Windsong and Pipe Dreams

Pat French, Storyteller

If there isn't a traditional story for asituation or location where you are,there certainly will be after Pat hasvisited. Working for a relief agency inAfrica he collected “The story of WhereStories Come From” and once you knowTHAT you are never going to be lost fora tale.In his wanderings Pat also picked up apassion for the pentatonic flute. Hewatched children and adults play home-made instruments intuitively, withoutthought for written music. He has foundit to be a beautiful, easy and a verycheap way to bring music to peoplewho never thought they could own andplay their own instrument. He started toshow some of his UK audiences how tomake the flutes and inevitably usedstories to teach. As flute stories can befound right across the world, Pat hasgathered enough of them to create adedicated performance in addition tohis more traditional repertoire. Chasingflutes has led to a unique collection ofstories from everywhere andeverywhen: of Babbling Brooks, Bears,Beavers and Beans. Flute music seemsto creep into his stories and storiescreep into his flute making.Whenever people are interested in thestructure and creation of stories Pat isvery willing to talk about this too. Hehas told stories and given talks aboutstories all over the country at festivalsand clubs, to children's groups and allsorts of adult groups, to raucousWomen's Institutes and (until he arrived)quiet lunch groups.Whether his stories make you sigh orcry, grin or guffaw, Pat's first task isentertainment, the rest is the purepleasure of a performance craft.

Contact Pat by e-mail on: [email protected]


Website: www.sallytonge.co.uk.Tel 01743 792993.

Email: [email protected]

Sal Tongehas been telling stories for over 20years. She is based in South Shropshireand works nationally in schools, librariesand Early Years Centres. She is apopular trainer and conference speakertoo. She is available for days, half daysand extended periods of storytellingsessions indoors and outdoors; workingfrom her wide repertoire andresponding to the environment.

Sal's style is to mix music and song inwith the stories she tells, often creatingoriginal songs on the spot. She enjoyssharing 'drawing stories'; inspiring flowand writing as children make marks asthey talk - very satisfying, especially forreluctant writers! Sal developed 'StorySticks' which are a unique tool for

improvistion, creativity, group work anda kinaesthetic approach to story tellingand making. She offers sessions,training and can supply sacks ofhandcrafted Story Sticks - where youcan have literally a million tales in onestory bag!

Sal has extensive skills as a recordingartist and has developed projects inschools which have resulted in theproduction of CD's, downloadable Mp3Bedtime Stories and website content.She enjoys rendering old talesaccessible through new media. Herwork is constantly evolving and sheenjoys new challenges.


Contact us on:[email protected]

07969 541552www.mythstories.com

Mythstories Museum was established in1999 and staff have been collectingstories and storytelling artefacts eversince. It is unique – the only museum inthe country for the spoken word.

Bring your class on a trip toMythstoriesThe museum is crammed full with thingsto see and do, and stories waiting to beheard. It is a purpose built hands onlearning environment. Your pupils willbe encouraged to explore with purpose,while doing group activities in eacharea and hear stories from Dez and AliQuarréll, our resident storytellers

“Thank you so much for today. Thechildren really enjoyed it and cameback having learnt so much, as did I!” –Nicola, Head Teacher

“Thank you so much. The childrenthoroughly enjoyed themselves and Ihave picked up so many things that Ican bring into my teaching” – Matt, KS2Teacher

The children have not stopped talkingabout their visit and it was especiallyrewarding for us to see their immediateengagement and response to the

auditory, visual and kinaesthetic delightthat is the Mythstories Museum." - Sue,Key Stage 2 TA

"Great fun 10/10 FIVE STAR" - Joel, age10

Or treat your staff to anenjoyable CPD sessionOur practical hands-on workshops getyour staff and pupils talking stories andcan be delivered in the museum or inyour school, for a whole day or after aschool day.

“We feel really inspired to implement thenew skills we’ve learnt and to broadenstorytelling throughout the school.” –Catherine, Assistant Head

Explore our websiteThere you will find stories from aroundthe world, as well as a growing numberof resources for teachers.


“Storytelling is the conveying of events in words,and images, often by improvisation or embellishment.

Stories or narratives have been shared in every cultureas a means of entertainment, education,

cultural preservation, and instilling moral values.”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

See more about the storytellers,plus podcasts and links to video and audio stories at

http://www.mythstories.com/tellers.html

Bring your class along to the “Storytelling Inspire Day”in the environs of Enginuity and The Museum of Iron

on Wednesday 1st July 2015.

Hear these tellers plus some wonderful young storytellers.

The event is free, please book,admission prices apply to museum visits

contact Rose: 01952 433 [email protected]

Published as part of “Towards The Happily Ever After”a Mythstories story project;

Lottery Funded by Arts Council England.For details contact [email protected]

or phone 07969 541552.

Printed by WPG (www.wpg-group.com)


Documents

Storytelling - Mythstories · the needs of a modern audience. All sessions are highly participative, demanding responses to riddles and dilemmas, inviting choral echo and chorus,