For your delight and delectation, the Island Storytellers will be present two storytelling showcases on the theme of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in Ventnor on Saturday, December 16th, 2023:
Ventnor Exchange, 11.30-12.30
St Catherine’s Hub (in St Catherine’s Church opposite Ventnor Exchange), 1.30-2.30
The Island Storytellers monthly storyround is also in Ventnor this month, Thursday, December 14th, 7-9pm, Ventnor Library. This is an informal, round table telling event, all welcome, tellers, old and new, and listeners alike.
‘Tis Tales are also bringing seasonal Winter tales to Boojum & Snark’s Stoutmas Festival at Boojum & Snark, Sandown, on Sunday, December 17th, 2023. Free entry…
As part of the Somewhen Storytelling initiative, the Island Storytellers have been hard at work crafting characters for a window spotting competition in Ventnor based on the Twelve Days of Christmas cumulative song.
The competition runs across participating shop fronts in Ventnor from Saturday to Saturday, the 9th to the 16th of December.
The Island Storytellers will also be performing two shows, telling tales inspired by the gifts referred to in the song, on Saturday, December 16th prior to the Ventor Illuminated Carnival. The first show will be at Ventnor Exchange at 11.30am and the second in St Catherine’s Church Meeting Room at 1.30pm. There will be tales about swans, golden rings, drummers, hens and more. Entry is by donation on the door, of food, or cash, or Christmas supplies, to Ventnor Community Foodbank.
We’re also hoping to bring some pop up storytelling to some of the shops involved in the window spotting competition. We won’t say where, or when but it will be, somewhen that day, somewhere, so if you’re shopping in Ventnor that day, be prepared to be regaled with a tale or two.
The window spotting competition is just one of many things being co-ordinated by Ventnor Carnival Association that are taking place in Ventnor on 16th December; there’ll also be a craft fair, music, Santa’s grotto, and the lantern parade, with the day’s events culminating in a carol concert in Ventnor Park.
In what’s becoming something of a regular venue for storytelling on the Island, Monty is returning to Babushka Books in Shanklin on Thursday, December 7th, EXTRA DATE Friday, December 8th, 2023, with a set entitled The Winter Cherries And Other Seasonal Tales. As ever, doors are 7pm for a 7.15pm start, and refreshments are included in the £5 ticket price.
Booking tickets in advance is essential, (not least so Reuben knows how much cake to bring!), from Babushka Books direct or via 07511 220038 / 01983 652880.
Setting the scene for Hallowe’en, Holly and Sue are taking a `Tis Tales set of sinister and strange stories to Babushka Books in Shanklin on Thursday, October 26th, 2023, whilst Monty is gallivanting off on the mainland somewhere…
Tickets priced £5 including refreshments are selling fast, but there’s still a few available from Babushka Books, or on 07511 220038 / 01983 652880.
After a summer of otherwise activities, the Somewhen storytelling adventure makes a welcome return as we bring Lisa Schneidau onto the Island from the West Country to with her performance of Tangle of the Commons.
Tales and the land often go together, and Lisa’s tales are often steeped in the landscape and acutely aware of the local ecology. So what are you waiting for? Tickets are available from the Isle of Literary Festival website now…
As befits a show at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival, we’re assured there will be book merch in the form of Lisa’s three collections of folk tales: Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, River Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, all published by History Press.
But this won’t be your typical book tour reading. It’ll be be a proper storytelling show!;-)
It was blowing a bit of a hoolie as we were putting the final touches to the Somewhenever Story tent at the Chale Show showground this morning, so much so that with tents lifting the organisers were forced to cancel today’s (Saturday’s) show.
But as the storm passes through, we’re really looking forward to bringing a plethora of short storytelling slots to the show tomorrow, with tales for all ages on the hour, every hour, 11 till 4 inclusive, and with family friendly sets and activities on the half-past…
With Ventnor Fringe over for another year, there’s no stopping the stories this summer… Upcoming this weekend, all three ‘Tis Tales tellers will be popping up in the Somewhenever Story Tent at Chale Show.
There’s a full programme of tales and other activities across both days (Saturday and Sunday), with 20 minutes of tales on the hour each day, from 11am to 4pm inclusive.
As part of the Somewhen Storytelling project, we are looking to raise awareness of storytelling as oral culture — tales told, not read — across the island, and across ages. Whilst the Chale Show story tent activities on the half hour are intended as family friendly events, many of the stories told on the hour are likely to be appropriate for all ages…
Giants, green dragons, wonder tales, sock hunts…. The Island Storyteller’s Somewhen team brought a myriad of stories to Ventnor Fringe last week in a multitude of events. Internationally renowned storyteller Xanthe Gresham Knight enthralled the audience with her tales chosen by the audience; Xanthe had stepped in at the last moment as well-known storyteller, Daniel Morden, had been taken ill. Sue Bailey said “ It was great that Xanthe was able to come. We were looking for someone of a similar calibre to Daniel, and Xanthe pulled the stops out to fill the void with mesmerising stories and accordion playing”.
On Wednesday, seven regulars people, from the Island Storytellers’ monthly story round, took to the floor to tell tales linked by the word green. Sue continued “I loved the diversity of voices and styles at our ‘Green’ storytelling at Ventnor library. It really showed that stories come in many forms whether they are based on anecdotes, traditional folk tales or even on impossibly probable animal stories. We rocked with laughter when local storyteller Sue Clark related her story of how their caravanning group converted a car into a green dragon.”
Stories continued on Friday, when TisTales, a trio of local storytellers, regaled a packed audience at Ventnor Arts Club with tales of giants. Holly Medland’s tales of the origin of Britain gave a possible insight into the assertive nature of women on these islands today, as the heroine, Albina, encouraged the daughters of a Syrian king to rise up against the mundane and devaluing requirements of being obedient and subservient wives.
Welsh hero, Bendigeidfran (“Bran the Blessed”), Irish giant, Fionn mac Cumhail and Norse god, Thor, all featured in this excellent hour of stories.
On Saturday and Sunday Sue Bailey led one of her infamous and highly engaging storywalks. “One sock – a riddle and story filled sock hunt, is such fun” said Sue. “The children are very sharp eyed and always manage to follow the clues and find all my missing socks. I love the way they work together and even though they are keen to be the finders, they make sure all the children taking part have a chance to find something”
Tony ‘Monty’ Hirst added to the wealth of storytelling at the Fringe with his set ‘Unforeseen Consequences’. He said “The fringe is a fantastic opportunity for bringing traditional stories to new audiences. Storytelling was the standup of its day, and many of the tales work as well today as ever they did.”
Sue Bailey continued “It has been great being part of Ventnor Fringe. We are very grateful to the organisers for providing a platform for all the performances, whether they be local, national or international. Our storytelling events this week have been part of a year long lottery supported project called ‘Somewhen Storytelling’.
We’re gutted to have had to announce that Daniel Morden has had to withdraw from this week’s Ventnor Fringe Festival show — we hope he makes a speedy recovery to full health — but really excited that Sue Bailey managed to catch up with Xanthe Gresham whilst at Festival at the Edge over the weekend and persuade her to bring her “Bag of Wonders” show in place of Dark Tales.
All tickets for “Dark Tales” will transfer to the replacement “Bag of Wonders” show (refunds also available on request… but you’d be missing a treat!)
Anyone interested in tickets for the replacement show (same time: 5-6pm, Weds 26th July, 2023; same place: Ventnor Arts Club) can get them from the original event page: https://vfringe.co.uk/events/dark-tales-from-the-woods/
Storytelling that’s as sharp as a lemon and as sweet as a nut. Accept it or not, we’re all hooked on our baggage system…
…whether it’s a clutch bag or a holdall. But forget what’s in yours, and come and rummage around in Xanthe’s bottomless bag. Between the kitchen sink and the old tube tickets lies a pick and mix of marvels, fibs and fables.
Featuring audience prompted stories accompanied by great accordion playing, performer Xanthe Gresham-Knight is hot footing it down from international storytelling festival, Festival at the Edge, to Ventnor, to present storytelling in its liveliest and most interactive form. So come and see what you can pull from this lucky dip!
As presented at the Soho Theatre and Literature Festivals throughout the UK, Europe and New Zealand.
“An audible feast!” Gulf News, Waiheke Island New Zealand
“The Island story-loving audience – and anyone story-curious – is going to LOVE Xanthe’s repertoire of stories and her playful, connected style of telling and her verbal ingenuity!” Nell Phoenix, Somewhen Storytelling Festival, 2023, headliner.
We send Daniel our best wishes and hope he makes a speedy recovery. And we’ll hopefully get him onto the island somewhen soon:-)
A new gang show from the Island Storytellers will be presented at Ventnor Library on Wednesday, July 26th, 2023, 7.30pm-9.30pm. Tickets: £6, Under 25 £3, Culture / Unlimited Pass 2for1 (pass holders only) available here.
GREEN is life itself. From the smallest flower to the oldest oak; flashing eyes of love to the dark plots of jealous envy; ‘The force through the green fuse drives the flower…’. And don’t forget lizards, parrots and dragons with their GREEN Scales and Tails. Come to hear GREEN stories of every description as told by the Island Storytellers.
The simple art of storytelling has been with us forever, enjoyed by young and old alike, in all parts of the world. Come join us to hear a mix of tales linked together by the colour green, and brought to you by The Island Storytellers, a group of people who meet monthly, keen to keep alive the age old art of oral storytelling and share the pleasure of listening and telling. This evening of tales will be great for adults and older children. A cosy atmosphere with (green!) refreshments in the break.
Storytelling as living oral culture. Tales for all ages, spoken not read. Because stories aren’t (just) for children.
