A mathematician finds a gift from a god. Blacksmiths beat out the music of the spheres. And why are there turtles everywhere?
Where does myth meet science? Is it only in the middle of the night when we half wake and half sleep? In this timeless place of wonder and insight, time stretches and a fissure opens that builds a dream bridge between many worlds…
All you need to know:
where? Quay Arts, Newport;
when? Tue 5th March 2024
time? Cafe / Bar open from 18:00, performance from 19:00
how much? £10 + £1.75 booking fee — tickets available here.
Clare is also running a workshop on storytelling for science communicators at Quay arts on the following day, Wednesday, March 6th, 2024, 9-5. Cost £45, incl. ticket to UniVerse. More details here.
Both these are events are organised by Somewhen Storytelling, promoting traditional storytelling as living oral culture on the Isle of Wight, supported by an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant.
Clare Murphy, a highly respected international storyteller will be leading a storytelling workshop from 9.00-5pm on Wednesday 6th March, 2024, at Quay Arts, Newport. It will focus on developing new and different ways to communicate [Clare Murphy, training].
Clare says:
Whether you are a climate change scientist, a paramedic, a UN Policy maker, an academic, you need to be able to talk fluently about your work and make an impact on your audience. Storytelling skills will help you and your team improve your impact and message, no matter what sector you work in.
Clare trains teams and individuals worldwide on storytelling skills. These skills include managing nerves, preparing presentations, connecting to audience, turning experience into story, story editing, adaptive story formats. Clare also develops confidence, presence and vocal range, while all the time developing the individual skillset of each person.
The evening before, (Tuesday 5th March at 7pm) Clare will be telling ‘UniVerse’ at Quay Arts, Newport. Clare highly recommends workshop participants attend the storytelling performance, as it will be referenced during the workshop.
The cost per person for the workshop should be £100 but this is subsidised by Arts Council funding so the cost to each participant will be £45. This includes a ticket for UniVerse.
This event is being organised by the Island Storytellers who received a grant to develop storytelling on the Isle of Wight under the banner of Somewhen Storytelling. Please email islandstorytellers@tistales.org.uk to reserve a space.
Note, there are only 16 spaces on this course which will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Supported by Somewhen Storytelling, promoting traditional storytelling as living oral culture on the Isle of Wight, supported by an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant.
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!;-)
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’.
