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Exhibition, Food

Exhibition: Word of Mouth

(Fri 22 Mar-Sat 20 Apr) "Documenting what I do in the kitchen can feel like the task of recording almost nothing. But it is the nothing that I am doing, and do almost every day, and have been doing everyday for over a decade. It is the nothing that has been part of almost every social interaction of my life as an adult and through which I have come to know almost all the people I love. It is the nothing through which I have been sustained and transformed." - Rebecca May Johnson Word of Mouth (WOM) is an exhibition of new artworks and writing exploring our relationship to food, cooking and kitchens. With work spanning across print, writing, textile, collage, and paint, WOM offers a reflective and collaborative space to consider how much food and cooking inform and sustain us in our everyday lives. WOM at the Scottish Storytelling Centre builds on small events hosted by Eleanor Mumford, Millie Player, and others in Edinburgh from 2021-2022, described as a ‘potluck of food/potluck of ideas.’ This is the latest iteration of WOM but not the last - the hope is that you may be inspired to host your own WOM in the future.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Stories of Grief

(Fri 29 Mar: 7:30pm) Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club, held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. With guest storyteller Russell McLarty, sharing stories of grief and lament on Good Friday, including a 'keening' song from Ireland, the stories of the Tranent Massacre, McPherson's Rant and some 21st Century 'Glasgow Noir'. Hosted by Donald Smith. ~~~~~ Russell McLarty is a hugely experienced storyteller with a fun and engaging style of telling, drawing from many traditions relevant to the different ages and stages of life with all its twists and its challenges. He has performed for a wide variety of groups in different settings and has led retreats and workshops including residential retreats on Iona and organisational and community training and development events.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Music

Seán Gray: Fixed Assets Album Launch

(Fri 29 Mar: 7:30pm) Seán Gray’s debut album Fixed Assets digs into the politics and poetry of Ayrshire mining communities. As a Glasgow-based Ayrshire native, Gray is already firmly established in the international folk community as a session player, as a past member of the award winning Paul McKenna Band, and the recipient of a prestigious Celtic Connections New Voices composing commission, but it may be that he’s finally found his niche. The resultant ten track album Fixed Assets is deeply musical, lyrically compelling, beautifully considered and arranged, with the powerful poignancy of Rab Wilson’s poetry and Gray’s responsive composition and refined musical handling distilled into an evocative, respectful, acoustically adventurous exploration of living history.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music

Spring Sessions with Tom Oakes & Friends

(Wed 20 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr & 17 Apr: 1pm) Join renowned traditional musician Tom Oakes for a series of informal lunchtime music sessions in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court. Tom will host a different guest each week to join him in session and we invite you all come along to enjoy the tunes as well. All welcome! Guest Musicians Wed 20 Mar: Matt Tighe Wed 3 Apr: John Bews Wed 10 April: Jennifer Austin Wed 17 April: Allan MacDonald ~~~~~ 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musican of the Year’ nominee, Tom Oakes is regarded as one of the UK’s top Flautists and multi-instrumentalists. Edinburgh based, he has spent the last two decades ploughing many different furrows as a traditional/contemporary musician, composer, producer and sound designer. Tom's storytelling and music show 'The Hearth' was nominated for Original Work of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2023.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Cast Ne'er a Clout

(Wed 3 Apr: 7pm) Cast ne'er a clout til May's out! Invisibility cloaks, seven-league boots, rings of power - explore the use of clothes and accessories in stories with the Burgh Blatherers' April session. Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Art, Storytelling, Spoken Word, Food and Drink, New Writing

Word of Mouth

(Fri 5 Apr: 5pm) An evening of readings and storytelling in celebration of our new exhibition Word of Mouth, with food provided by The Haggis Box. Word of Mouth (WOM) is an exhibition of new writing and art exploring food, cooking and kitchens. Join exhibition contributors for a sharing of their work, plus storytelling by storyteller and anthropologist Gauri Raje. Gauri will be bringing stories around food from South Asia - the lip-smacking, the sweet and sour, the bitter and the comforting. Gauri's latest project Cooking Tales looks at recipes and stories of South Asian women who came to Glasgow between 1950s-1970s and how they adapted their recipes to create tastes of home using ingredients available in Scotland at the time.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Mara Menzies, Storytelling

An Evening of Stories with Mara Menzies

(Wed 10 Apr: 7:30pm) Join us for a relaxed evening of stories and friendship with storyteller Mara Menzies, who returns to the Storytelling Centre for a short visit to share some new stories. Mara is a multi-award-winning, international touring storyteller, writer and narrative artist, who draws on her dual Kenyan/Scottish cultural heritage to create worlds that explore contemporary issues through legend, myth and fantasy. She takes audiences on journeys of wonder and joy, reaching into the very soul of possibility. In her own unique way, she retells ancient stories, crafts new narratives and helps others find their own story. Her award-winning novel Blood and Gold is published by Birlinn, based on her excellent show of the same name.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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LGBTQ+, Storytelling

Queer Folks' Tales

(Thu 11 Apr: 7:30pm) Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, our hugely popular bi-monthly storytelling series where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali, joined in April by captivating writer-performers Leyla Josephine and Harry Mould plus acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike McKenzie. Turan Ali has been producing, directing and writing BBC Radio dramas and comedies for over 20 years. He has also been telling stories of queer lives and experiences on stage since 2012, and more recently as a stand up. His shows have toured internationally and he has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. He is the host and producer of Queer Folks’ Tales. Mike McKenzie is an award winning singer/songwriter based in Edinburgh. His eclectic influences create a unique writing style. He’s performed in some of Scotland's most iconic venues (Barrowland Ballroom, King Tut's, Mash House). He also recently joined forces with legendary synth player PJ Moore (The Blue Nile) and composer Malcolm Lindsay as the lead singer for their collaborative project PJ Moore & Co. Harry Mould (they/she) is an artist, writer, storyteller and a theatre consultant and board member for Equity, Edinburgh’s Lyceum, theatre companies Vanishing Point and Wonder Fools, Harassment in the Performing Arts. They are a member of Bolton Pride festival and the Edinburgh Caribbean Association. Leyla Josephine is a poet, screenwriter, performer and educator originally from Glasgow, currently living in south Ayrshire. She has won a number of awards for her poetry. Her shows include the critically praised Hopeless and Daddy Drag, which explores memories of Leyla's father.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Literature, Book Launch

From Arthur's Seat Pre-Launch Reading

(Fri 12 Apr: 4pm) Mexico, Sweden, Indonesia, Iran, Chile… The ninth volume of From Arthur’s Seat is a diverse collection of writing by emerging talent, writers from around the world brought together in Scotland’s UNESCO City of Literature. The eclectic interests, biographies and backgrounds of our authors make for an exciting collage of prose, poetry and everything in between. A cursed woman sees the strongest memories of others. A waitress finds out that Elvis is allergic to peanuts. Who is filling his backyard with cake during the pandemic? From Arthur’s Seat balances grief, sensuality and humour; it is a journey along the edges of human experience. Travel with us. Every aspect of the production of the 2024 anthology is the result of the hard work of the University of Edinburgh’s Creative Writing Masters students. The volume is the biggest in the series and will be the first to tour outside of Edinburgh.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Song, Trad Arts

The World's Room with Chris Miles

(Fri 12 Apr: 8pm) The World's Room is a home for traditional singing in Edinburgh, organised by the Traditional Music Forum and held in the Canons' Gait Bar. All are welcome!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Canons' Gait

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

Further into Stories

(Sat 13 Apr: 10.30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to developing your live storytelling skills, with leading storyteller Ruth Kirkpatrick. This participative session takes you a step further in exploring your own storytelling talent in various contexts and situations. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to hone your skills. For storytellers with some amount of experience. ~~~~~~~~~~ Our participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Workshop, Poetry, Spoken Word

Spoken Word Workshop with Loud Poets

(Sun 13 Apr: 12pm) Are you interested in learning more about spoken word poetry and trying it yourself? Join members of the award-winning Loud Poets (I Am Loud Productions) for a half-day workshop on composing and performing spoken word! Discuss what makes a dynamic, innovative spoken word poem and do an exercise on writing for performance. Get practical advice on how to kick your nerves and build confidence performing live onstage, and give you the opportunity to practise at the mic. This workshop is designed for new and developing writers and performances; no previous experience required. It will run from 12-4pm including short breaks. For the past ten years, I Am Loud has been producing exciting, award-winning spoken word poetry events across Scotland and internationally. Their showcases, slams, open mics, and digital media feature and support hundreds of poets annually from across the UK and further afield. In 2023 their Loud Poets Slam Series was awarded Best Regular Poetry Event in the UK at the Saboteur Awards. Learn more about their work via www.iamloud.co. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Mental Health, Music

Easy Sundays: Turntable

(Sun 14 Apr: 12pm-2pm) Turntable is a pop-up music installation, which invites you to select and play a record from our collection and share the story of your choice in a one-to-one chat. Whilst in conversation, the song plays and connects with other people in the room, bringing people together through music and story. This event carries on from the original concept created by MJ McCarthy, produced by Red Bridge Arts. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop

Easy Sundays: The Norm Does Breakfast Club

(Sun 14 Apr: 3pm) The Norm Project is an interdisciplinary collective founded by Jorja Follina (Dance Artist), Ellie Higgins (Performance Artist) and Rho McGuire (Interdisciplinary Artist). The project takes a curious and playful approach to exploring societal norms, investigating how routine can be abstracted and contrasted to create something new. This workshop will explore the shared practice of Jorja, Ellie and Rho through task-based exercises and play. Participants will experiment with a range of techniques to create movement sequences, poetry, abstract visuals and collage. TNP is dedicated to creating safe and inviting spaces to be creative. Open to all. If you have any access requirements. questions or concerns, please email our Reception Team. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Food and Drink

V. good, v. nice, different, tasty!

(Thu 18 Apr: 5:30pm) Explore recipe as drawing tool with Millie Player. Using post-it notes, screenshots, conversation and recipe books as a starting point, Millie will look at how drawing can revive the energy of the recipe and cooking, and ask how mark-making can act as a documentation of taste. Millie is a visual artist based in Edinburgh. Working between boundaries of drawing and sculptural installation. Pieces become active archives, warping the inherited documents she draws from. Graduating from Edinburgh College of Art’s Intermedia BA in 2022, she was awarded the ECA Purchase Prize. She is currently exhibiting a travelling installation with rePUBlic gallery.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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History, Storytelling

Stories of Whisky & Wine

(Thu 18 Apr: 7pm) Inspired by La Viajera ('The Traveller'), a painting by Chilean artist Camilo Mori, follow the journey of four ghosts through time and space as they embark on an uncertain and evocative journey. As they cross oceans and the vast expanses of the Chilean countryside to the windswept plains of the Atacama Desert, they encounter trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows. Through their tales of migration, hope, and resilience, bear witness to the enduring human spirit in all its complexity and beauty. Join storytellers Sandra Agustina MacDonald, Trinidad Cabezón, Caroline Carmichael and Selina Graham, with musicians Jorge Sandoval and Cecilia Prieto on this mesmerizing journey through time and space, as we uncover the mysteries of the Traveller and her companions, and celebrate the pivotal role of women in shaping the future of a nation.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Spoken Word

Loud Poets Central Slam Heat

(Fri 19 Apr: 7:30pm) After the massive success of the inaugural Loud Poets Slam Series in 2023, I Am Loud Productions are back to do it all over again! Join Loud Poets at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as poets take to the stage to compete in the regional poetry slam heat for Central Scotland. Hosted by Kevin Mclean, 9-12 poets will compete for the title of Central Regional Slam Champion and a prize of £200. Sign up to compete here. Sign-ups are open until Fri 5 April.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Conference, Storytelling, Development

Scottish Storytelling Forum Development Day

(Sun 21 Apr: 10am-5pm at the Birnam Arts Centre) Storytellers are invited to the Storytelling Development Day 2024 at the Birnam Arts Centre in Dunkeld. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, please let us know any dietary requirements as soon as possible by emailing Scottish Storytelling Centre Reception. ~~~~~~~~~~ Schedule for the day: 10am-10:30am: Arrival refreshments and networking 10.30am: Welcome from Chair of the Forum Beverley Bryant 10.40am-11.20am: Keynote Speech with Daniel Serridge, The Village Storytelling Centre and discussion “What is Applied Storytelling?” 11.30am-1pm: WorkshopsWorkshop 1: ESOL Storytelling with Alice FernbankWorkshop 2: Working with Hard-to-Reach Groups with Lauren Bianchi 1pm: Lunch - Hot and Cold Buffet (all dietary requirements catered for) and sweet treats! 1.45pm-2.25pm: Community Storytelling Projects Presentations from Margaret Bennett, Alexandria Patience and Gauri Raje. 2.30pm-4pm: WorkshopsWorkshop 1: Storytelling in Prisons with Sam RoweWorkshop 2: Storytelling Games and Games that are Stories with Ailie Finlay 4pm-4.30pm: Refreshments and Networking with tea, coffee, and biscuits 4.30-5pm: SSF AGM ~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum can attend this event for free, and are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue External Venue

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development, Online Live

Marketing for Storytellers

(Mon 22 Apr: 6:30pm) For those who know they need to market but who hate marketing. This is marketing you will actually do! Sign up for a free taster session with 'Marketing For Hippies' expert Tad Hargrave ahead of the full course which will take place later in the year. About the course The art of storytelling is different than the business of marketing it. Many storytellers begin their journey full of hopes and inspiration, excited to share these gems and jewels that they've found in these old, often neglected, stories, but... where will they find an audience? In this course, you'll learn some of the fundamentals of marketing as they relate to the world of storytelling from Tad Hargrave, founder of marketingforhippies.com (who, himself, does some storytelling work on the side). You'll be learning about how to hone your niche (how to hone in on what you want to be known for), how to articulate your point of view (why are you telling these stories? what is your understanding of story anyway?) how to think through your business model (the architecture of your business) and how to find your audience (through 'hubs' in the community). By the end of this course, you'll have an understanding of the fundamentals of business and a clear sense of where you're strong, where you're weak and exactly what you need to do about it. Course dates:Mondays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 Jul at 6:30pm-8.30pm. Places on the course are limited and by application after the taster session. Attendance at the taster session is not essential to apply for the full Course.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Online

subvenue Online

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Pomegranates, Exhibition, Dance

Exhibition: Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm

(Tue 23-Tue 30 Apr) Vengefully Changed Allegiance is the first solo exhibition in a public institution by fashion designer Alison Harm, the founder of Edinburgh’s own Psychomoda brand, who has been challenging our opinions for the last 30 years on who can wear what and where by mixing different tartan patterns together and upcycling industry scraps, vintage cloth and broken jewellery. Curated specifically for the Pomegranates 2024 festival, this exhibition of sustainable fashion also challenges the living tradition of the tartan cloth still used for the Highland Dress dance costume and the kilt with all its accessories. Featuring a collection of garments displayed on mannequins and on models, as captured in the new photography by Amanda Roberston, the exhibition also poses the question of safeguarding and innovating the intangible cultural heritage of both the Highland Dance and the Scottish tartan. In the artist’s own words: “Fashion is cyclic. Today we might wear clothing and styles from the 1980s to show our allegiance to a musical, political or cultural theme from the past. As a young designer I trained in the Punk Rock environment of the 1980s when the tartan fabric became part of the symbolism of that cultural movement. This collection of garments in the exhibition is also my unique homage to the Jacobite revivalist movement of the 1880s, during the reign of Queen Victoria, which instigated a renewed romanticised interest in the Scottish tartan textiles and fashion styles.” (Alison Harm) The exhibition is accompanied by curatorial and artist’s guided tours on demand, a special fashion catwalk and a dance show. There is also an opportunity to view the exhibition after 6pm on 27 and 28 April 2024 as part of the Pomegranates 2024 festival shows at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. ~~~~~ Vengefully Changed Allegiance is part of Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS programme of events showcasing Scotland’s traditional arts and cultural heritage. TRACS has been recently appointed as an advisor to UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland and this exhibition showcases ICH in practice through highlighting the sustainability in the fashion industry while exploring the role of tartan in Scottish trad dance. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Theatre, New Writing

Page2Stage

(Tue 23 Apr: 7:30pm) Page2Stage is back at the Storytelling Centre, with another exciting line up of new writing. Showcasing extracts from four brand new plays read in front of a live audience, and industry panel providing dramaturgical feedback giving a rare insight into the creative process. You will then have a chance to carry on discussions, meet the team, writers and actors in the comfort of the Storytelling Centre bar. Join us for an exciting night of theatre!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: The Fire of Stories

(Fri 26 Apr: 7:30pm) What stories keep the fire inside you burning? Join us as we look towards the warmer seasons with an evening of stories that light radiant flames in our hearts. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club, held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. With guest storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė. Hosted by Fiona Herbert. ~~~~~ Daiva Ivanauskaitė is a Lithuanian and Scottish Storyteller based in Glasgow who tells stories inspired by the myths and folklore, literature and biographical stories from Lithuania, Scotland and other lands. Daiva works with storytelling as a way of liberating voices and emotions, connecting to people, and feeling alive! As a performance storyteller her recent show Wolf Girl told the story of a German orphan finding new life in post-war Lithuania, ruled by the Soviet regime. In her upcoming new show Fire from the Woods, Daiva uses traditional tales to look at generational silence and the ‘silent fathers’ phenomena in our society. Daiva is also a community storyteller who works with the Village Storytelling Centre and focuses on adult community groups for their storytelling skills development and better mental health. She also works with the Lithuanian School of Scotland to use stories for Lithuanian families in Glasgow to facilitate language learning, cultural identity building and bonding.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Pomegranates, Walking Tour, Dance

Old Town Dance Traditions

(Sat 27 Apr: 11am) Join storyteller extraordinaire Donald Smith for a relaxed festival walking tour exploring the dance traditions of Edinburgh's Old Town, including their locations and social contexts. Learn about the local folk traditions, the Scottish Court and 'polite' society. The tour will start from the Scottish Storytelling Centre with a preview of the festival exhibition Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm of Psychomoda. The tour will end at Edinburgh’s Central Library with a preview of the festival exhibition Dance Around the World featuring trad dance books and artifacts from Edinburgh and beyond. ~~~~~ One of the most eloquent advocates for Scottish culture, Donald Smith is the 2023 recipient of the Hamish Henderson Award for Lifetime Service to Traditional Arts. A prolific author, Donald also wrote Pomegranates 2023 screen dance poetry commission Beira and Bride. Until recently the Director of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS), currently Donald is the Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Meet at Scottish Storytelling Centre

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Pomegranates, Walking Tour, Dance

New Town Dance Herstory

(Sat 27 Apr: 2pm) Join dance historian Alena Shmakova for a special festival walk and talk tour. Explore the New Town's rich and important dancing heritage from the late Georgian period and learn about the notable dancing mistresses and patronesses who frequented the city entertainment establishments. Meet Madame Violante, ex-gymnast, troup manager and the first known female dancing mistress in Scotland; Felice Mercucci, prima of the Theatre Royal, first licensed theatre in Edinburgh; Mrs Parker, star of Edinburgh Circus, famous across the kingdom for her Strathspey Minuet. The tour will start from the Scottish Storytelling Centre with a preview of the festival exhibition Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm of Psychomoda. The tour ends with a brief visit to the Scottish National Gallery to look at the visual references for some of the dance halls from the Georgian period in Edinburgh. ~~~~~ Alena Shmakova has studied historical dance since 2006. Since 2013, she has actively collaborated with and performed at historical sites including Holyrood Palace, St Cecilia’s Hall and Music Instrument Museum and Stirling Castle. Since 2022 Alena has been offering historical dance courses at the Adult Education Programme of the City of Edinburgh Council. Alena is undertaking her postgraduate studies in History at the University of the Highlands and Islands and often presents her research at international conferences and public talks. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Meet at Scottish Storytelling Centre

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Pomegranates, Music, Poetry, Dance

Elegies

(Sat 27 Apr: 7:30pm) Experience a dance poem lamenting the lives lost in our challenging world of wars, ecocide and inequality. Weaving together dance theatre, spoken word and live music, this is the first dance adaptation of the poetry book Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica (1948) by Hamish Henderson, Scottish soldier-poet, singer-songwriter and scholar-folk revivalist. Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Henderson winning the Somerset Maugham Award in 1949 for this very book, still considered the finest poetic writing to come out of the Second World War. The fragility of life is depicted in Henderson’s first-hand accounts from the North African desert military campaign and captured in his dedication of the book: ‘for our own and the others'; the story of the common bonds in the ‘deadlands’ of Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya) and shared helplessness of those loved ones at home waiting, praying - and dancing. Set in a dancehall and a desert, this production is led by dancer-choreographer duo Helen Gould and George Adams who together with dancers Nicola Thomson and Edwin Wen embody ceilidh, jive, swing and lindy hop, evoking popular social dance culture of the 1940s and creating a cultural bridge to the present day. Gould and Adams incorporate the reading of Henderson’s poems by poet/spoken word artists Morag Anderson and Stephen Watt, live music from vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Cera Impala and upcycled period costumes and set created by costume and light designers Katie Duxbury and Roddy Simpson. ★★★★ 'Evocative and relevant' (All Edinburgh Theatre)★★★★ 'Respectful and sincere. Sombre and considerate' (Corr Blimey) ~~~~~~~~~~ A new production by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023, Elegies is curated and produced by Jim Mackintosh, Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Dance

Swing into Lindy Hop

(Sat 27 Apr: 8:30pm) Come and try Lindy Hop with our Pomegranates festival dance musicians-in-residence from Edinburgh’s own Castle Rock Jazz Band. Why Lindy Hop? Alongside Scottish Ceilidh, Jive and Swing, Lindy Hop is one of the social dance forms at the heart of the Pomegranates 2024 festival production Elegies - the first dance theatre adaptation of Hamish Henderson's poetry, his first-hand account from the frontlines of the Second World War. Developed by Black American communities in the 1930s, Lindy Hop soon became one of the popular social dance cultures of 1940s dance halls across the pond, where its frenetic movement, spinning and twirling were in part an attempt to escape and forget the horrors and atrocities of the war. Join us for two joyful sets of Lindy Hop in the welcoming environment of the Storytelling Court, transformed for the night into a 1940s dance hall complete with a festival bar mixing pomegranate cocktails and mocktails. Swing with the rhythms and bring your own personality while sharing a dance with another person. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Pomegranates, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

Junk Food

(Sun 28 Apr: 10am) Junk Food is a brand-new dance show asking the question 'Should junk food be allowed at school?' Devised by pupils aged 9 and 10 from the Primary 6 classes of Abbeyhill and Royal Mile Primary Schools who helped 'feed into' the choreography, live music and costumes. Led by the teaching team and performed by the postgraduate dance students from the Dance Science and Education course at Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh with contributions by students from Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Pomegranates, Music, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

CeilidhKids

(Sun 28 Apr: 11am) A big hoolie for all the family called by Caroline Brockbank of CeilidhKids, the trad dance artist-in-residence at Abbeyhill Primary School and accompanied on the accordion by Bernie Hewitt. ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Pomegranates, Music, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

Dancing Around the World

(Sun 28 Apr: 2pm) Enjoy a series of wee dance sharings performed by pupils aged 4 to 12 and led by the Pomegranates dance artists-in-residence at primary schools across Edinburgh, including the Gaelic-medium school, the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Chinese language schools. A warm welcome for all, with accompanying live music! ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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We Are Migrant

(Mon 29 Apr: 7pm) Join us for the finale of Pomegranates Festival 2024 to celebrate International Dance Day with a triple bill of poetry, film and dance featuring our festival artists-in-residence. Spoken word artist Jim Mackintosh will perform poems from his latest collection We are Migrant (Seahorse Publications, 2024) and some of his brand-new poetic reflections following his Pomegranates residency. Jim's work resonates profoundly with the Pomegranates festival – born in times of uncertainty, displacement and border restrictions as the only festival home for the diverse dance forms of the different migrant communities across Scotland. Performance artist and human rights activist Mare Tralla will premiere her short film commissioned as part of a new series of screen trad dance productions, drawing her inspiration from Pomegranates and the wider world of trad dance. You can also join Mare at one or all three trad craft workshops she leads as part of Dance Around the World – the festival exhibition of trad dance books and artefacts at Edinburgh's Central Library. The evening will culminate with hip-hop theatre show Sequins, a new choreography by MC, dancer, spoken word artist and director Jonzi D, who is widely recognised for his influence on the development of the UK British hip-hop dance and theatre scene. Jonzi will work with twenty Scotland-based traditional dance artists accompanied by live music and a sequence of specially commissioned poems by poet, playwright and BBC broadcaster Ian McMillan. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Exhibition, Tradfest

FISHING: An Exhibition by Stephanïe Vandëm

(Fri 3 May-Sat 15 Jun) FISHING is a modern exploration of contemporary identities and heritage. Artist Stephanïe Vandëm imaginatively combines oil painting and mixed media materials salvaged from the shoreline to creatively evoke the connections between the communities of the North East of Scotland and their fishing heritage. The artist draws from the rich traditions of Renaissance and Latin American art to create semi-sculptural pieces that deep dive into the pressing environmental & identity concerns of our time. The work repurposes the discarded fragments of our plastic-heavy society, merging them into intriguing jigsaw-puzzle images that evoke our possible shared futures. The calm and simplicity of the painted sections of the artwork contrast with the more complex three-dimensional mixed media elements which convey movement despite the heavy-layered look of the work. Weathered figures, chopped up lobster creels and everyday objects are ‘fossilized’ in cement, resin, sand and plastic, creating intriguing new structures that come away from the painted surface.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Exhibition, Song, Tradfest

FISHING: In Airt & Sang with Tripple

(Fri 3 May: 6pm) Join us in celebration to launch FISHING, our May exhibition with an early evening session of songs from harmony singers Tripple. Hailing from the northeast of Scotland, Tripple are mother Jill and siblings Cit and Annie who create contemporary arrangements of traditional songs with innovative and exciting harmonies, predominantly in Doric (northeast Scots). The exhibition and songs will highlight the living heritage of fishing communities on Scotland's east coast.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Art, Exhibition, Tradfest

FISHING: Meet the Artist

(Sat 4 May: 11am) A chance to hear from artist Stephanïe Vandëm, whose exhibition FISHING imaginatively combines oil painting and mixed media materials salvaged from the shoreline to creatively evoke the linkages between the communities of the North East of Scotland and their fishing heritage. Drop in for a chat and immerse yourself in the exhibition.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Rickle O Stanes

(Sat 4 May: 7:30pm) This is a show about Scotland’s land: about its rocks and mud, what it’s grown, what lives it’s sustained, how it’s been bought, fought for and wounded. Through powerful and playful storytelling and traditional song, Shona Cowie, Neil Sutcliffe and dramaturg Liam Hurley explore the layers of history on which we stand today, piling up to create a performance as radical as it is entertaining. ~~~~~~~~~~ Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creatives within and beyond the storytelling community celebrated and explored aspects of our common humanity in the Right To Be Human series.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Family-friendly, Children, Tradfest

Mini Mummers Parade Prep

(Sun 5 May: 10am) Join the Family Beltane crew and friends from the Storytelling Festival and the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland for a morning of mask decoration, crafting and face painting ahead of the May Day Parade. Fun for all the family, please come in Mummers costume if desired! Afterwards, all are welcome to join the May Day Parade (meeting at Johnstone Terrace at 11.30am), or watch and enjoy as it passes down the High Street.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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May Day, Tradfest

May Day Parade 2024: Demand Global Change

(Sun 5 May: 11:30am) Artists, performers and culture workers of all kinds are called to join Tradfest musicians and mummers on the Edinburgh and Lothians May Day procession. Gather at 11.30am at Johnston Terrace by Edinburgh Castle for a 12pm departure down the High Street to The Pleasance, where there will be a rally, music and stalls. Greenery and instruments welcome!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue External Venue

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Family-friendly, Children, Beltane, Tradfest

Family Beltane

(Sun 5 May: 1:30pm & 3pm) This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Beltane story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts. Two sessions are available across the afternoon, so come and enjoy!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Folk Film Gathering, Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Journey to the Isles

(Sun 5 May: 6pm) A mesmerising glimpse into the landscapes, folktales and songs that inspired one of Scotland's great early collectors of traditional arts. Marjory Kennedy-Fraser began collecting Hebridean songs in 1905, fired by a desire to preserve and celebrate the musical riches of the islands' people. These disarming films provide a snapshot of her work and the culture of the people she devoted her life to studying, all the while revealing the warmth of her personality and her passion for the rugged beauty of the Hebrides. Joining us on this journey to the Isles will be acclaimed storyteller and musician Marion Kenny and award-winning musician, singer and songwriter Mairi Campbell. Weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser's enchanting films, Marion and Mairi will conjure the sounds and landscapes captured by this key figure of Scotland's Celtic Revival. Screening material courtesy of National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. Part of the Folk Film Gathering 2024.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Family-friendly, Children, Book Launch, Tradfest

Book Launch: Yum by Susi Briggs

(Mon 6 May: 2pm) Come awa in and get nice and cosy, sit yersel doon and Susi will tell ye a story!Jenny wis just aboot tae drink her juice when up popped a hungry moose! In this gentle story aboot sharing, a wee lassie is suddenly joined fer lunch by a moose, a craw and a hairy oobit who have all seen her yummy cheese and lettuce piece! Will she share it? Join Susi for stories in the cosy Storytelling Court to celebrate the launch of her new book Yum, illustrated by Charlotte Brayley and published by Foggie Toddle Books. It is an exciting introduction tae Scots Language for wee ones. Susi Briggs is a listed author, poet and storyteller. She co-hosts the original story and sang show Oor Wee Podcast wi Alan McClure. Susi is author of shortlisted Bairns’ Books o the Year Nip Nebs, Nip Nebs and the Last Berry and Wheesht. All her original stories and poems are in Scots because Susi wants the next generation to see that Scots language is as beautiful and valid as any other on this bonny birlin planet.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Song, Tradfest

Cafe Ceilidh

(Tue 7 May: 2pm) Join friends from the Scots Music Group for an afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories. Held in the relaxed setting of the Storytelling Court. All welcome to listen or bring a tune for a turn!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling, Tradfest

Mochyn Myrddin | Merlin's Pig

(Tue 7 May: 7:30pm) Myrddin seeks the sanctuary of an apple tree, where he befriends a wolf and a pig. The stories they tell each other unearth deep memories of an ancient sow goddess, a gallant quest and Myrddin’s own mysterious conception and early life. A thousand years later, a young single mum receives a visitation that will influence the course of her life, leading her to deepest Wales and to Hartfell in Dumfries, on a quest for the living myth of Myrddin and the primal power of the land. Welsh storyteller Milly Jackdaw presents a fusion of traditional storytelling, physical theatre, music and ceremony in this solo performance based on the life of Myrddin, inspiration for Merlin in Arthurian legend, and his encounters with magical animals. Explore the living myth, and its relevance to our current times through tales which restore a sense of meaning, wonder and hope. Funded by Arts Council Wales.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Poetry, Tradfest

Called Back: The Poems of Emily Dickinson

(Wed 8 May: 7:30pm) Emily Dickinson's enigmatic and brilliant poetry was largely unread and unpublished during her lifetime, but she is now considered one of America's greatest and most original poets. Singer/songwriter John Hinshelwood's sensitive musical interpretations based on a selection of her poetry, accompanied by words read from her letters, open a window on the life and work of this remarkable woman and the passions and preoccupations which she poured into her writing. John is joined by regular band members Tim Black (guitars, mandolin, vocals) and Ed McGlone (bass, Chapman Stick, vocals), and Emily’s words are read by Fiona Wellstood. The project has the endorsement of the Emily Dickinson International Society. ‘Emily Dickinson’s singular poetry receives considerate treatment from Scottish singer/songwriter John Hinshelwood, who sets her work to modern American accompaniments - bluegrass, old time, jazz - without obscuring the poems’ questioning wonder.’ (Scotsman) ‘A fine tribute to the work of one of America’s leading poets.’ (Americana UK)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling, Tradfest

Hearth Fire Sessions

(Thu 9 May: 7:30pm) Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry. Steeped in the traditions of Scottish storytelling, we evoke the warm atmosphere of peat-smoked hearthsides and ceilidh house revelry, presenting timeless motifs relevant to a discerning modern audience. Join host Dougie Mackay as he invites a different selection of Scotland’s finest storytellers, songwriters, musicians, and performing artists to each bi-monthly Hearth Fire Session to create an innovative showcase of Scotland’s contemporary culture.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Tradfest

LAU NAU and Pekko Käppi

(Fri 10 May: 8:30pm) Join us for a very special evening of music from two of Finland’s most visionary musicians. Pekko Käppi is Finland’s ‘wild man of the jouhikko’, a visionary Finnish folk music composer, singer and instrumentalist who has revolutionised the standards of playing the ancient Finnish lyre. LAU NAU (aka Laura Naukkarinen) is one of the foremost voices in Finland’s contemporary music scene. Frequently working with film, her music has a cinematic breadth of vision, and her idiosyncratic, finely honed sound world builds on fragile, spectral otherness. Naukkarinen and Kappi come together for one night only, to celebrate their recent collaboration on Katja Gauriloff’s new film, JE’VIDA, screening at Edinburgh Cameo as part of the Folk Film Gathering 2024 .

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

Storytelling for Musicians with Svend-Erik Engh

(Sat 11 May: 11am) For musicians who want to be better storytellers on stage! Learn how to improve your patter and song introductions with some basic rules of storytelling. An interactive and fun session led by experienced storyteller Svend-Erik Engh, where you will learn how to stay grounded, be aware of your audience and try different introductions to songs and music, with honest and useful feedback. Presented by the Traditional Music Forum. Svend-Erik Engh is a Danish storyteller living in Edinburgh. He tells Viking stories, Norse myths, and Scandinavian folktales and legends. Born and raised in Denmark to a Norwegian mother, these stories are in his blood and bones. Svend-Erik has a passion for all good stories and has collected many on his world travels over the years. When he is not having fun telling or writing stories, he is coaching storytellers and leading seminars and masterclasses to help people become better storytellers.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Family-friendly, Children, Puppetry, Tradfest

A Jaunt Round Auld Reekie

(Sat 11 May: 2pm) Join mad auld Auntie Bee and her long-suffering niece Bonnie McRee on a tour of Auld Reekie, past and present, real and imagined. Without leaving the cosy Storytelling Court, their mad-cap journey takes in a trip round Arthur’s Seat, an encounter with Scotland’s national animal, the unicorn, a dive into the sanitary arrangements of Edinburgh tenements before the days of plumbing and an adventure with Scruffy Bob, great-great-great-great-great grandpa of Greyfriars Bobby. A Jaunt Roond Auld Reekie is performed in Scots and English, and its stories are told through music, comedy and puppetry by one of Edinburgh’s best community theatre companies. Formed in 2010, Ceilidh Crew ‘n Co works with people of all ages and backgrounds, drawing on the musical, acting and storytelling skills of its two performers, Corinne (Auntie Bee) and Alyssa (Bonnie). Script and original songs by Corinne Harris and puppets by Ali McCaw. A Jaunt Roond Auld Reekie is supported by a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We thank players of the National Lottery for their support.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Fire from the Woods (Her Father Has Nothing to Say)

(Sat 11 May: 7:30pm) Sometimes fathers are silent and children grow up without stories. How can the children of these fathers release their trapped lips? We humans have the right to know our ancestors’ stories. By reimagining old tales from Lithuania and around the world, storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė and musician Gaynor Barradell explore the silence between generations. Let them take you to the deep dark woods and meet the old man with the wire beard, always hungry for unheard stories. Directed by Lauren Bianchi. Supported by The Village Storytelling Centre. ~~~~~~~~~~ Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creatives within and beyond the storytelling community celebrated and explored aspects of our common humanity in the Right To Be Human series.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest, Family-friendly, Dance

Easy Sundays: Family Ceilidh

(Sun 12 May: 1pm) Come with family and friends to dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Ceilidh Band. All dances will be called and there'll be easy-to-follow circles for wee ones. A fun introduction to sociable dancing with live music. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling, Song, Tradfest, Film Screening

The First Wave and the Last

(Sun 12 May: 3:30pm) Berwickshire Coastal Arts bring you a reflection of what it means to live, and want to live, in a coastal community. Drawing on the cultural and historical heritage of an east coast fishing toon and inspired by interviews, photographs and video pieces recorded by local people, this performance shares experiences of living in Eyemouth and surrounding towns and villages before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic served to remind this community of its own resilience. Although isolated by the virus, they stayed connected through stories and conversations which were captured in a beautiful and evocative film The First Wave by Kate Sweeney and Roma Yagnik. The film is accompanied by further stories, songs and reminiscences. This will be the final performance of the six-year ‘People and the Sea’ project. Part of this journey involved a production of Get up and Tie Your Fingers at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which was the first time the community had performed outwith Eyemouth. We are delighted to welcome the community back to SSC for this, their farewell and fare weel.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

More Than Telling: Workshop with Daniel Serridge

(Sat 18 May & Sat 1 Jun: 1:30pm) Do you have a desire to facilitate long-term meaningful storytelling projects? Do you want to explore in greater depth the fundamentals of working with groups of all ages and abilities? In this 2-day training you’ll take a deep dive into the tools and techniques of facilitation, from group dynamics to safeguarding, from structure to pacing, from planning to delivery. Storyteller Dan Serridge and The Village Storytelling Centre will support you to think more deeply about the complex nature of storytelling projects, their ethical implications and what it takes to support groups to engage, connect and be inspired. Dan Serridge is a storyteller, community artist and facilitator who creates vibrant and exciting community projects for all ages and abilities. He tells stories and helps people to tell theirs, supporting everyone to see their experiences as pieces of artwork waiting to be told. Through a combination of the personal and folkloric Dan explores the power of metaphor and meaning that sharing stories can hold. The Village Storytelling Centre improves lives and empowers communities by bringing people together, inspiring them to find, shape and share their voice and to realise their potential through the power of Storytelling. All of their work supports positive social interaction, the development of friendships and support networks for the most disadvantaged or marginalised communities. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Music, Poetry, Dance, International

Sangs and Clatter/Piosenki i Gwar

(Tue 21 May: 7pm) Edinburgh's Scottish Polish Cultural Association, with support from the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and Kraków City Council, presents an evening showcasing the artistic output of Scotland, Poland and Ukraine. Enjoy Scottish and Polish songs and poems, including those of our national bard Robert Burns, and the music of Ukraine. We will also be joined by singer and songwriter Tamara Kalinowska, who has entertained audiences with her own and others' songs at Kraków's famous Piwnica Pod Baranami cabaret club for over forty years.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Stories on the Way

(Wed 22 May: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where our amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore this quarter's theme. Hosted by Janis Mackay, with a host of new storytelling voices to be announced.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Laughter Lines

(Fri 31 May: 7:30pm) Some stories can make you weep, provoke fits of pique or leave you pondering the mysteries of the universe... But these are not those! Join Franziska Droll for jests, jokes and japes - lighthearted tales to make you sing, clap and laugh out loud. You're guaranteed to leave with a skip in your step. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. Hosted by Joanne Marr. Franziska Droll was born and bred in the Black Forest, Germany, and moved to Scotland after falling in love with the country and the people. She loves to tell traditional Scottish stories as well as tales from her homeland and myths and legends from all around the world. Her style is interactive and entertaining, and a story is often accompanied by a song and sometimes together with the sound of her ukulele or moon drum. No story is like the other, but they will all leave you with a smile.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Theatre, Storytelling

The Moira Trilogy

(Sat 1 Jun: 6:30pm) Cleaner and single-mum Moira lets rip about her neighbour’s dug, blasting oot Diana Ross at the Scotia karaoke night, watching Scotland get gubbed (again), dealing with cheeky c**ts on the train, cleaning posh folks’ hooses, and, of course, surviving lockdown with only vodka, fags and her long-suffering BFF Babs for company. Alan Bissett performs the complete, hilarious story of Falkirk’s Hardest Woman Moira Bell in ‘three modern classics of Scottish theatre’ (The National). Bringing together The Moira Monologues (2009), 2017’s Fringe First winner More Moira Monologues and the 2022 finale Moira in Lockdown, this nae-messin' heroine finally has her say IN FULL. “A near-perfect series of monologues, howlingly funny and unnervingly sharp and poetic. The most charismatic character to appear on a Scottish stage in a decade.” ★★★★★ (Scotsman) “Such a riot my ears popped a couple of times from the row behind me shouting with laughter.” ★★★★★ (The National) “Welcome back, Moira. We missed you.” ★★★★★ (Broadway Baby) “Heart-stoppingly funny, and heart-warming. Storytelling perfection.” ★★★★★ (The QR) “Great hilarity, simple truths and some profound moments too: it’s no wonder Moira has such a loyal following.” ★★★★ (The List)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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LGBTQ+, Storytelling

Queer Folks' Tales

(Thu 13 June: 7:30pm) Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, our hugely popular bi-monthly storytelling series where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Song, Scots

Scots Songs from Galloway with Robyn Stapleton

(Sat 15 Jun: 11am) Come and learn the songs of Galloway, with Robyn Stapleton. The songs will be taught in unison and harmony, spanning the themes of nature, farming, travel, and love! This workshop is suitable for all levels of singing experience. Multi award-winning singer Robyn Stapleton performs the songs of her Scottish and Irish heritage in the Scots, English and Gaelic languages. She is best known for her deeply emotive performances of traditional song and has collaborated with many of Scotland’s finest instrumentalists and leading ensembles. Accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, she has performed at Proms in the Park and for the BBC’s Burns Night celebrations.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Workshop, Gaelic, Song

Gaelic Songs from the Hebrides with Mischa Macpherson

(Sat 15 Jun: 1:30pm) Suitable for both Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers, this workshop will focus on Scottish Gaelic songs from the Hebrides and include a diverse selection of material including waulking songs, lullabies and puirt-a-beul (mouth music). Workshop suitable for all abilities and no Gaelic required. Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson unearthed her love for traditional music and song growing up in the Outer Hebrides. A recipient of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and MG ALBA Gaelic Singer of the Year, her career has seen her perform across the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and India, and collaborate with renowned musicians including Carlos Núñez (Galicia), Suraj and Chang Khan (Pakistan) and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Exhibition

Exhibition: Otherworldly Tales

(Fri 21 Jun-Sun 21 Jul) An exhibition of paintings, poetry, glass, willow and talismanic jewellery created with gratitude for the quiet wisdom and wonder of the Otherworld. Brought to you by the Animus - Art for the World Soul collective, this spell-laden collection of wonderworkings builds a bridge to magic, inviting you to linger a moment in a heartland we've almost forgotten. Featuring Catkin van Hoppe's ethereal watercolours, jewellery inspired by sacred relics from Jesse Ball, illuminated glass by Shen Chökyi and work by Fergus Hall and Julie MacLeod.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Development

Funding Applications - They're Not So Scary! with Ailie Robertson

(Sat 22 Jun: 11am) Are you thinking of applying for funding for a project but feeling intimidated by the form? Have you applied in the past but not been successful and lost confidence? Perhaps you don't know what's fundable in the first place? This practical workshop led by Ailie Robertson will take you through the process of writing a successful funding application. It aims to cover all aspects of structuring your application and offer tips and advice to ensure that your submissions have every chance of success. The workshop will focus on:• How to talk about yourself and your project• How to strengthen your proposal• How to address Creative Scotland's three strategic priorities and key areas of work• How to think about evaluating and monitoring your project• How to budget, including how to calculate in-kind costs There will also be a discussion section encouraging questions from participants ~~~~~~~~~~ Ailie Robertson has a multi-faceted career combining work as a performer, composer, researcher and educator. She has worked on projects with an array of organisations both in Scotland and Internationally, and enjoys helping other creatives bring their ideas to life.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Old Stories Made New

(Fri 28 June: 7:30pm) Join guest storyteller Niall Moorjani for an evening of storytelling where the old stories are rethought in playful and thought-provoking ways. Another fun and friendly session of Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. Hosted by Donald Smith. Niall Moorjani is a non-binary, mixed Scots-Indian writer and storyteller. They are fascinated by the fantastical, the historical, and the liminal and have written and performed many shows, including A Fairie Tale and Mohan: A Partition Story at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. They are also the founder and host of the Tales at The Tavern open mic story night in London. Niall's work has been described as ‘genius reinvention of the form’ (Fringe of Colour).

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Children of the Sun

(Wed 3 Jul: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Take Flight

(Fri 26 July: 7:30pm) The Guid Crack Club is being commandeered for one night only by Glasgow's own Village Storytelling Centre. Come join a raggle-taggle bunch of fresh voices as they take flight into a world of stories to make us soar. As always, bring a story to tell, a song to sing or anything else that can make our hearts fly and our lips quiver! This session will be led by storyteller Daniel Serridge with guests from the Village Storytelling Centre’s emerging storyteller scene. Daniel Serridge is a storyteller, community artist and facilitator who creates vibrant and exciting projects for all ages and abilities. Based at the Village Storytelling Centre in Glasgow, he tells stories and helps people to tell theirs, supporting everyone to see their experiences as pieces of artwork waiting to be told. His performance Orpheus | Orfeo was a highlight of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Storytelling, Development

Movement & Voice

(Sat 31 Aug: 10:30am) 'I can see them standing on the other side of the flames, speaking in the voices of lions, or thunder, or monsters, or heroes, heroines, or the earth, or fire itself -- for they had to contain all voices within them, had to be all things and nothing.' (Ben Okri - A Way of Being Free) How can the body be both a tool for investigating a story, and a means of communicating with an audience? This workshop led by Jo Blake will empower you to connect with your audience through movement and voice to progress your skills and confidence. All bodies welcome in a creative and supportive environment, with an emphasis on exploration and curiosity. Please come with a story in mind that you feel happy to work with. Jo Blake is a performer, director, facilitator, teacher and curator whose performance practice sits at the intersection of storytelling, dance and theatre. She had a PhD in Emergent Storytelling Practices and is curious about the transformative power of embodied myth and acts of narration as cultural therapeutics. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Workshop, Development

How to Set Up a Small Tour: with Katch Holmes

(Sat 21 Sep: 11am) In this workshop Katch will teach you how to arrange a live tour to perform and promote your music, with special focus on how musicians who may be just starting out or don't have representation can build festival and venue contacts, approach promoters, negotiate fees, advance their shows and promote their tour. The workshop will include breakouts for discussion and Q&A about the aspects of touring of the most interest to you. Katch Holmes has worked in the music industry in Scotland for 25 years. She has represented artists, commissioned new music, produced residencies and promoted gigs with folk and crossover music acts through her company Off Site Productions. She organises Knockengorroch roots music festival in Dumfries and Galloway. She sat on WOMEX selection panels in 2021 and 2017 and is a Relational Dynamics business coach working with professional creatives.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Secrets and Lies

(Wed 2 Oct: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Storytelling

Starting with Stories

(Sat 16 Nov: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills. Storyteller Janis Mackay leads this participatory session for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling talent. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to craft your skills. For new and aspiring storytellers. Janis Mackay is an award-winning storyteller and author based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she also teaches creative writing. She is the author of The Fairy Song, The Selkie Girl, and the Magnus Fin and Accidental Time Traveller trilogies. Janis also facilitates the Scottish Storytelling Forum's Apprentice Storyteller programme. ~~~~~~~~~~ Our participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Podcast, Storytelling, On Demand

Another Story (Podcast)

(Online On-Demand) Another Story is a new podcast series exploring some of the themes featured in this year’s Festival. Tune in to hear some wonderful storytellers share their favourite tales and chat about storytelling in Scotland and beyond. So settle down, or speed on up, to join us for another story… Available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple, Google and Amazon. Follow us by liking and subscribing so you don’t miss an episode! Listen Here

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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Music, Storytelling, Online Pre-Recorded

Blue City: A Storytelling Journey along Edinburgh's Coastline

Explore Edinburgh as a city by the sea by enjoying this specially created story film. Follow the coastline from Fisherrow, on the boundary with East Lothian, to South Queensferry. A trail of harbours and wildlife havens that glimmers with stories from folklore, history and ecology. Devised by the SISF with storytellers Beverley Casebow, Douglas Mackay, Janis Mackay, Linda Perttula, Nicola Wright and Donald Smith, with music by Kenneth Linklater and the Bowling Ceilidh Band. Produced in support of the Forth Rivers Trust and Restoration Forth, Blue City: A Storytelling Journey along Edinburgh's Coastline is free to access. This film will be available on YouTube from Fri 14 Oct. View the film ~~~~~~~~~~ Over the past two years we have enjoyed being part of a fantastic online storytelling community across the world. We would love to further connect with you in our digital storytelling and development sessions, so whether you are based in Scotland, or further afield, let’s keep that fire lit on our global platforms. ~~~~~~~~~~ In Scotland’s Year of Stories, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival: Keep It Lit invites everyone to the ceilidh; locally, nationally and globally. At the core of Scotland’s culture and identity is the hospitable hearth - a place of solidarity and welcome for friend and stranger alike. Round that symbolic fire, experiences and memories are shared and hope affirmed.

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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Online Pre-Recorded

Green City: Healing and Hope

Green City: Healing and Hope is a new storytelling film exploring the grassroots movement to turn Edinburgh green. The struggle for net zero will be won or lost in cities, so how is Edinburgh doing after 900 years as a burgh? Hear directly from people and places who think global and act local. Green City is a companion piece to Blue City (2022), which explored Edinburgh as a city by the sea. Narrated by Donald Smith, with contributions from fellow storytellers and activists. Co-Directed by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A) & Donald Smith. Produced by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Green City: Healing and Hope will be free to access from Friday 16th February 2024. View the film

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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True-life, Storytelling

In Shackleton's Orbit

(Wed 10 Apr: 7:30pm - CANCELLED) *We are sorry to say this event has been cancelled. All ticket holders will be contacted directly* 150 years after the birth of Ernest Shackleton, join Lindsey Gibb and Nicola Wright for a whirlwind tour of the life beyond the ice of the legendary polar explorer and the extraordinary women who inspired him: from school truant to Merchant Navy man, from dabbling in journalism to failed political ventures, from his years in Scotland to his eternal quest for treasure.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling, Online Pre-Recorded, Film Screening

Map of Stories: Film Ceilidhs (Online On-Demand)

Enjoy several multimedia storytelling performances filmed live in the Scottish Storytelling Centre's Netherbow Theatre in October 2022, where a world of local Scottish stories unfolds through the live voices of traditional storytellers and site-specific film footage of the landscapes they emerge from. Featuring stories from Dumfries and Galloway, the North East, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Perth and Kinross. ~~~~~~~~~~ These live performances were part of Tales, Tongues and Trails, a celebration of regional and international language, landscape and identities for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2022. Map of Stories YouTube playlist of all five Film Ceilidhs Scottish International Storytelling Festival Live filming by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A). ~~~~~~~~~~ Map of Stories is a collaboration between Transgressive North, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Rectangle Design, supported by Creative Scotland and EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Online

subvenue Online

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Map of Stories: Film Ceilidhs (Online On-Demand)

Enjoy several multimedia storytelling performances filmed live in the Scottish Storytelling Centre's Netherbow Theatre in October 2022, where a world of local Scottish stories unfolds through the live voices of traditional storytellers and site-specific film footage of the landscapes they emerge from. Featuring stories from Dumfries and Galloway, the North East, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Perth and Kinross. ~~~~~~~~~~ These live performances were part of Tales, Tongues and Trails, a celebration of regional and international language, landscape and identities for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2022. Map of Stories YouTube playlist of all five Film Ceilidhs Scottish International Storytelling Festival Live filming by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A). ~~~~~~~~~~ Map of Stories is a collaboration between Transgressive North, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Rectangle Design, supported by Creative Scotland and EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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Exhibition, Food

Exhibition: Word of Mouth

(Fri 22 Mar-Sat 20 Apr) "Documenting what I do in the kitchen can feel like the task of recording almost nothing. But it is the nothing that I am doing, and do almost every day, and have been doing everyday for over a decade. It is the nothing that has been part of almost every social interaction of my life as an adult and through which I have come to know almost all the people I love. It is the nothing through which I have been sustained and transformed." - Rebecca May Johnson Word of Mouth (WOM) is an exhibition of new artworks and writing exploring our relationship to food, cooking and kitchens. With work spanning across print, writing, textile, collage, and paint, WOM offers a reflective and collaborative space to consider how much food and cooking inform and sustain us in our everyday lives. WOM at the Scottish Storytelling Centre builds on small events hosted by Eleanor Mumford, Millie Player, and others in Edinburgh from 2021-2022, described as a ‘potluck of food/potluck of ideas.’ This is the latest iteration of WOM but not the last - the hope is that you may be inspired to host your own WOM in the future.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Stories of Grief

(Fri 29 Mar: 7:30pm) Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club, held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. With guest storyteller Russell McLarty, sharing stories of grief and lament on Good Friday, including a 'keening' song from Ireland, the stories of the Tranent Massacre, McPherson's Rant and some 21st Century 'Glasgow Noir'. Hosted by Donald Smith. ~~~~~ Russell McLarty is a hugely experienced storyteller with a fun and engaging style of telling, drawing from many traditions relevant to the different ages and stages of life with all its twists and its challenges. He has performed for a wide variety of groups in different settings and has led retreats and workshops including residential retreats on Iona and organisational and community training and development events.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Music

Seán Gray: Fixed Assets Album Launch

(Fri 29 Mar: 7:30pm) Seán Gray’s debut album Fixed Assets digs into the politics and poetry of Ayrshire mining communities. As a Glasgow-based Ayrshire native, Gray is already firmly established in the international folk community as a session player, as a past member of the award winning Paul McKenna Band, and the recipient of a prestigious Celtic Connections New Voices composing commission, but it may be that he’s finally found his niche. The resultant ten track album Fixed Assets is deeply musical, lyrically compelling, beautifully considered and arranged, with the powerful poignancy of Rab Wilson’s poetry and Gray’s responsive composition and refined musical handling distilled into an evocative, respectful, acoustically adventurous exploration of living history.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music

Spring Sessions with Tom Oakes & Friends

(Wed 20 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr & 17 Apr: 1pm) Join renowned traditional musician Tom Oakes for a series of informal lunchtime music sessions in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court. Tom will host a different guest each week to join him in session and we invite you all come along to enjoy the tunes as well. All welcome! Guest Musicians Wed 20 Mar: Matt Tighe Wed 3 Apr: John Bews Wed 10 April: Jennifer Austin Wed 17 April: Allan MacDonald ~~~~~ 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musican of the Year’ nominee, Tom Oakes is regarded as one of the UK’s top Flautists and multi-instrumentalists. Edinburgh based, he has spent the last two decades ploughing many different furrows as a traditional/contemporary musician, composer, producer and sound designer. Tom's storytelling and music show 'The Hearth' was nominated for Original Work of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2023.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Cast Ne'er a Clout

(Wed 3 Apr: 7pm) Cast ne'er a clout til May's out! Invisibility cloaks, seven-league boots, rings of power - explore the use of clothes and accessories in stories with the Burgh Blatherers' April session. Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Art, Storytelling, Spoken Word, Food and Drink, New Writing

Word of Mouth

(Fri 5 Apr: 5pm) An evening of readings and storytelling in celebration of our new exhibition Word of Mouth, with food provided by The Haggis Box. Word of Mouth (WOM) is an exhibition of new writing and art exploring food, cooking and kitchens. Join exhibition contributors for a sharing of their work, plus storytelling by storyteller and anthropologist Gauri Raje. Gauri will be bringing stories around food from South Asia - the lip-smacking, the sweet and sour, the bitter and the comforting. Gauri's latest project Cooking Tales looks at recipes and stories of South Asian women who came to Glasgow between 1950s-1970s and how they adapted their recipes to create tastes of home using ingredients available in Scotland at the time.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Mara Menzies, Storytelling

An Evening of Stories with Mara Menzies

(Wed 10 Apr: 7:30pm) Join us for a relaxed evening of stories and friendship with storyteller Mara Menzies, who returns to the Storytelling Centre for a short visit to share some new stories. Mara is a multi-award-winning, international touring storyteller, writer and narrative artist, who draws on her dual Kenyan/Scottish cultural heritage to create worlds that explore contemporary issues through legend, myth and fantasy. She takes audiences on journeys of wonder and joy, reaching into the very soul of possibility. In her own unique way, she retells ancient stories, crafts new narratives and helps others find their own story. Her award-winning novel Blood and Gold is published by Birlinn, based on her excellent show of the same name.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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LGBTQ+, Storytelling

Queer Folks' Tales

(Thu 11 Apr: 7:30pm) Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, our hugely popular bi-monthly storytelling series where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali, joined in April by captivating writer-performers Leyla Josephine and Harry Mould plus acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike McKenzie. Turan Ali has been producing, directing and writing BBC Radio dramas and comedies for over 20 years. He has also been telling stories of queer lives and experiences on stage since 2012, and more recently as a stand up. His shows have toured internationally and he has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. He is the host and producer of Queer Folks’ Tales. Mike McKenzie is an award winning singer/songwriter based in Edinburgh. His eclectic influences create a unique writing style. He’s performed in some of Scotland's most iconic venues (Barrowland Ballroom, King Tut's, Mash House). He also recently joined forces with legendary synth player PJ Moore (The Blue Nile) and composer Malcolm Lindsay as the lead singer for their collaborative project PJ Moore & Co. Harry Mould (they/she) is an artist, writer, storyteller and a theatre consultant and board member for Equity, Edinburgh’s Lyceum, theatre companies Vanishing Point and Wonder Fools, Harassment in the Performing Arts. They are a member of Bolton Pride festival and the Edinburgh Caribbean Association. Leyla Josephine is a poet, screenwriter, performer and educator originally from Glasgow, currently living in south Ayrshire. She has won a number of awards for her poetry. Her shows include the critically praised Hopeless and Daddy Drag, which explores memories of Leyla's father.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Literature, Book Launch

From Arthur's Seat Pre-Launch Reading

(Fri 12 Apr: 4pm) Mexico, Sweden, Indonesia, Iran, Chile… The ninth volume of From Arthur’s Seat is a diverse collection of writing by emerging talent, writers from around the world brought together in Scotland’s UNESCO City of Literature. The eclectic interests, biographies and backgrounds of our authors make for an exciting collage of prose, poetry and everything in between. A cursed woman sees the strongest memories of others. A waitress finds out that Elvis is allergic to peanuts. Who is filling his backyard with cake during the pandemic? From Arthur’s Seat balances grief, sensuality and humour; it is a journey along the edges of human experience. Travel with us. Every aspect of the production of the 2024 anthology is the result of the hard work of the University of Edinburgh’s Creative Writing Masters students. The volume is the biggest in the series and will be the first to tour outside of Edinburgh.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Song, Trad Arts

The World's Room with Chris Miles

(Fri 12 Apr: 8pm) The World's Room is a home for traditional singing in Edinburgh, organised by the Traditional Music Forum and held in the Canons' Gait Bar. All are welcome!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Canons' Gait

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

Further into Stories

(Sat 13 Apr: 10.30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to developing your live storytelling skills, with leading storyteller Ruth Kirkpatrick. This participative session takes you a step further in exploring your own storytelling talent in various contexts and situations. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to hone your skills. For storytellers with some amount of experience. ~~~~~~~~~~ Our participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Workshop, Poetry, Spoken Word

Spoken Word Workshop with Loud Poets

(Sun 13 Apr: 12pm) Are you interested in learning more about spoken word poetry and trying it yourself? Join members of the award-winning Loud Poets (I Am Loud Productions) for a half-day workshop on composing and performing spoken word! Discuss what makes a dynamic, innovative spoken word poem and do an exercise on writing for performance. Get practical advice on how to kick your nerves and build confidence performing live onstage, and give you the opportunity to practise at the mic. This workshop is designed for new and developing writers and performances; no previous experience required. It will run from 12-4pm including short breaks. For the past ten years, I Am Loud has been producing exciting, award-winning spoken word poetry events across Scotland and internationally. Their showcases, slams, open mics, and digital media feature and support hundreds of poets annually from across the UK and further afield. In 2023 their Loud Poets Slam Series was awarded Best Regular Poetry Event in the UK at the Saboteur Awards. Learn more about their work via www.iamloud.co. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Mental Health, Music

Easy Sundays: Turntable

(Sun 14 Apr: 12pm-2pm) Turntable is a pop-up music installation, which invites you to select and play a record from our collection and share the story of your choice in a one-to-one chat. Whilst in conversation, the song plays and connects with other people in the room, bringing people together through music and story. This event carries on from the original concept created by MJ McCarthy, produced by Red Bridge Arts. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop

Easy Sundays: The Norm Does Breakfast Club

(Sun 14 Apr: 3pm) The Norm Project is an interdisciplinary collective founded by Jorja Follina (Dance Artist), Ellie Higgins (Performance Artist) and Rho McGuire (Interdisciplinary Artist). The project takes a curious and playful approach to exploring societal norms, investigating how routine can be abstracted and contrasted to create something new. This workshop will explore the shared practice of Jorja, Ellie and Rho through task-based exercises and play. Participants will experiment with a range of techniques to create movement sequences, poetry, abstract visuals and collage. TNP is dedicated to creating safe and inviting spaces to be creative. Open to all. If you have any access requirements. questions or concerns, please email our Reception Team. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Food and Drink

V. good, v. nice, different, tasty!

(Thu 18 Apr: 5:30pm) Explore recipe as drawing tool with Millie Player. Using post-it notes, screenshots, conversation and recipe books as a starting point, Millie will look at how drawing can revive the energy of the recipe and cooking, and ask how mark-making can act as a documentation of taste. Millie is a visual artist based in Edinburgh. Working between boundaries of drawing and sculptural installation. Pieces become active archives, warping the inherited documents she draws from. Graduating from Edinburgh College of Art’s Intermedia BA in 2022, she was awarded the ECA Purchase Prize. She is currently exhibiting a travelling installation with rePUBlic gallery.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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History, Storytelling

Stories of Whisky & Wine

(Thu 18 Apr: 7pm) Inspired by La Viajera ('The Traveller'), a painting by Chilean artist Camilo Mori, follow the journey of four ghosts through time and space as they embark on an uncertain and evocative journey. As they cross oceans and the vast expanses of the Chilean countryside to the windswept plains of the Atacama Desert, they encounter trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows. Through their tales of migration, hope, and resilience, bear witness to the enduring human spirit in all its complexity and beauty. Join storytellers Sandra Agustina MacDonald, Trinidad Cabezón, Caroline Carmichael and Selina Graham, with musicians Jorge Sandoval and Cecilia Prieto on this mesmerizing journey through time and space, as we uncover the mysteries of the Traveller and her companions, and celebrate the pivotal role of women in shaping the future of a nation.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Spoken Word

Loud Poets Central Slam Heat

(Fri 19 Apr: 7:30pm) After the massive success of the inaugural Loud Poets Slam Series in 2023, I Am Loud Productions are back to do it all over again! Join Loud Poets at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as poets take to the stage to compete in the regional poetry slam heat for Central Scotland. Hosted by Kevin Mclean, 9-12 poets will compete for the title of Central Regional Slam Champion and a prize of £200. Sign up to compete here. Sign-ups are open until Fri 5 April.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Conference, Storytelling, Development

Scottish Storytelling Forum Development Day

(Sun 21 Apr: 10am-5pm at the Birnam Arts Centre) Storytellers are invited to the Storytelling Development Day 2024 at the Birnam Arts Centre in Dunkeld. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, please let us know any dietary requirements as soon as possible by emailing Scottish Storytelling Centre Reception. ~~~~~~~~~~ Schedule for the day: 10am-10:30am: Arrival refreshments and networking 10.30am: Welcome from Chair of the Forum Beverley Bryant 10.40am-11.20am: Keynote Speech with Daniel Serridge, The Village Storytelling Centre and discussion “What is Applied Storytelling?” 11.30am-1pm: WorkshopsWorkshop 1: ESOL Storytelling with Alice FernbankWorkshop 2: Working with Hard-to-Reach Groups with Lauren Bianchi 1pm: Lunch - Hot and Cold Buffet (all dietary requirements catered for) and sweet treats! 1.45pm-2.25pm: Community Storytelling Projects Presentations from Margaret Bennett, Alexandria Patience and Gauri Raje. 2.30pm-4pm: WorkshopsWorkshop 1: Storytelling in Prisons with Sam RoweWorkshop 2: Storytelling Games and Games that are Stories with Ailie Finlay 4pm-4.30pm: Refreshments and Networking with tea, coffee, and biscuits 4.30-5pm: SSF AGM ~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum can attend this event for free, and are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue External Venue

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development, Online Live

Marketing for Storytellers

(Mon 22 Apr: 6:30pm) For those who know they need to market but who hate marketing. This is marketing you will actually do! Sign up for a free taster session with 'Marketing For Hippies' expert Tad Hargrave ahead of the full course which will take place later in the year. About the course The art of storytelling is different than the business of marketing it. Many storytellers begin their journey full of hopes and inspiration, excited to share these gems and jewels that they've found in these old, often neglected, stories, but... where will they find an audience? In this course, you'll learn some of the fundamentals of marketing as they relate to the world of storytelling from Tad Hargrave, founder of marketingforhippies.com (who, himself, does some storytelling work on the side). You'll be learning about how to hone your niche (how to hone in on what you want to be known for), how to articulate your point of view (why are you telling these stories? what is your understanding of story anyway?) how to think through your business model (the architecture of your business) and how to find your audience (through 'hubs' in the community). By the end of this course, you'll have an understanding of the fundamentals of business and a clear sense of where you're strong, where you're weak and exactly what you need to do about it. Course dates:Mondays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 Jul at 6:30pm-8.30pm. Places on the course are limited and by application after the taster session. Attendance at the taster session is not essential to apply for the full Course.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Online

subvenue Online

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Pomegranates, Exhibition, Dance

Exhibition: Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm

(Tue 23-Tue 30 Apr) Vengefully Changed Allegiance is the first solo exhibition in a public institution by fashion designer Alison Harm, the founder of Edinburgh’s own Psychomoda brand, who has been challenging our opinions for the last 30 years on who can wear what and where by mixing different tartan patterns together and upcycling industry scraps, vintage cloth and broken jewellery. Curated specifically for the Pomegranates 2024 festival, this exhibition of sustainable fashion also challenges the living tradition of the tartan cloth still used for the Highland Dress dance costume and the kilt with all its accessories. Featuring a collection of garments displayed on mannequins and on models, as captured in the new photography by Amanda Roberston, the exhibition also poses the question of safeguarding and innovating the intangible cultural heritage of both the Highland Dance and the Scottish tartan. In the artist’s own words: “Fashion is cyclic. Today we might wear clothing and styles from the 1980s to show our allegiance to a musical, political or cultural theme from the past. As a young designer I trained in the Punk Rock environment of the 1980s when the tartan fabric became part of the symbolism of that cultural movement. This collection of garments in the exhibition is also my unique homage to the Jacobite revivalist movement of the 1880s, during the reign of Queen Victoria, which instigated a renewed romanticised interest in the Scottish tartan textiles and fashion styles.” (Alison Harm) The exhibition is accompanied by curatorial and artist’s guided tours on demand, a special fashion catwalk and a dance show. There is also an opportunity to view the exhibition after 6pm on 27 and 28 April 2024 as part of the Pomegranates 2024 festival shows at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. ~~~~~ Vengefully Changed Allegiance is part of Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS programme of events showcasing Scotland’s traditional arts and cultural heritage. TRACS has been recently appointed as an advisor to UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland and this exhibition showcases ICH in practice through highlighting the sustainability in the fashion industry while exploring the role of tartan in Scottish trad dance. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Theatre, New Writing

Page2Stage

(Tue 23 Apr: 7:30pm) Page2Stage is back at the Storytelling Centre, with another exciting line up of new writing. Showcasing extracts from four brand new plays read in front of a live audience, and industry panel providing dramaturgical feedback giving a rare insight into the creative process. You will then have a chance to carry on discussions, meet the team, writers and actors in the comfort of the Storytelling Centre bar. Join us for an exciting night of theatre!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: The Fire of Stories

(Fri 26 Apr: 7:30pm) What stories keep the fire inside you burning? Join us as we look towards the warmer seasons with an evening of stories that light radiant flames in our hearts. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club, held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. With guest storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė. Hosted by Fiona Herbert. ~~~~~ Daiva Ivanauskaitė is a Lithuanian and Scottish Storyteller based in Glasgow who tells stories inspired by the myths and folklore, literature and biographical stories from Lithuania, Scotland and other lands. Daiva works with storytelling as a way of liberating voices and emotions, connecting to people, and feeling alive! As a performance storyteller her recent show Wolf Girl told the story of a German orphan finding new life in post-war Lithuania, ruled by the Soviet regime. In her upcoming new show Fire from the Woods, Daiva uses traditional tales to look at generational silence and the ‘silent fathers’ phenomena in our society. Daiva is also a community storyteller who works with the Village Storytelling Centre and focuses on adult community groups for their storytelling skills development and better mental health. She also works with the Lithuanian School of Scotland to use stories for Lithuanian families in Glasgow to facilitate language learning, cultural identity building and bonding.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Pomegranates, Walking Tour, Dance

Old Town Dance Traditions

(Sat 27 Apr: 11am) Join storyteller extraordinaire Donald Smith for a relaxed festival walking tour exploring the dance traditions of Edinburgh's Old Town, including their locations and social contexts. Learn about the local folk traditions, the Scottish Court and 'polite' society. The tour will start from the Scottish Storytelling Centre with a preview of the festival exhibition Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm of Psychomoda. The tour will end at Edinburgh’s Central Library with a preview of the festival exhibition Dance Around the World featuring trad dance books and artifacts from Edinburgh and beyond. ~~~~~ One of the most eloquent advocates for Scottish culture, Donald Smith is the 2023 recipient of the Hamish Henderson Award for Lifetime Service to Traditional Arts. A prolific author, Donald also wrote Pomegranates 2023 screen dance poetry commission Beira and Bride. Until recently the Director of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS), currently Donald is the Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Meet at Scottish Storytelling Centre

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Pomegranates, Walking Tour, Dance

New Town Dance Herstory

(Sat 27 Apr: 2pm) Join dance historian Alena Shmakova for a special festival walk and talk tour. Explore the New Town's rich and important dancing heritage from the late Georgian period and learn about the notable dancing mistresses and patronesses who frequented the city entertainment establishments. Meet Madame Violante, ex-gymnast, troup manager and the first known female dancing mistress in Scotland; Felice Mercucci, prima of the Theatre Royal, first licensed theatre in Edinburgh; Mrs Parker, star of Edinburgh Circus, famous across the kingdom for her Strathspey Minuet. The tour will start from the Scottish Storytelling Centre with a preview of the festival exhibition Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm of Psychomoda. The tour ends with a brief visit to the Scottish National Gallery to look at the visual references for some of the dance halls from the Georgian period in Edinburgh. ~~~~~ Alena Shmakova has studied historical dance since 2006. Since 2013, she has actively collaborated with and performed at historical sites including Holyrood Palace, St Cecilia’s Hall and Music Instrument Museum and Stirling Castle. Since 2022 Alena has been offering historical dance courses at the Adult Education Programme of the City of Edinburgh Council. Alena is undertaking her postgraduate studies in History at the University of the Highlands and Islands and often presents her research at international conferences and public talks. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Meet at Scottish Storytelling Centre

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Pomegranates, Music, Poetry, Dance

Elegies

(Sat 27 Apr: 7:30pm) Experience a dance poem lamenting the lives lost in our challenging world of wars, ecocide and inequality. Weaving together dance theatre, spoken word and live music, this is the first dance adaptation of the poetry book Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica (1948) by Hamish Henderson, Scottish soldier-poet, singer-songwriter and scholar-folk revivalist. Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Henderson winning the Somerset Maugham Award in 1949 for this very book, still considered the finest poetic writing to come out of the Second World War. The fragility of life is depicted in Henderson’s first-hand accounts from the North African desert military campaign and captured in his dedication of the book: ‘for our own and the others'; the story of the common bonds in the ‘deadlands’ of Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya) and shared helplessness of those loved ones at home waiting, praying - and dancing. Set in a dancehall and a desert, this production is led by dancer-choreographer duo Helen Gould and George Adams who together with dancers Nicola Thomson and Edwin Wen embody ceilidh, jive, swing and lindy hop, evoking popular social dance culture of the 1940s and creating a cultural bridge to the present day. Gould and Adams incorporate the reading of Henderson’s poems by poet/spoken word artists Morag Anderson and Stephen Watt, live music from vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Cera Impala and upcycled period costumes and set created by costume and light designers Katie Duxbury and Roddy Simpson. ★★★★ 'Evocative and relevant' (All Edinburgh Theatre)★★★★ 'Respectful and sincere. Sombre and considerate' (Corr Blimey) ~~~~~~~~~~ A new production by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023, Elegies is curated and produced by Jim Mackintosh, Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Dance

Swing into Lindy Hop

(Sat 27 Apr: 8:30pm) Come and try Lindy Hop with our Pomegranates festival dance musicians-in-residence from Edinburgh’s own Castle Rock Jazz Band. Why Lindy Hop? Alongside Scottish Ceilidh, Jive and Swing, Lindy Hop is one of the social dance forms at the heart of the Pomegranates 2024 festival production Elegies - the first dance theatre adaptation of Hamish Henderson's poetry, his first-hand account from the frontlines of the Second World War. Developed by Black American communities in the 1930s, Lindy Hop soon became one of the popular social dance cultures of 1940s dance halls across the pond, where its frenetic movement, spinning and twirling were in part an attempt to escape and forget the horrors and atrocities of the war. Join us for two joyful sets of Lindy Hop in the welcoming environment of the Storytelling Court, transformed for the night into a 1940s dance hall complete with a festival bar mixing pomegranate cocktails and mocktails. Swing with the rhythms and bring your own personality while sharing a dance with another person. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Pomegranates, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

Junk Food

(Sun 28 Apr: 10am) Junk Food is a brand-new dance show asking the question 'Should junk food be allowed at school?' Devised by pupils aged 9 and 10 from the Primary 6 classes of Abbeyhill and Royal Mile Primary Schools who helped 'feed into' the choreography, live music and costumes. Led by the teaching team and performed by the postgraduate dance students from the Dance Science and Education course at Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh with contributions by students from Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Pomegranates, Music, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

CeilidhKids

(Sun 28 Apr: 11am) A big hoolie for all the family called by Caroline Brockbank of CeilidhKids, the trad dance artist-in-residence at Abbeyhill Primary School and accompanied on the accordion by Bernie Hewitt. ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Pomegranates, Music, Family-friendly, Children, Dance

Dancing Around the World

(Sun 28 Apr: 2pm) Enjoy a series of wee dance sharings performed by pupils aged 4 to 12 and led by the Pomegranates dance artists-in-residence at primary schools across Edinburgh, including the Gaelic-medium school, the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Chinese language schools. A warm welcome for all, with accompanying live music! ~~~~~ Join us for the first-ever Pomegranates Family Sunday, celebrating world trad dance. The day is packed with a lot of wee trad dance shows by and for the bairns, as well as a ceilidh expertly called for all the family accompanied by live music. "Ever since we launched Pomegranates festival in April 2022 we wanted to sow the pomegranate seeds of Scottish and world traditional dance in the hearts and minds of the new generation of dancers, especially after the pandemic when dance provision was badly affected. This Family Sunday celebrates our efforts to make trad dance one of the primary ingredients of the primary education of our children. We do hope to extend the residency opportunities for Scottish and world trad dance artists beyond the primary schools of Edinburgh and the Lothians and make them an essential part of the curriculum." (Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates co-curators) Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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We Are Migrant

(Mon 29 Apr: 7pm) Join us for the finale of Pomegranates Festival 2024 to celebrate International Dance Day with a triple bill of poetry, film and dance featuring our festival artists-in-residence. Spoken word artist Jim Mackintosh will perform poems from his latest collection We are Migrant (Seahorse Publications, 2024) and some of his brand-new poetic reflections following his Pomegranates residency. Jim's work resonates profoundly with the Pomegranates festival – born in times of uncertainty, displacement and border restrictions as the only festival home for the diverse dance forms of the different migrant communities across Scotland. Performance artist and human rights activist Mare Tralla will premiere her short film commissioned as part of a new series of screen trad dance productions, drawing her inspiration from Pomegranates and the wider world of trad dance. You can also join Mare at one or all three trad craft workshops she leads as part of Dance Around the World – the festival exhibition of trad dance books and artefacts at Edinburgh's Central Library. The evening will culminate with hip-hop theatre show Sequins, a new choreography by MC, dancer, spoken word artist and director Jonzi D, who is widely recognised for his influence on the development of the UK British hip-hop dance and theatre scene. Jonzi will work with twenty Scotland-based traditional dance artists accompanied by live music and a sequence of specially commissioned poems by poet, playwright and BBC broadcaster Ian McMillan. Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below. Pomegranates

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Exhibition, Tradfest

FISHING: An Exhibition by Stephanïe Vandëm

(Fri 3 May-Sat 15 Jun) FISHING is a modern exploration of contemporary identities and heritage. Artist Stephanïe Vandëm imaginatively combines oil painting and mixed media materials salvaged from the shoreline to creatively evoke the connections between the communities of the North East of Scotland and their fishing heritage. The artist draws from the rich traditions of Renaissance and Latin American art to create semi-sculptural pieces that deep dive into the pressing environmental & identity concerns of our time. The work repurposes the discarded fragments of our plastic-heavy society, merging them into intriguing jigsaw-puzzle images that evoke our possible shared futures. The calm and simplicity of the painted sections of the artwork contrast with the more complex three-dimensional mixed media elements which convey movement despite the heavy-layered look of the work. Weathered figures, chopped up lobster creels and everyday objects are ‘fossilized’ in cement, resin, sand and plastic, creating intriguing new structures that come away from the painted surface.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Exhibition, Song, Tradfest

FISHING: In Airt & Sang with Tripple

(Fri 3 May: 6pm) Join us in celebration to launch FISHING, our May exhibition with an early evening session of songs from harmony singers Tripple. Hailing from the northeast of Scotland, Tripple are mother Jill and siblings Cit and Annie who create contemporary arrangements of traditional songs with innovative and exciting harmonies, predominantly in Doric (northeast Scots). The exhibition and songs will highlight the living heritage of fishing communities on Scotland's east coast.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Art, Exhibition, Tradfest

FISHING: Meet the Artist

(Sat 4 May: 11am) A chance to hear from artist Stephanïe Vandëm, whose exhibition FISHING imaginatively combines oil painting and mixed media materials salvaged from the shoreline to creatively evoke the linkages between the communities of the North East of Scotland and their fishing heritage. Drop in for a chat and immerse yourself in the exhibition.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Rickle O Stanes

(Sat 4 May: 7:30pm) This is a show about Scotland’s land: about its rocks and mud, what it’s grown, what lives it’s sustained, how it’s been bought, fought for and wounded. Through powerful and playful storytelling and traditional song, Shona Cowie, Neil Sutcliffe and dramaturg Liam Hurley explore the layers of history on which we stand today, piling up to create a performance as radical as it is entertaining. ~~~~~~~~~~ Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creatives within and beyond the storytelling community celebrated and explored aspects of our common humanity in the Right To Be Human series.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Family-friendly, Children, Tradfest

Mini Mummers Parade Prep

(Sun 5 May: 10am) Join the Family Beltane crew and friends from the Storytelling Festival and the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland for a morning of mask decoration, crafting and face painting ahead of the May Day Parade. Fun for all the family, please come in Mummers costume if desired! Afterwards, all are welcome to join the May Day Parade (meeting at Johnstone Terrace at 11.30am), or watch and enjoy as it passes down the High Street.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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May Day, Tradfest

May Day Parade 2024: Demand Global Change

(Sun 5 May: 11:30am) Artists, performers and culture workers of all kinds are called to join Tradfest musicians and mummers on the Edinburgh and Lothians May Day procession. Gather at 11.30am at Johnston Terrace by Edinburgh Castle for a 12pm departure down the High Street to The Pleasance, where there will be a rally, music and stalls. Greenery and instruments welcome!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue External Venue

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Family-friendly, Children, Beltane, Tradfest

Family Beltane

(Sun 5 May: 1:30pm & 3pm) This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Beltane story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts. Two sessions are available across the afternoon, so come and enjoy!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Folk Film Gathering, Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Journey to the Isles

(Sun 5 May: 6pm) A mesmerising glimpse into the landscapes, folktales and songs that inspired one of Scotland's great early collectors of traditional arts. Marjory Kennedy-Fraser began collecting Hebridean songs in 1905, fired by a desire to preserve and celebrate the musical riches of the islands' people. These disarming films provide a snapshot of her work and the culture of the people she devoted her life to studying, all the while revealing the warmth of her personality and her passion for the rugged beauty of the Hebrides. Joining us on this journey to the Isles will be acclaimed storyteller and musician Marion Kenny and award-winning musician, singer and songwriter Mairi Campbell. Weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser's enchanting films, Marion and Mairi will conjure the sounds and landscapes captured by this key figure of Scotland's Celtic Revival. Screening material courtesy of National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. Part of the Folk Film Gathering 2024.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Family-friendly, Children, Book Launch, Tradfest

Book Launch: Yum by Susi Briggs

(Mon 6 May: 2pm) Come awa in and get nice and cosy, sit yersel doon and Susi will tell ye a story!Jenny wis just aboot tae drink her juice when up popped a hungry moose! In this gentle story aboot sharing, a wee lassie is suddenly joined fer lunch by a moose, a craw and a hairy oobit who have all seen her yummy cheese and lettuce piece! Will she share it? Join Susi for stories in the cosy Storytelling Court to celebrate the launch of her new book Yum, illustrated by Charlotte Brayley and published by Foggie Toddle Books. It is an exciting introduction tae Scots Language for wee ones. Susi Briggs is a listed author, poet and storyteller. She co-hosts the original story and sang show Oor Wee Podcast wi Alan McClure. Susi is author of shortlisted Bairns’ Books o the Year Nip Nebs, Nip Nebs and the Last Berry and Wheesht. All her original stories and poems are in Scots because Susi wants the next generation to see that Scots language is as beautiful and valid as any other on this bonny birlin planet.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Song, Tradfest

Cafe Ceilidh

(Tue 7 May: 2pm) Join friends from the Scots Music Group for an afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories. Held in the relaxed setting of the Storytelling Court. All welcome to listen or bring a tune for a turn!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling, Tradfest

Mochyn Myrddin | Merlin's Pig

(Tue 7 May: 7:30pm) Myrddin seeks the sanctuary of an apple tree, where he befriends a wolf and a pig. The stories they tell each other unearth deep memories of an ancient sow goddess, a gallant quest and Myrddin’s own mysterious conception and early life. A thousand years later, a young single mum receives a visitation that will influence the course of her life, leading her to deepest Wales and to Hartfell in Dumfries, on a quest for the living myth of Myrddin and the primal power of the land. Welsh storyteller Milly Jackdaw presents a fusion of traditional storytelling, physical theatre, music and ceremony in this solo performance based on the life of Myrddin, inspiration for Merlin in Arthurian legend, and his encounters with magical animals. Explore the living myth, and its relevance to our current times through tales which restore a sense of meaning, wonder and hope. Funded by Arts Council Wales.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Poetry, Tradfest

Called Back: The Poems of Emily Dickinson

(Wed 8 May: 7:30pm) Emily Dickinson's enigmatic and brilliant poetry was largely unread and unpublished during her lifetime, but she is now considered one of America's greatest and most original poets. Singer/songwriter John Hinshelwood's sensitive musical interpretations based on a selection of her poetry, accompanied by words read from her letters, open a window on the life and work of this remarkable woman and the passions and preoccupations which she poured into her writing. John is joined by regular band members Tim Black (guitars, mandolin, vocals) and Ed McGlone (bass, Chapman Stick, vocals), and Emily’s words are read by Fiona Wellstood. The project has the endorsement of the Emily Dickinson International Society. ‘Emily Dickinson’s singular poetry receives considerate treatment from Scottish singer/songwriter John Hinshelwood, who sets her work to modern American accompaniments - bluegrass, old time, jazz - without obscuring the poems’ questioning wonder.’ (Scotsman) ‘A fine tribute to the work of one of America’s leading poets.’ (Americana UK)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling, Tradfest

Hearth Fire Sessions

(Thu 9 May: 7:30pm) Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry. Steeped in the traditions of Scottish storytelling, we evoke the warm atmosphere of peat-smoked hearthsides and ceilidh house revelry, presenting timeless motifs relevant to a discerning modern audience. Join host Dougie Mackay as he invites a different selection of Scotland’s finest storytellers, songwriters, musicians, and performing artists to each bi-monthly Hearth Fire Session to create an innovative showcase of Scotland’s contemporary culture.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Tradfest

LAU NAU and Pekko Käppi

(Fri 10 May: 8:30pm) Join us for a very special evening of music from two of Finland’s most visionary musicians. Pekko Käppi is Finland’s ‘wild man of the jouhikko’, a visionary Finnish folk music composer, singer and instrumentalist who has revolutionised the standards of playing the ancient Finnish lyre. LAU NAU (aka Laura Naukkarinen) is one of the foremost voices in Finland’s contemporary music scene. Frequently working with film, her music has a cinematic breadth of vision, and her idiosyncratic, finely honed sound world builds on fragile, spectral otherness. Naukkarinen and Kappi come together for one night only, to celebrate their recent collaboration on Katja Gauriloff’s new film, JE’VIDA, screening at Edinburgh Cameo as part of the Folk Film Gathering 2024 .

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

Storytelling for Musicians with Svend-Erik Engh

(Sat 11 May: 11am) For musicians who want to be better storytellers on stage! Learn how to improve your patter and song introductions with some basic rules of storytelling. An interactive and fun session led by experienced storyteller Svend-Erik Engh, where you will learn how to stay grounded, be aware of your audience and try different introductions to songs and music, with honest and useful feedback. Presented by the Traditional Music Forum. Svend-Erik Engh is a Danish storyteller living in Edinburgh. He tells Viking stories, Norse myths, and Scandinavian folktales and legends. Born and raised in Denmark to a Norwegian mother, these stories are in his blood and bones. Svend-Erik has a passion for all good stories and has collected many on his world travels over the years. When he is not having fun telling or writing stories, he is coaching storytellers and leading seminars and masterclasses to help people become better storytellers.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Family-friendly, Children, Puppetry, Tradfest

A Jaunt Round Auld Reekie

(Sat 11 May: 2pm) Join mad auld Auntie Bee and her long-suffering niece Bonnie McRee on a tour of Auld Reekie, past and present, real and imagined. Without leaving the cosy Storytelling Court, their mad-cap journey takes in a trip round Arthur’s Seat, an encounter with Scotland’s national animal, the unicorn, a dive into the sanitary arrangements of Edinburgh tenements before the days of plumbing and an adventure with Scruffy Bob, great-great-great-great-great grandpa of Greyfriars Bobby. A Jaunt Roond Auld Reekie is performed in Scots and English, and its stories are told through music, comedy and puppetry by one of Edinburgh’s best community theatre companies. Formed in 2010, Ceilidh Crew ‘n Co works with people of all ages and backgrounds, drawing on the musical, acting and storytelling skills of its two performers, Corinne (Auntie Bee) and Alyssa (Bonnie). Script and original songs by Corinne Harris and puppets by Ali McCaw. A Jaunt Roond Auld Reekie is supported by a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We thank players of the National Lottery for their support.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest

Fire from the Woods (Her Father Has Nothing to Say)

(Sat 11 May: 7:30pm) Sometimes fathers are silent and children grow up without stories. How can the children of these fathers release their trapped lips? We humans have the right to know our ancestors’ stories. By reimagining old tales from Lithuania and around the world, storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė and musician Gaynor Barradell explore the silence between generations. Let them take you to the deep dark woods and meet the old man with the wire beard, always hungry for unheard stories. Directed by Lauren Bianchi. Supported by The Village Storytelling Centre. ~~~~~~~~~~ Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creatives within and beyond the storytelling community celebrated and explored aspects of our common humanity in the Right To Be Human series.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Music, Storytelling, Tradfest, Family-friendly, Dance

Easy Sundays: Family Ceilidh

(Sun 12 May: 1pm) Come with family and friends to dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Ceilidh Band. All dances will be called and there'll be easy-to-follow circles for wee ones. A fun introduction to sociable dancing with live music. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a monthly session of stories, music, community and friendship, where a warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. So come find a space to relax amongst friends, old and new. ~~~~~~~~~~ Supported by the Thrive Network alongside the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling, Song, Tradfest, Film Screening

The First Wave and the Last

(Sun 12 May: 3:30pm) Berwickshire Coastal Arts bring you a reflection of what it means to live, and want to live, in a coastal community. Drawing on the cultural and historical heritage of an east coast fishing toon and inspired by interviews, photographs and video pieces recorded by local people, this performance shares experiences of living in Eyemouth and surrounding towns and villages before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic served to remind this community of its own resilience. Although isolated by the virus, they stayed connected through stories and conversations which were captured in a beautiful and evocative film The First Wave by Kate Sweeney and Roma Yagnik. The film is accompanied by further stories, songs and reminiscences. This will be the final performance of the six-year ‘People and the Sea’ project. Part of this journey involved a production of Get up and Tie Your Fingers at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which was the first time the community had performed outwith Eyemouth. We are delighted to welcome the community back to SSC for this, their farewell and fare weel.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Storytelling, Development

More Than Telling: Workshop with Daniel Serridge

(Sat 18 May & Sat 1 Jun: 1:30pm) Do you have a desire to facilitate long-term meaningful storytelling projects? Do you want to explore in greater depth the fundamentals of working with groups of all ages and abilities? In this 2-day training you’ll take a deep dive into the tools and techniques of facilitation, from group dynamics to safeguarding, from structure to pacing, from planning to delivery. Storyteller Dan Serridge and The Village Storytelling Centre will support you to think more deeply about the complex nature of storytelling projects, their ethical implications and what it takes to support groups to engage, connect and be inspired. Dan Serridge is a storyteller, community artist and facilitator who creates vibrant and exciting community projects for all ages and abilities. He tells stories and helps people to tell theirs, supporting everyone to see their experiences as pieces of artwork waiting to be told. Through a combination of the personal and folkloric Dan explores the power of metaphor and meaning that sharing stories can hold. The Village Storytelling Centre improves lives and empowers communities by bringing people together, inspiring them to find, shape and share their voice and to realise their potential through the power of Storytelling. All of their work supports positive social interaction, the development of friendships and support networks for the most disadvantaged or marginalised communities. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Music, Poetry, Dance, International

Sangs and Clatter/Piosenki i Gwar

(Tue 21 May: 7pm) Edinburgh's Scottish Polish Cultural Association, with support from the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and Kraków City Council, presents an evening showcasing the artistic output of Scotland, Poland and Ukraine. Enjoy Scottish and Polish songs and poems, including those of our national bard Robert Burns, and the music of Ukraine. We will also be joined by singer and songwriter Tamara Kalinowska, who has entertained audiences with her own and others' songs at Kraków's famous Piwnica Pod Baranami cabaret club for over forty years.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Stories on the Way

(Wed 22 May: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where our amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore this quarter's theme. Hosted by Janis Mackay, with a host of new storytelling voices to be announced.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Laughter Lines

(Fri 31 May: 7:30pm) Some stories can make you weep, provoke fits of pique or leave you pondering the mysteries of the universe... But these are not those! Join Franziska Droll for jests, jokes and japes - lighthearted tales to make you sing, clap and laugh out loud. You're guaranteed to leave with a skip in your step. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. Hosted by Joanne Marr. Franziska Droll was born and bred in the Black Forest, Germany, and moved to Scotland after falling in love with the country and the people. She loves to tell traditional Scottish stories as well as tales from her homeland and myths and legends from all around the world. Her style is interactive and entertaining, and a story is often accompanied by a song and sometimes together with the sound of her ukulele or moon drum. No story is like the other, but they will all leave you with a smile.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Theatre, Storytelling

The Moira Trilogy

(Sat 1 Jun: 6:30pm) Cleaner and single-mum Moira lets rip about her neighbour’s dug, blasting oot Diana Ross at the Scotia karaoke night, watching Scotland get gubbed (again), dealing with cheeky c**ts on the train, cleaning posh folks’ hooses, and, of course, surviving lockdown with only vodka, fags and her long-suffering BFF Babs for company. Alan Bissett performs the complete, hilarious story of Falkirk’s Hardest Woman Moira Bell in ‘three modern classics of Scottish theatre’ (The National). Bringing together The Moira Monologues (2009), 2017’s Fringe First winner More Moira Monologues and the 2022 finale Moira in Lockdown, this nae-messin' heroine finally has her say IN FULL. “A near-perfect series of monologues, howlingly funny and unnervingly sharp and poetic. The most charismatic character to appear on a Scottish stage in a decade.” ★★★★★ (Scotsman) “Such a riot my ears popped a couple of times from the row behind me shouting with laughter.” ★★★★★ (The National) “Welcome back, Moira. We missed you.” ★★★★★ (Broadway Baby) “Heart-stoppingly funny, and heart-warming. Storytelling perfection.” ★★★★★ (The QR) “Great hilarity, simple truths and some profound moments too: it’s no wonder Moira has such a loyal following.” ★★★★ (The List)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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LGBTQ+, Storytelling

Queer Folks' Tales

(Thu 13 June: 7:30pm) Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, our hugely popular bi-monthly storytelling series where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Workshop, Song, Scots

Scots Songs from Galloway with Robyn Stapleton

(Sat 15 Jun: 11am) Come and learn the songs of Galloway, with Robyn Stapleton. The songs will be taught in unison and harmony, spanning the themes of nature, farming, travel, and love! This workshop is suitable for all levels of singing experience. Multi award-winning singer Robyn Stapleton performs the songs of her Scottish and Irish heritage in the Scots, English and Gaelic languages. She is best known for her deeply emotive performances of traditional song and has collaborated with many of Scotland’s finest instrumentalists and leading ensembles. Accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, she has performed at Proms in the Park and for the BBC’s Burns Night celebrations.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Workshop, Gaelic, Song

Gaelic Songs from the Hebrides with Mischa Macpherson

(Sat 15 Jun: 1:30pm) Suitable for both Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers, this workshop will focus on Scottish Gaelic songs from the Hebrides and include a diverse selection of material including waulking songs, lullabies and puirt-a-beul (mouth music). Workshop suitable for all abilities and no Gaelic required. Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson unearthed her love for traditional music and song growing up in the Outer Hebrides. A recipient of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and MG ALBA Gaelic Singer of the Year, her career has seen her perform across the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and India, and collaborate with renowned musicians including Carlos Núñez (Galicia), Suraj and Chang Khan (Pakistan) and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Exhibition

Exhibition: Otherworldly Tales

(Fri 21 Jun-Sun 21 Jul) An exhibition of paintings, poetry, glass, willow and talismanic jewellery created with gratitude for the quiet wisdom and wonder of the Otherworld. Brought to you by the Animus - Art for the World Soul collective, this spell-laden collection of wonderworkings builds a bridge to magic, inviting you to linger a moment in a heartland we've almost forgotten. Featuring Catkin van Hoppe's ethereal watercolours, jewellery inspired by sacred relics from Jesse Ball, illuminated glass by Shen Chökyi and work by Fergus Hall and Julie MacLeod.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Development

Funding Applications - They're Not So Scary! with Ailie Robertson

(Sat 22 Jun: 11am) Are you thinking of applying for funding for a project but feeling intimidated by the form? Have you applied in the past but not been successful and lost confidence? Perhaps you don't know what's fundable in the first place? This practical workshop led by Ailie Robertson will take you through the process of writing a successful funding application. It aims to cover all aspects of structuring your application and offer tips and advice to ensure that your submissions have every chance of success. The workshop will focus on:• How to talk about yourself and your project• How to strengthen your proposal• How to address Creative Scotland's three strategic priorities and key areas of work• How to think about evaluating and monitoring your project• How to budget, including how to calculate in-kind costs There will also be a discussion section encouraging questions from participants ~~~~~~~~~~ Ailie Robertson has a multi-faceted career combining work as a performer, composer, researcher and educator. She has worked on projects with an array of organisations both in Scotland and Internationally, and enjoys helping other creatives bring their ideas to life.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Old Stories Made New

(Fri 28 June: 7:30pm) Join guest storyteller Niall Moorjani for an evening of storytelling where the old stories are rethought in playful and thought-provoking ways. Another fun and friendly session of Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club held upstairs in the Waverley Bar, with the usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song or poem around the theme or otherwise. Hosted by Donald Smith. Niall Moorjani is a non-binary, mixed Scots-Indian writer and storyteller. They are fascinated by the fantastical, the historical, and the liminal and have written and performed many shows, including A Fairie Tale and Mohan: A Partition Story at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. They are also the founder and host of the Tales at The Tavern open mic story night in London. Niall's work has been described as ‘genius reinvention of the form’ (Fringe of Colour).

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Children of the Sun

(Wed 3 Jul: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Storytelling

Guid Crack: Take Flight

(Fri 26 July: 7:30pm) The Guid Crack Club is being commandeered for one night only by Glasgow's own Village Storytelling Centre. Come join a raggle-taggle bunch of fresh voices as they take flight into a world of stories to make us soar. As always, bring a story to tell, a song to sing or anything else that can make our hearts fly and our lips quiver! This session will be led by storyteller Daniel Serridge with guests from the Village Storytelling Centre’s emerging storyteller scene. Daniel Serridge is a storyteller, community artist and facilitator who creates vibrant and exciting projects for all ages and abilities. Based at the Village Storytelling Centre in Glasgow, he tells stories and helps people to tell theirs, supporting everyone to see their experiences as pieces of artwork waiting to be told. His performance Orpheus | Orfeo was a highlight of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue The Waverley Bar

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Storytelling, Development

Movement & Voice

(Sat 31 Aug: 10:30am) 'I can see them standing on the other side of the flames, speaking in the voices of lions, or thunder, or monsters, or heroes, heroines, or the earth, or fire itself -- for they had to contain all voices within them, had to be all things and nothing.' (Ben Okri - A Way of Being Free) How can the body be both a tool for investigating a story, and a means of communicating with an audience? This workshop led by Jo Blake will empower you to connect with your audience through movement and voice to progress your skills and confidence. All bodies welcome in a creative and supportive environment, with an emphasis on exploration and curiosity. Please come with a story in mind that you feel happy to work with. Jo Blake is a performer, director, facilitator, teacher and curator whose performance practice sits at the intersection of storytelling, dance and theatre. She had a PhD in Emergent Storytelling Practices and is curious about the transformative power of embodied myth and acts of narration as cultural therapeutics. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Workshop, Development

How to Set Up a Small Tour: with Katch Holmes

(Sat 21 Sep: 11am) In this workshop Katch will teach you how to arrange a live tour to perform and promote your music, with special focus on how musicians who may be just starting out or don't have representation can build festival and venue contacts, approach promoters, negotiate fees, advance their shows and promote their tour. The workshop will include breakouts for discussion and Q&A about the aspects of touring of the most interest to you. Katch Holmes has worked in the music industry in Scotland for 25 years. She has represented artists, commissioned new music, produced residencies and promoted gigs with folk and crossover music acts through her company Off Site Productions. She organises Knockengorroch roots music festival in Dumfries and Galloway. She sat on WOMEX selection panels in 2021 and 2017 and is a Relational Dynamics business coach working with professional creatives.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Storytelling

Burgh Blatherers' Storytelling Ceilidh: Secrets and Lies

(Wed 2 Oct: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year, a cosy gathering in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court with refreshments available from the Haggis Box Café. Hosted by Bob Mitchell and members of Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Storytelling Court

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Workshop, Storytelling

Starting with Stories

(Sat 16 Nov: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills. Storyteller Janis Mackay leads this participatory session for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling talent. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to craft your skills. For new and aspiring storytellers. Janis Mackay is an award-winning storyteller and author based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she also teaches creative writing. She is the author of The Fairy Song, The Selkie Girl, and the Magnus Fin and Accidental Time Traveller trilogies. Janis also facilitates the Scottish Storytelling Forum's Apprentice Storyteller programme. ~~~~~~~~~~ Our participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Training Venue

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Podcast, Storytelling, On Demand

Another Story (Podcast)

(Online On-Demand) Another Story is a new podcast series exploring some of the themes featured in this year’s Festival. Tune in to hear some wonderful storytellers share their favourite tales and chat about storytelling in Scotland and beyond. So settle down, or speed on up, to join us for another story… Available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple, Google and Amazon. Follow us by liking and subscribing so you don’t miss an episode! Listen Here

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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Music, Storytelling, Online Pre-Recorded

Blue City: A Storytelling Journey along Edinburgh's Coastline

Explore Edinburgh as a city by the sea by enjoying this specially created story film. Follow the coastline from Fisherrow, on the boundary with East Lothian, to South Queensferry. A trail of harbours and wildlife havens that glimmers with stories from folklore, history and ecology. Devised by the SISF with storytellers Beverley Casebow, Douglas Mackay, Janis Mackay, Linda Perttula, Nicola Wright and Donald Smith, with music by Kenneth Linklater and the Bowling Ceilidh Band. Produced in support of the Forth Rivers Trust and Restoration Forth, Blue City: A Storytelling Journey along Edinburgh's Coastline is free to access. This film will be available on YouTube from Fri 14 Oct. View the film ~~~~~~~~~~ Over the past two years we have enjoyed being part of a fantastic online storytelling community across the world. We would love to further connect with you in our digital storytelling and development sessions, so whether you are based in Scotland, or further afield, let’s keep that fire lit on our global platforms. ~~~~~~~~~~ In Scotland’s Year of Stories, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival: Keep It Lit invites everyone to the ceilidh; locally, nationally and globally. At the core of Scotland’s culture and identity is the hospitable hearth - a place of solidarity and welcome for friend and stranger alike. Round that symbolic fire, experiences and memories are shared and hope affirmed.

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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Online Pre-Recorded

Green City: Healing and Hope

Green City: Healing and Hope is a new storytelling film exploring the grassroots movement to turn Edinburgh green. The struggle for net zero will be won or lost in cities, so how is Edinburgh doing after 900 years as a burgh? Hear directly from people and places who think global and act local. Green City is a companion piece to Blue City (2022), which explored Edinburgh as a city by the sea. Narrated by Donald Smith, with contributions from fellow storytellers and activists. Co-Directed by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A) & Donald Smith. Produced by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Green City: Healing and Hope will be free to access from Friday 16th February 2024. View the film

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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True-life, Storytelling

In Shackleton's Orbit

(Wed 10 Apr: 7:30pm - CANCELLED) *We are sorry to say this event has been cancelled. All ticket holders will be contacted directly* 150 years after the birth of Ernest Shackleton, join Lindsey Gibb and Nicola Wright for a whirlwind tour of the life beyond the ice of the legendary polar explorer and the extraordinary women who inspired him: from school truant to Merchant Navy man, from dabbling in journalism to failed political ventures, from his years in Scotland to his eternal quest for treasure.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Storytelling, Online Pre-Recorded, Film Screening

Map of Stories: Film Ceilidhs (Online On-Demand)

Enjoy several multimedia storytelling performances filmed live in the Scottish Storytelling Centre's Netherbow Theatre in October 2022, where a world of local Scottish stories unfolds through the live voices of traditional storytellers and site-specific film footage of the landscapes they emerge from. Featuring stories from Dumfries and Galloway, the North East, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Perth and Kinross. ~~~~~~~~~~ These live performances were part of Tales, Tongues and Trails, a celebration of regional and international language, landscape and identities for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2022. Map of Stories YouTube playlist of all five Film Ceilidhs Scottish International Storytelling Festival Live filming by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A). ~~~~~~~~~~ Map of Stories is a collaboration between Transgressive North, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Rectangle Design, supported by Creative Scotland and EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Online

subvenue Online

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Map of Stories: Film Ceilidhs (Online On-Demand)

Enjoy several multimedia storytelling performances filmed live in the Scottish Storytelling Centre's Netherbow Theatre in October 2022, where a world of local Scottish stories unfolds through the live voices of traditional storytellers and site-specific film footage of the landscapes they emerge from. Featuring stories from Dumfries and Galloway, the North East, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Perth and Kinross. ~~~~~~~~~~ These live performances were part of Tales, Tongues and Trails, a celebration of regional and international language, landscape and identities for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2022. Map of Stories YouTube playlist of all five Film Ceilidhs Scottish International Storytelling Festival Live filming by Sandy McGhie (Channel 7A). ~~~~~~~~~~ Map of Stories is a collaboration between Transgressive North, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Rectangle Design, supported by Creative Scotland and EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

Location Scottish International Storytelling Festival

subvenue Online SISF

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