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(Sat 30 May-Sun 7 Jun) The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is coming back this year from Saturday 30 May-Sunday 7 June, with an exciting line up of performances for children aged 0-15yrs and their families. You can expect a jam-packed programme of circus, dance, storytelling and theatre, full of joy and surprises to savour as a family. Many of the shows in the nine-day international programme are visually striking, brimming with humour and designed to appeal to children and their adults. From joyful circus extravaganza to intimate immersive experiences, from a play tackling bullying to a stage filled by a giant disco box, the programme has got something for everyone. The Festival opens with a Family Day of free pop-up performances and arts activities at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 30 May. Find out more and book tickets today via the button below! Tickets
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 15 May-Sun 21 Jun) Should your path lead you to the Scottish Storytelling Centre, artist Sylvia Troon invites you to step into Pathways - an exhibition of paintings accompanied by poems, exploring the journeys we all take. 'The landscape around me provides endless inspiration. It teaches me about light, colour, composition and atmosphere. Pathways, tracks and country roads, take me on journeys of discovery and invention. Teaming up with Lea and her poetry adds a new meaning to my painting, as she opens my eyes to new interpretations. We hope your pathway which takes you to the exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, provides a thought-provoking and enjoyable experience.' - Sylvia Troon ~~~~~ Lea Taylor is a writer, storyteller and poet whose work often explores personal stories, memory and the threads that connect people and place. Although relatively new to writing poetry, it was through her long standing collaboration with artist Sylvia Troon that this aspect of her work began to take shape. Working together for over a decade, their creative partnership is built on shared ideas, trust and an instinctive understanding of each other's work. Painter and illustrator Sylvia Troon lives in The Gauldry, in North Fife, where coast and landscape offer endless inspiration to a path-wanderer like her. She studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art and has subsequently enjoyed a varied career including teaching, puppetry, illustration and storytelling.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Thu 4-Sun 7 Jun, Various times) Sent to the attic to think things over, Violette find herself surrounded by memories of her grandpa: his farewell party, the scary stories he used to tell her at night and even their crazy pickle recipes. So she decides to send him a letter to the moon, to tell him about the intense emotions and questions that make up her daily life. Where do you go when you’re dead? Can you have two crushes at once? Since I can see the moon, does that mean it’s closer than Spain? From sea storms to lunar landings, Violette dives into her wild imagination with humour and tenderness to bring everyday objects to life, and draws the audience into accomplices in her whirlwind adventure. ~~~~~ The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is coming back this year from Saturday 30 May-Sunday 7 June, with an exciting line up of performances for children aged 0-15yrs and their families. You can expect a jam-packed programme of circus, dance, storytelling and theatre, full of joy and surprises to savour as a family. Book tickets for this show and many more via the button below! Tickets
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fortnightly on Mondays: 7pm) Join us for fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, award-winning poetry! Loud Poets invite poets to share their work at their regular open mic, now taking place at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court. All styles of poetry are welcome and with a different feature performer every time, this event offers a supportive, creative environment for all. Doors will open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start with two short intervals, wrapping up around 9.30pm. Loud Poets will be managing sign-ups. To sign up to perform, please fill out the sign-up form for the date on which you'd like to perform. This form will close one week before the event, after which they will email you to let you know if you have a guaranteed performance spot. Two spots are always left open to be filled by random draw from poets who sign up on the door. Slots are five minutes and poets are welcome to perform as many or few poems as you would like within that time. You are welcome to go under the five minutes, but please do not go over out of respect to your fellow performers. A message from Loud Poets about this event:"At our open mic and all of our events, we endeavour to create a safe, welcoming space for all to attend and share their work. We ask performers to be respectful of the diversity of our experiences. We do not tolerate any forms of discrimination and harassment. Don't punch down. Performers and attendees who violate this policy will be asked to leave." The Loud Poets Open Mic is organised by I Am Loud CIC, through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding. It is produced and hosted by Mark Gallie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 10 Jun: 7pm) The sun is high in the sky and the long road beckons! Take us on a journey with travelling tales from near or far. Join the Burgh Blatherers for a series of regular open-floor storytelling nights 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 Edinburgh's own storytelling club who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 12 Jun: 7:30pm) Queer Folks’ Tales continues its fifth year in the Scottish home of storytelling, with rave reviews and even an award under its belt! Celebrate the start of summer 2026 with LGBTQ+ storytellers galore from around Edinburgh and Scotland sharing stories of queer lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories is as varied as the range of performers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the tales told will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali, who is joined in June by stand-up Heather Ross, crime novelist Emma Christie and musician Raveloe. Turan Ali has been a producer, director and writer of BBC radio dramas and comedies for over 25 years. He’s been a stage storyteller since 2012, and a stand up since 2019. He tours internationally, just completed an east Asian stand-up tour to Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, and has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. He’s the creator, producer and host of Queer Folks’ Tales for which he won the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award 2024. QFT now tours across Scotland year round and is Creative Scotland funded. Emma Christie has written 4 psychological thrillers set in Edinburgh’s Portobello. Her debut novel The Silent Daughter was shortlisted for Bloody Scotland’s esteemed McIlvanney Prize and for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021. Her latest novel Watch Your Back was described as ‘superb’ by Ian Rankin and was named as Thriller of the Month in The Times. She also runs Write and Walk retreats - which combine writing sessions with spectacular walks in Spain. She’s currently working on her 5th novel Heather Kondak Ross is a Scottish-Canadian writer and performer based in Edinburgh. Along with creating award-winning shorts and sketches with her comedy group Get Your Goat Comedy, she has just adapted her first feature length film and performed for the 2025/2026 cohort of Scotland's Comedy Platform. She has also written, produced and performed for CBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4, OutTV and Montecristo Magazine. Raveloe (a moniker found within the pages of George Eliot's Silas Marner, about a reclusive weaver) is the project of Glasgow songwriter Kim Grant. She takes inspiration from nature, magical-realism, the spectrum of human experience and emotions, and artists like The Microphones, Big Thief, Jason Molina. Her debut album was Exit Light (2023) and she has headlined at Celtic Connections and been featured on BBC Radio. ★★★★★ 'Triumphant' (All Edinburgh Theatre)★★★★★ 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' (The Wee Review)★★★★★ 'Utterly fabulous' (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)MUST SEE 'Legendary' (Fringe Review) Queer Folks' Tales is supported by Creative Scotland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 13 Jun: 11am) Thigibh agus rannsaichibh clàr nan òran Gàidhlig a sgrìobh is a sheinn Runrig bhon chiad chlàr aca a-riamh Play Gaelic, anns an robh cuid de na h-òrain as motha nan cùrsa-beatha, gu òrain Gàidhlig nas co-aimsireil a chuidich le bhith a’ cumadh sealladh dùthchail na Gàidhlig agus a’ brosnachadh mòran sheinneadairean thar nan 50 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. B’ e Calum agus Ruaraidh MacDhòmhnaill prìomh sgrìobhadairean òrain na Gàidhlig thar nan 50 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh agus chuidich na h-òrain aca le bhith a’ cumadh saoghal seinn na Gàidhlig chun na tha e an-diugh, agus cluinnidh sibh mòran de na h-òrain aca gan cleachdadh aig an fhèis Ghàidhealach as motha san t-saoghal, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail. Come and explore the catalogue of Gaelic songs written and performed by Runrig, from their first ever album Play Gaelic, which included some of the biggest songs of their career, to more contemporary Gaelic songs that helped shape the Gaelic folk scene and inspire many singers over the last 50 years. Calum and Rory Macdonald were the key Gaelic songwriters of the last 50 years, and their songs helped shape the Gaelic singing world to what it is today. Many of their songs are now used at the biggest Gaelic festival in the world, The Royal National Mòd. ~~~~~ Norrie Tago MacIver is a singer-songwriter from the Isle of Lewis, with a reputation as one of Gaelic music’s most versatile and accomplished voices. Until November 2025 he was the lead singer of Skipinnish, one of Scotland’s most popular and dynamic folk bands, for nine years. Known for his powerful voice, melodic flair, and deep roots in Gaelic tradition, Norrie has brought his signature style to sold-out venues across the UK, including the Barrowlands and Edinburgh Castle. In December 2011, Norrie was voted Gaelic Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, and in 2021 he won the Online Performance of the year. He has two solo albums under his name and also released an album of new songs with the Glasgow Barons called Songs of Govan Old.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
Sat 13 June 2026 (2pm), Fri 20 Nov 2026 (7:30pm) Drawing on his family’s Holocaust history, his own experience of disability, and Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom, Iddo Oberski weaves a deeply personal journey with his onstage (puppet) counterpart, Svjetlana, a dialogue that constantly surprises and reveals new layers of understanding. In Balancing in Freedom, Iddo fuses storytelling, movement, puppetry, visual art, music, spoken word, magic, and philosophy into a living artwork that shifts between intimacy and spectacle, exploring what it means to be human, and our ongoing search for freedom, connection, and meaning. Just as you think you know where it’s heading, the performance transforms again, surprising, thought-provoking, and always engaging. Following a sold-out, standing-ovation premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Balancing in Freedom returns to the stage in 2026. Moving, insightful, and unlike any other show, it invites every audience member to take away something unique and personal. After each performance, audiences are invited to take part in a 30-minute facilitated discussion. Written and performed by Iddo Oberski, co-direction and creative mentorship by Mark Kydd. BSL interpreted Fri 20 Nov 7:30pm, interpretation by Rachel Amey. 'Exquisite beyond words.''Your presentation was a most profound and deeply moving one. You managed to combine heart-serious content with art, humour and entertainment.' 'I was struck by your powerful story and the way you told it.' Funded by Creative Scotland. Sponsored by the Authentic Artist Collective and the Salisbury Centre.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 13 & Sun 14 Jun: 7:30pm) A contemporary, poetic yet realistic narrative with a cinematic gaze, engaging with the Europe of tomorrow and bringing audiences into contact with its ordinary people. Set in 2040, in the so-called “Old Neuropa,” four individuals — Xenia, Ingrid, Melina and Aris — move within a landscape of constant control, in a society of limited sovereignty and continuous surveillance. They walk a path that leads either to annihilation or to the so-called people of the caves. Written in 2016 and considered prophetic for its time, The 3% combines video art, cinematic aesthetics and live stage action, moving between realism and dystopian imagination, while approaching contemporary dead ends with humour and subtle irony. With a playful yet deeply human perspective, with hope and proposition, the play explores what freedom and consciousness mean in a world that seems to have stopped desiring them. The play is inspired by the financial crisis experienced by Greece and is written by Eurodram-awarded playwright Vily Sotiropoulou and produced by Greek theatre company Boufoni Theatre Group. Performed in Greek with English surtitles.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 14 Jun: 1pm) Come with family and friends to dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Cèilidh 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 fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 14 Jun: 3pm, 5 Jul & 19 Jul: 2pm) Our lives are stitched with stories. Each of us imagines a story in our own unique way. None more so than children. This project by storyteller Beth Cross provides a quiet informal space for stitching into life children's drawings of stories imprinted on a quilt. Come for the chat and stories, add some stitches, no experience or prior skill required. The quilt currently being worked bears drawings that children of Tiree drew from a session of sea stories. The illustrated quilts provide a place for further children to sit for story sessions adding their own contributions to this living ever evolving record of how stories thread through our lives. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship, with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Tues 17 Mar, 5 May, 16 Jun, 22 Sep & 17 Nov: 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.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 17 Jun: 7pm) What if money wasn’t just background detail—but the driving force of your success story? In Finance and Accounting for Storytellers, you’ll learn how to use the fundamentals of finance and accounting to set yourself up for success and keep you on the right side of the law. This session will be led by Allan Taylor and Alasdair Morton; with a combined 60 years of experience across both business and the third sector, they will lead you through practical frameworks and story-driven examples with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. You will leave with a greater understanding around:• How to set yourself up for success• Pricing, cash flow and ongoing monitoring of income and expenditure• Record keeping and how to keep yourself on the right side of the law• The dreaded T word - Tax!• Some best practices around necessary administration Because every great story has something at stake — and often, it’s money.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Online
(Fri 19 & Sat 20 Jun: 8pm) Strange Town’s Film Groups return to the Storytelling Centre as part of the youth theatre’s Spark Showcase 2026! Strange Town are delighted to present 4 short films made by their Red and Black film groups (ages 11-18). 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from their writer development programme. Zoltar Squeaks by Emily GeesonDream and Little Dream by Marion Geoffray
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 12pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 8-11s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- No More Jazz Hands, No More by Indra WilsonThe Tank by Josh King This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 8-11s (Fridays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 3pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 11-14s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- Life Lessons by Christy GillCrabocalypse by Kelsie Sullivan This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 11-14s (Fridays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 6pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 11-14s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- Sleepers by Zoe BullockHorror Story by Sarah Marie Mooney This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 11-14s (Wednesdays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 21 Jun: 3pm) Celebrate Make Music Day with a free concert by Edinburgh's Sangstream Choir! Sangstream are a community choir led by acclaimed Scottish traditional musician Corrina Dawn (Hewat). For almost 30 years they've been entertaining audiences with an enchanting variety of Scots folk songs, both contemporary and traditional, some well known and others less so, mostly in three-part harmony.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 26 Jun: 7:30pm) Dreams pursued, wishes granted or nightmares uncovered, how far would you go to make your dreams come true? Angus Òg, Lord of Summer, bringer of dreams, is at the height of his powers in this Midsummer season. Stories, songs, riddles, spells in the realm of the 'what if' to enchant the long summer evening. 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. Harriet Grindley is the co-host of the popular storytelling ceilidh series organised by the Burgh Blatherers at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Her stories connect with place, history, myth and community with tales traditional and new. She particularly enjoys using Gaelic, songs, clarsach or concertina, found objects and image to create an immersive and inclusive environment. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 27 Jun: 11am) Jyne award-winnin nor’east folk sangster Ellie Beaton fur a blithesome reenge throu tradeitional Aiberdeenshire ballants fae the Greig-Duncan Folk Sang Collection. Uisin sic routhie resoorces, fowk takkin pairt wull fin oot mair aboot the airt o gaitherin folk sangs, alang wi the distinct ornamentation an style o thon pairt o the kintra. Pit on bi the Tradeitional Music Forum o Scotland. Join North-East folk singer Ellie Beaton for an engaging exploration of traditional Aberdeenshire ballads from the Greig–Duncan Folk Song Collection. Through these rich resources, participants will delve into the art of folk song collecting, while exploring the distinctive ornamentation and style of the region. ~~~~~ Ellie Beaton is a captivating award-winning folk singer hailing from Rothienorman in the North-East of Scotland. With a commanding voice that ripples with warmth and confidence, Ellie effortlessly embodies the timeless spirit of Aberdeenshire’s vibrant singing style whilst blending inspirations from across the globe. Born and raised in Rothienorman, in the heart of Aberdeenshire, she has carved a name for herself as one of the most promising voices in Scotland’s folk scene, being described as “one of the most outstanding voices in Scotland’s folk scene” by the Herald. In February 2025, Ellie was crowned BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year, four years after becoming the youngest ever winner of the MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Year.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sun 28 Jun: 12pm) Try your hand at willow weaving in this beginner-friendly afternoon. Spend a day with professional East Lothian basket maker Jilly Greig learning the basic weaving skills whilst working on a real basket project. Materials provided and no prior experience necessary. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 28 Jun: 7:30pm) The Edinburgh Fringe First winning sell-out smash-hit Kanpur: 1857 returns to where it all started at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Strapped to a cannon, an Indian rebel finds themselves answering to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur – an Indian uprising against British colonial forces. Based on historical events, this play satirises contemporary conflicts around gender, colonial violence, and making art in times of crisis. Written by and starring ‘storytelling genius’ (★★★★ Scotsman) Niall Moorjani, co-directed by and starring Jonathan Oldfield, director of 2024’s Best Newcomer Award-winning show. But who is the hero and who is the villain? Whatever happens, it’s going to be explosive. ★★★★★ (EdFestMag.com)★★★★ (Scotsman)★★★★ (List.co.uk)★★★★ (FestMag.com)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby)★★★★ (EdinburghGuide)★★★★ (Mervyn Stutter) Winner of the Asian Arts Award of Outstanding Production. As featured in the New Yorker. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund. ~~~~~ 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Join us across the year for some familiar faces, some brand new work and one or two surprises to celebrate!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 2 Jul: 7pm) Don’t miss the next fantastic show from Scotland’s premiere spoken word night! For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond. Expect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment. July's showcase will feature Emma Atrim, Spencer Mason, Kareem Parkins-Brown and Diz Undone. Please note, this showcase begins at 7pm, rather than 7:30pm as with previous Loud Poets showcases. This will be the consistent start time for Loud Poets events at the SSC moving forward. “Loud Poets is tearing up the landscape, bringing the ancient art to contemporary audiences – spreading mirth, giggles and talent along the way.” - Corr Blimey “Go listen to Loud Poets and hear them say the things you’ve been trying to say yourself.” - Shane Koyczan “There’s a humour, poignancy and most of all confidence which serves to inspire.” - Scotsman Loud Poets is supported through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 10 Jul: 2pm) When a young girl moves to a new home, her extraordinary bed comes alive and carries her through dreamy worlds of music, play and imagination. Together they discover friendship, courage and the joys of growing up. With playful audience participation, original songs, enchanting visuals and multilingual storytelling with integrated BSL, the audience are invited to dream, laugh and explore in this wonderful musical adventure. Ideal for ages 5+ and their grown-ups, but open to all. Audiences of all ages are warmly invited to join artist Alexandra Borghino for a FREE work-in-progress performance of her new show. Performance will be followed by opportunities to feed back and ask questions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 12 Jul: 2pm) The Little Egret is a graceful white heron with dainty yellow feet which look like they have been dipped in a pot of paint! Native to southern Europe, the bird has made an incredible journey to northern Europe - albeit with climate change playing a part. Factor in the over-eating of this unfortunate bird in centuries past - in 1451, a thousand of the birds were consumed at a banquet in Northumberland - and over-hunting in the quest for feathers to adorn hats in the nineteenth century, it's nothing short of a miracle that it is here and spreading along our very own River Tweed. Funded by Destination Tweed and the Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Borders-based Riddell Fiddles use local photographs and music written especially for the performance to lament and celebrate the meteoric rise of such an eccentric bird. This is a musical event with visuals to showcase the magnificence and resilience of nature. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 23 Jul: 7pm) Estelle and Andrew have been together since university, building a life together - or so Andrew believes. When Estelle unexpectedly ends the relationship, they have to endure a six-week transition period before separating for good. Still living under the same roof, they attempt to navigate the emotional and practical fallout in very different ways. But as tensions rise and old habits persist, both are forced to confront what remains between them - and whether leaving is ever as simple as deciding to go.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 24 Jul: 7pm) Celebrate the launch of the Craigmillar Tapestry Project exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Marking 60 years since the first Craigmillar Festival, celebrate the power of art as a catalyst for social change. Twenty incredible tapestry panels have been stitched by local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, telling the rich and diverse story of the community. The panels are stitched to a very high standard, reflecting the great talent in Craigmillar. The event will feature storytelling by local legend, Heather 'the Blether' Henderson, speeches from people involved in the project over the years and songs of Craigmillar performed, plus talk and presentation from the artist Andrew Crummy MBE (Great Tapestry of Scotland). The original concept was the idea of the late Helen Crummy in 2010 and Andrew subseqently designed and drew the main panels in consultation with the contributors. Soft drinks and snacks will be provided, with the on-site Haggis Box Cafe open for alcoholic beverages. Come along to celebrate the power of community arts and festivals, learn more about the history of Craigmillar and find out more about the Tapestry Project. This event is open to all and there are still panels being developed - add a stitch and tell your story.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 26 Jul: 2pm) Marking 60 years since the first Craigmillar Festival and 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, celebrate the power of art as a catalyst for social change. The Craigmillar Tapestry Project is a community initiative to create a series of tapestry panels representing the rich history of Craigmillar. Designed and stitched by local people with artwork and guidance from artist Andrew Crummy, there are now twenty panels stitched by over five hundred local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, who have incorporated elements telling the rich and diverse story of their community from traditional Syrian stitching to imagery of local landmarks. Drop in to find out more about the story of the tapestry and learn some of the techniques yourself! ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 31 Jul: 7:30pm) 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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sun 2-Mon 31 Aug) The Craigmillar Tapestry Project is a community initiative to create a series of tapestry panels representing the rich history of Craigmillar. Designed and stitched by local people with artwork and guidance from artist Andrew Crummy, there are now twenty panels stitched by over five hundred contributors. The panels are stitched to an incredibly high standard by local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, incorporating elements of their own stories from traditional Syrian stitching to names of local activists and important landmarks. On Sun 26 July, drop-in to find out more about the story of the tapestry, meet some of the contributors and learn some of the techniques yourself!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Wed 5-Sun 16 Aug) Ah, new shoes... Delightful on the feet. Soft dancing slippers, swarthy pirate boots, silver buckles and silken soles; no-one makes shoes like an elf. This well-known and well-loved tale has been re-heeled and polished by Theatre of Widdershins in their own inimitable style. Beautifully crafted set and puppets, sublime music, a kaleidoscope of miniature shoes and a comic mouse make this show a magical must-see. Suitable for all ages and shoe sizes. 'A triumph of intimacy, imagination and enchantment' (CorrBlimey.com, for Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown) Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(6-31 Aug: 4:45pm) Returning to venues across Scotland following a critically-acclaimed tour in 2025, National Theatre of Scotland’s Through the Shortbread Tin is a poetic, poignant and playful show which explores the story of the greatest literary hoax of all time. 1760: Scottish poet James Macpherson sets the world ablaze with stories of the third-century Scottish bard, Ossian - but is it built on deceit? 2026: Martin O’Connor questions his own relationship with Scottish culture. Sporrans, stags, and shortbread; do these gift-shop images hold us back or bring us forward? Performed in Scots with Gaelic songs, Through the Shortbread Tin returns to explore the myths we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves. A National Theatre of Scotland production. Part of the Made In Scotland Showcase 2026.Written by Martin O'ConnorRemount directed by Joanna BowmanOriginal production directed by Lu Kemp 'Witty and provocative' ★★★★ (Guardian)'A tartan-wrapped gift of a show' ★★★★ (Herald)'Fierce, funny and challenging' ★★★★ (Scotsman) BSL interpreted Tue 25 & Sat 29 Aug.Captioned Thu 13 & Sat 22 Aug.Audio described Fri 14 & Mon 24 Aug.Chilled Thu 20 & Sun 30 Aug.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 6-Sun 16 Aug) The diagonal of the square is incommensurable with its side. Few words, but with unexpected implications: a number like this – neither whole nor fraction, thinkable but unknowable, wild, irrational – is a chaos element threatening the very order of things. The step from mathematics to heresy is short, and in Pythagoras’ time, mathematics could even cost you your life. A performance balancing mathematics and storytelling, where the story of Hippasus of Metapontum becomes an occasion to reflect on the role of mathematics in Western culture. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Thu 6-Tue 18 Aug) An incendiary retelling of Homer’s Iliad, sung through the voice of Thetis, Achilles’ mother. Two performers fluidly shifting: god/mortal, mother/warrior, goddess/lover, masculine/feminine, collapsing the boundaries of gender, power and fate. Love – maternal, erotic, spiritual – collides with the brutal machinery of war. Developed through international residencies and informed by artistic exchange with Lebanese and Palestinian artists working amid ongoing conflict, the production refuses nostalgia. Olympus is not distant; it is political, volatile, human. Nearly three millennia later, the epic burns with the same question: who wages war, and who pays the price?
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 7-Sun 23 Aug) Award-winning storyteller Brooke Dunbar brings an immersive, theatrical, comical version of the love story of Romeo and Juliet. Bringing another of the Bard’s plays to the bairns – there's nothing tragic about this story! Back by popular demand after sell-out shows of Macbeth For Bairns at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024 and 2025. Get ready to hit the dance floor at the House of Capulet and get down with the Montagues! Featuring level 2 BSL at performances 21-23 Aug. 'An hour of pure wonder' (CorrBlimey.uk)'Pulls out all the stops for an action-packed, playful, sensory retelling' (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com) Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Tue 11 Aug) On a blustery hilltop, a girl has a big secret to share. Following an ancient tradition, she must "tell the bees" that everything has changed. Step into a world of silver-saddled kelpies, mischievous brownies, and the beautiful song of the selkie, as award-winning Hoglets Theatre brings folk legends to life. Packed with gorgeous puppetry, original music and a hive full of interaction, Telling the Bees is a warm, witty, and imaginative show for ages 5+ about brave hearts, new beginnings, and the magic we carry with us.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face... Where better to hear Robert Burns' famous poem Address to a Haggis than at The Haggis Box Café in the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Drop in to hear a different surprise performer each day deliver a rousing rendition of Burns' ode to the Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race. Traditional, vegan and vegetarian haggis, neeps and tatties will be available to purchase all day with gluten-free options available. Haggis for all!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Fri 7-Fri 29 Aug) Respected by ancient cultures but the archetypal villain in European fairy tales, wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland by the 18th century. Ancient myth, mesmeric imagery and dreamlike soundscapes open a liminal space where Norse gods, Irish shapeshifters and Siberian wolf-children traverse Scottish moors and Transylvanian mountains. Live music stirs the soul. Shadow puppetry and animation portray terror and playfulness. Stories about our oldest ally ask: in the absence of the wolf, what is lost? Originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024. 'Powerful and magical' ★★★★ (List)'Richly textured' ★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk) BSL interpreted Sun 9 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Sat 22) One chair. One question. Sit with us for a moment. In this gentle one-to-one encounter, you’re invited to share an idea you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t yet. Step One is a quiet participatory artwork by Short Supply, exploring the moment before something begins. Each meeting lasts a few minutes and unfolds differently depending on who sits down. In the middle of the Edinburgh Fringe, this piece offers a pause from the noise – a space to reflect, speak freely and acknowledge the ideas we carry but rarely say out loud.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Leaping salmon, fishtail women, mythical raves and sacred springs – these legends celebrate those who question the fixed and find their own flow. Troubled Waters transports audiences into a world where ancient folklore intertwines with contemporary themes. Whether you come for the laughs or the watery wisdom, you'll dip your toes into vital waters and explore what moves beneath the surface. Described by audiences as ‘delicious’, ‘captivating', ‘sexy’ and ‘brilliant’, this storytelling show explores our connection to waterways, wetlands and their inhabitants. 'Genuinely very funny... A masterful storyteller’ (BackstageBristol.com) BSL interpreted Thu 13 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Mon 31 Aug) Common Tongue is a play aboot imperfect Scots. A fast-paced, riotous one-person show exploring the impact of language, identity and their intersections in Scotland. Bonnie’s life has been defined by words; the right ones, the wrong ones and the ones used against her. Now, Bonnie has a chance to speak about it. But she’s not really sure what she’s going to say, or how she’s going to say it. Written and directed by Fraser Scott (director, Athens of the North), this ‘quick-witted, damning, and gorgeous’ (★★★★★ CorrBlimey.uk) play is delivered with deft humour and big heart. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Mon 17 Aug) Hamlet has the questions. Do you have the answers? A prince of Denmark needs your help. Take on the roles, journey through the play and resolve the great questions of life together, immersed in the story as never before. From multi award-winning Brite Theater, creators of Richard III (a one-person show) and Deliverance. Starring Emily Carding, directed by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. ‘Sigfusdottir’s adaptation and Carding’s sensitive interpretation provide a shortcut to the empathy that many Hamlets crave but seldom achieve’ ★★★★ (Stage)‘Will leave you feeling closer and more empathetic to Hamlet than ever before’ ★★★★★ (TheFrontRowCenter.com).
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Tue 18 Aug) Returning to the Edinburgh Fringe, to the venue where it won a Herald Angel Award and built a reputation as a smash hit of modern Scottish theatre, Thunderstruck is the tragic, comic and epic tale of the greatest bagpiper that ever lived. The story of a Pitlochry bin man who rocked tradition, flew beyond the summit of his art and changed Scottish music forever. Whatever notions you have of bagpipes, leave them at the door. 'A stunning, staggering piece of modern Scottish folk theatre' ★★★★★ (BritishTheatreGuide.info)'Elucidating, charming and rip-roaringly inspirational' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)'Masterful' ★★★★ (BroadwayWorld.com)★★★★ (Fest)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Thu 27 Aug) Enlightenment Edinburgh. Robert Burns and Walter Scott meet only once, at a salon in the Sciennes home of Adam Fergusson. Or so history tells us. In the School of Scottish Studies archives, a Scottish Traveller recounts another version; a fantastical gathering of 'all the great writers', locked in poetic flyting – until tragedy strikes. Scots folksinger Kirsty Law weaves together documented fact, imagined rivalry and a childhood memory of hearing the tale in the very building where it happened. A meditation on truth and fiction, and on the ordinary people who quietly carry on Scotland's living tradition.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sat 7-Sun 30 Aug) To celebrate 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, join some of our amazing tellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from around the world. Expect folk tales, fairie tales, myths and legends, stories handed down to inspire and entertain across generations. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories of their choosing! Performer Schedule
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sat 8-Sat 29 Aug) Multi-instrumentalist Tom Oakes returns with Forge. Traditional music is set against live composition and improvisation, threaded with archive broadcast and new writing by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. Stories of resistance surface in sound and speech, carried in music that changes from night to night. Forge is a new work building the 2024 hit The Hearth, which was nominated for Best New Work at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before appearing at major festivals including Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Mon 10-Sun 23 Aug) The greatest stories have always opened our eyes, pricked our ears and loosened our tongues; not easy when the chaos makes us want to bury our heads. When faced with injustice, oppression and tyranny how long can we afford compliance? How long do we excuse the beast once it has learned to bite? Two traditional storytellers rally myths, legends and folk songs in this rousing call to arms. Now is the time to pull our heads from the sand, look darkness in the eye and make a stand.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 12 Aug) Following acclaimed performances at Adelaide Fringe and sell-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe, Morna Burdon brings Bonnie Fechters home to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of A Triptych for Our Times, a ten-year celebration of her acclaimed one-woman shows. Bonnie Fechters stand up for themselves or what they believe in. Morna weaves an inspiring tapestry of songs and stories, shedding light on remarkable women whose courage, love, inventiveness and human spirit ripple through time to affect us all – whether we know it or not. ‘Deeply moving... mellow singing... charismatic’ ★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 12, Wed 19 & Wed 26 Aug) The 5-star, award-winning hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its fourth Fringe; camper, fruitier and queerer than ever! Host Turan Ali takes time out from his BBC shows to scour the Fringe for the best queer talent, creating a diverse line-up of artists to share hilarious, surprising, sobering tales, songs and epic poems. Expect jaw-dropping insights into LGBTQ+ lives past, present and future. 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'[A] rich fruitcake of an evening' Must See Show 2025 (FringeReview.co.uk)'Triumphant' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 13, Thu 20 & Thu 27 Aug) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best live poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music thrills poetry lovers and turns sceptics into fans. Catch the Loud Poets themselves – Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean – with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest every show. 'Joyous smorgasbord of words' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Funny, fierce and finely-tuned' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Astonishing range of spoken-word talent' ★★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'The most reliably entertaining spoken word night at the Fringe' ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) BSL interpreted Thu 27 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 15 & Sun 23 Aug) Allow me to give you some advice, Billy... Alan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, performs as two Scottish cultural giants, asking what (might’ve!) happened when Billy Connolly attended the launch for Alasdair Gray’s 1981 masterpiece, Lanark. Bissett unearths the origin stories of these Glasgow geniuses, exploring their struggles in an uplifting tale of triumph against the odds. Directed by Kirstin McLean. Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe 2025. Longlisted for Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award 2025.★★★★★ (BritishTheatreGuide.info)★★★★★ (National)★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.co.uk)★★★★ (Herald)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Tue 18-Sat 22 Aug) Atop a far-off mountain, birds gather to perch on the fate-shaping hands of an old mountain man – stories stirring in the murmuration, waiting to glide into the human world. In this Harebell Tellers production, traditional storytellers Ailsa Dixon and Ffion Phillips follow the flight paths of bird mythology across ancient Britain; oceans, forests, in and out of this world and that. Weaving together Welsh and Scots language, music and story into a meditative hour of storytelling magic, breathing new life into ancient myths and re-enchanting old folktales. 'A captivating hour of bardic wonder' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 19 Aug) Courage, creativity and resilience are celebrated as Morna Burdon highlights women worldwide who have found inventive, daring ways to rebel against war and take a stand for peace. Threaded through with songs and punctuated with humour, this moving spoken word show also looks at how war affects the loved ones of these brave women. Part of A Triptych for Our Times, a celebration marking ten years of Morna's acclaimed one-woman Fringe shows. 'With her first song Morna Burdon plunges us straight into the brilliantly dark humour with which women have creatively waged peace' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com)★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 19-Sun 30 Aug) Niall Moorjani (Fringe First winner) and Ailsa Dixon (★★★★★, Scotsman) present an evocative and moving exploration of what it is to be human, as they lyrically synthesise storytelling with live music and Orcadian folk song. Come for the music, stories and songs, stay for the deep exploration of trans experience in Scotland today, through three queered and reimagined selkie stories set in past, present and future. BSL interpreted Fri 21 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.Captioned Sat 22 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill. Image credit Binski
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 21-Sat 22 Aug) Across northern England, roads wend their way through picturesque countryside. Ancient dry stone walls hold the ghostly stories of the dead that were carried past on these secret and haunted trails. The Corpse Road follows the rise and fall, the twists and turns of these paths to tell the tale of characters that were carried to their final resting place. Storyteller Daniel Serridge and musician Heather Cartwright weave together story and song in this evocative and unnerving folkloric journey to the grave. 'Captivating storytelling' ★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'A Fringe must-see' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk, for Orpheus/Orfeo) Captioned Sat 22 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22, Sun 23, Sat 29 & Sun 30 Aug) When a young girl moves to a new home, her extraordinary bed comes alive and carries her through dreamy worlds of music, play and imagination. Together they discover friendship, courage and the joys of growing up. With playful audience participation, original songs, enchanting visuals and multilingual storytelling with integrated BSL, the audience are invited to dream, laugh and explore in this wonderful musical adventure. Ideal for ages 5+ and their grown-ups, but open to all. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book. Image credit Alexandra Borghino
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22-Sun 30 Aug) Or, Benjamin Franklin’s Scottish Enlightenment. The Founding Father loved Edinburgh. He visited in 1759 and made pals with David Hume and Adam Smith. But what does Auld Reekie have to do with America's Declaration of Independence? Exactly 250 years after the Declaration, Rick Conte retraces his countryman's steps in a warm, funny and historically grounded account of how Enlightenment Edinburgh influenced a nation, and how a native of that nation found a home here centuries later. 'Delightful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'A beguiling show' ★★★★ (Scotsman)'Storytelling at its best!' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com)'Heartwarming' ★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com) Captioned Mon 24 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22-Sun 30 Aug) Witch! Hag! Spinster! Words are powerful – even one can tell a whole story. This storytelling show welcomes you into the spinster's cottage, but what will you find there? A financially independent woman with a honed skill and craft, or an evil-doing hag waiting to snatch your child? Journey through three Scottish folktales that illustrate the change in the meaning of the word spinster, and thus the changing role of women in the Middle Ages. Spin together the threads of ancient tales and unpick the tapestry of the demonisation of women with storyteller Frankie Regalia.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sun 23-Mon 24 Aug) A young girl wears her heart on her sleeve. Her father struggles to support the family and accepts a devastating offer from a strange figure... Can a woman without hands reach into a pool of dark memories to reclaim her own future? Based on the Grimm story of the Handless Maiden, this storytelling show explores disability and resilience in the face of trauma and societal expectations. Cara Silversmith has lived with a chronic condition for most of her adult life. Her storytelling celebrates diverse identities, the environment and the creation of a better world.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Mon 24-Sun 30 Aug) Shetland storyteller and comedian Marjolein Robertson travels across the sea to the UK’s most northerly isles for an hour of immersive tales – beautiful, sad, funny and magical. Told with Marjolein's signature mix of Shetlandic and English, enjoy the mother tongue of the once-Nordic lands on your escape to another world. 'Robertson is simply outstanding' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)'Hauntingly lyrical storytelling' ★★★★★ (List)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 26 Aug) Artificial intelligence, Thatcher's children, Gaza, the actions of the homed, the voices of the homeless, Scots language and the joy of blowing raspberries. A critically-acclaimed combination of personal and political poetry and song. Morna Burdon's unique perspectives and observations offer incisive, gentle, provocative, poetic contributions to the wider story we all share. Interspersed with stories and songs ranging from climate change and immigration to that need we all have sometimes to just scream! Part of A Triptych for Our Times, a celebration marking ten years of Morna's acclaimed one-woman Fringe shows. ★★★★(NorthWestEnd.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 26-Sun 30 Aug) England, 1945. The lives of two strangers are changed forever by a chance meeting at a railway station. But this isn't Brief Encounter... We're all extras in the lives of others, but the stars of our own. What happens when you pan the camera away from the leading players? Mark Kydd’s solo show turns the spotlight onto a supporting artist with his own surprising tale of first, forbidden love. Our Martin in the Background is the queer love story Noël Coward didn't write. ★★★★ (Scotsman)★★★★ (QueerGuru.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 9 Sep: 7pm) What still lives in the wild places beyond our ordered lives? Monsters, magic and tricksters, or our fortune and our freedom? Join the Burgh Blatherers for a series of regular open-floor storytelling nights 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 Edinburgh's own storytelling club who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 11 & Sat 12 Sep) Making stories fun for everyone! Join My Kind of Book for a packed two-day programme of sharing, discussion and inspiration. Discover practical ideas for sharing stories with people with additional needs. Join in the stimulating discussions around creating accessible books. Be inspired by the amazing creativity of the leaders in this field from across the UK and beyond, and discover the organisations providing books and stories for people with additional needs. Plus tea, chat and the chance to swap story and book ideas at shared practice sessions. For parents, teachers, authors, illustrators, librarians, storytellers and anyone who wants to celebrate the fantastic ways books and stories are being made accessible, especially for those with additional needs, the Accessible Book & Story Festival also includes a programme of story sessions for children with additional needs and their families. Keep an eye out for details coming soon. Programme Day 1: Fri 11 SepChoose from a wonderful programme including workshops on sensory, haptic and tactile storytelling, presentations on up-to-date inclusive books and discussions on how picture books can be made more accessible for children with additional needs with organisations from across the UK engaged in this exciting work. Day 2: Sat 12 SepChoose from an exciting programme of workshops for day two! Learn about including props, rhythm, music and tech when you are sharing books and stories with people with additional needs. Be inspired by the tactile books of the renowned French tactile book organisation Les Doigts Qui Rêvent. For more information about the festival go the My Kind of Book website. Then click back to here to buy your tickets! Made possible by the support of Creative Scotland.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 25 Sep: 7:30pm) 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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 26 Sep: 7:30pm) The moon begins to form as the moon spinners wash their wool in the sea, winding it again into a white ball in the sky and re-creating the phases and cycles that guide our seasons, and our stories... Join us for our quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, with live storytelling, music, song and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhuinn) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, cosmic joy, transformation, death and rebirth. ~~~~~ Moonspinners events will follow two distinct phases, with the first half of performance in the Netherbow Theatre, followed by a social and conversational flow upstairs in the Storytelling Court with a chance to digest and discuss the stories amongst friends old and new. Mark it in your diary, or just follow the moon to guide you here! ~~~~~ Image credit: Hester Aspland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 16 Oct: 7pm) Don’t miss the next fantastic show from Scotland’s premiere spoken word night! For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond. Expect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment. Please note, this showcase begins at 7pm, rather than 7:30pm as with previous Loud Poets showcases. This will be the consistent start time for Loud Poets events at the SSC moving forward. “Loud Poets is tearing up the landscape, bringing the ancient art to contemporary audiences – spreading mirth, giggles and talent along the way.” - Corr Blimey “Go listen to Loud Poets and hear them say the things you’ve been trying to say yourself.” - Shane Koyczan “There’s a humour, poignancy and most of all confidence which serves to inspire.” - Scotsman Loud Poets is supported through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Tu 3-Fri 6 Nov: 7:30pm) How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be “art”? Serge has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To his friend Marc, the painting is a joke. To Serge, this merely proves that Marc is an intellectual who cannot understand art. Their friend Yvan tries and fails to placate both sides as he gets pulled into the stand-off. Lines are drawn, and what began as a disagreement over a piece of art soon escalates into something that could destroy both their friendship and the painting. Christopher Hampton’s translation of Yasmina Reza’s stage play had its British premiere at Wyndham's Theatre, London in 1996. It won Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Comedy, and New York Drama Critics' Circle and Tony Awards for Best Play. 'Anyone looking for a play that is funny, sophisticated, stylish, stimulating and moving should go to Art.' (Independent)'A remarkably wise, witty and intelligent comedy. Art has touched a universal nerve.' (Times)
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Tue 24 Nov: 7:30pm) The moon begins to form as the moon spinners wash their wool in the sea, winding it again into a white ball in the sky and re-creating the phases and cycles that guide our seasons, and our stories... Join us for our quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, with live storytelling, music, song and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhuinn) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, cosmic joy, transformation, death and rebirth. ~~~~~ Moonspinners events will follow two distinct phases, with the first half of performance in the Netherbow Theatre, followed by a social and conversational flow upstairs in the Storytelling Court with a chance to digest and discuss the stories amongst friends old and new. Mark it in your diary, or just follow the moon to guide you here! ~~~~~ Image credit: Hester Aspland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Wed 9 Dec: 7pm) Nights are growing long and dark. Cold nips the air. It’s time to braid our evergreen circle - time to join the Burgh Blatherers for their Winter Warmer. Members of Edinburgh's own storytelling club present a heartfelt season finale to their year of storytelling ceilidhs and fan the embers of the year into flame of warming cheer and conviviality. Sit back and enjoy!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Online On-Demand) Another Story is our podcast series exploring some of the themes featured in recent festivals. Tune in to hear some wonderful storytellers share their favourite tales and chat about storytelling in Scotland and beyond. So 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
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
(Sat 30 May-Sun 7 Jun) The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is coming back this year from Saturday 30 May-Sunday 7 June, with an exciting line up of performances for children aged 0-15yrs and their families. You can expect a jam-packed programme of circus, dance, storytelling and theatre, full of joy and surprises to savour as a family. Many of the shows in the nine-day international programme are visually striking, brimming with humour and designed to appeal to children and their adults. From joyful circus extravaganza to intimate immersive experiences, from a play tackling bullying to a stage filled by a giant disco box, the programme has got something for everyone. The Festival opens with a Family Day of free pop-up performances and arts activities at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 30 May. Find out more and book tickets today via the button below! Tickets
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 15 May-Sun 21 Jun) Should your path lead you to the Scottish Storytelling Centre, artist Sylvia Troon invites you to step into Pathways - an exhibition of paintings accompanied by poems, exploring the journeys we all take. 'The landscape around me provides endless inspiration. It teaches me about light, colour, composition and atmosphere. Pathways, tracks and country roads, take me on journeys of discovery and invention. Teaming up with Lea and her poetry adds a new meaning to my painting, as she opens my eyes to new interpretations. We hope your pathway which takes you to the exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, provides a thought-provoking and enjoyable experience.' - Sylvia Troon ~~~~~ Lea Taylor is a writer, storyteller and poet whose work often explores personal stories, memory and the threads that connect people and place. Although relatively new to writing poetry, it was through her long standing collaboration with artist Sylvia Troon that this aspect of her work began to take shape. Working together for over a decade, their creative partnership is built on shared ideas, trust and an instinctive understanding of each other's work. Painter and illustrator Sylvia Troon lives in The Gauldry, in North Fife, where coast and landscape offer endless inspiration to a path-wanderer like her. She studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art and has subsequently enjoyed a varied career including teaching, puppetry, illustration and storytelling.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Thu 4-Sun 7 Jun, Various times) Sent to the attic to think things over, Violette find herself surrounded by memories of her grandpa: his farewell party, the scary stories he used to tell her at night and even their crazy pickle recipes. So she decides to send him a letter to the moon, to tell him about the intense emotions and questions that make up her daily life. Where do you go when you’re dead? Can you have two crushes at once? Since I can see the moon, does that mean it’s closer than Spain? From sea storms to lunar landings, Violette dives into her wild imagination with humour and tenderness to bring everyday objects to life, and draws the audience into accomplices in her whirlwind adventure. ~~~~~ The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is coming back this year from Saturday 30 May-Sunday 7 June, with an exciting line up of performances for children aged 0-15yrs and their families. You can expect a jam-packed programme of circus, dance, storytelling and theatre, full of joy and surprises to savour as a family. Book tickets for this show and many more via the button below! Tickets
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fortnightly on Mondays: 7pm) Join us for fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, award-winning poetry! Loud Poets invite poets to share their work at their regular open mic, now taking place at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court. All styles of poetry are welcome and with a different feature performer every time, this event offers a supportive, creative environment for all. Doors will open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start with two short intervals, wrapping up around 9.30pm. Loud Poets will be managing sign-ups. To sign up to perform, please fill out the sign-up form for the date on which you'd like to perform. This form will close one week before the event, after which they will email you to let you know if you have a guaranteed performance spot. Two spots are always left open to be filled by random draw from poets who sign up on the door. Slots are five minutes and poets are welcome to perform as many or few poems as you would like within that time. You are welcome to go under the five minutes, but please do not go over out of respect to your fellow performers. A message from Loud Poets about this event:"At our open mic and all of our events, we endeavour to create a safe, welcoming space for all to attend and share their work. We ask performers to be respectful of the diversity of our experiences. We do not tolerate any forms of discrimination and harassment. Don't punch down. Performers and attendees who violate this policy will be asked to leave." The Loud Poets Open Mic is organised by I Am Loud CIC, through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding. It is produced and hosted by Mark Gallie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 10 Jun: 7pm) The sun is high in the sky and the long road beckons! Take us on a journey with travelling tales from near or far. Join the Burgh Blatherers for a series of regular open-floor storytelling nights 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 Edinburgh's own storytelling club who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 12 Jun: 7:30pm) Queer Folks’ Tales continues its fifth year in the Scottish home of storytelling, with rave reviews and even an award under its belt! Celebrate the start of summer 2026 with LGBTQ+ storytellers galore from around Edinburgh and Scotland sharing stories of queer lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories is as varied as the range of performers we invite. Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the tales told will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali, who is joined in June by stand-up Heather Ross, crime novelist Emma Christie and musician Raveloe. Turan Ali has been a producer, director and writer of BBC radio dramas and comedies for over 25 years. He’s been a stage storyteller since 2012, and a stand up since 2019. He tours internationally, just completed an east Asian stand-up tour to Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, and has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. He’s the creator, producer and host of Queer Folks’ Tales for which he won the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award 2024. QFT now tours across Scotland year round and is Creative Scotland funded. Emma Christie has written 4 psychological thrillers set in Edinburgh’s Portobello. Her debut novel The Silent Daughter was shortlisted for Bloody Scotland’s esteemed McIlvanney Prize and for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021. Her latest novel Watch Your Back was described as ‘superb’ by Ian Rankin and was named as Thriller of the Month in The Times. She also runs Write and Walk retreats - which combine writing sessions with spectacular walks in Spain. She’s currently working on her 5th novel Heather Kondak Ross is a Scottish-Canadian writer and performer based in Edinburgh. Along with creating award-winning shorts and sketches with her comedy group Get Your Goat Comedy, she has just adapted her first feature length film and performed for the 2025/2026 cohort of Scotland's Comedy Platform. She has also written, produced and performed for CBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4, OutTV and Montecristo Magazine. Raveloe (a moniker found within the pages of George Eliot's Silas Marner, about a reclusive weaver) is the project of Glasgow songwriter Kim Grant. She takes inspiration from nature, magical-realism, the spectrum of human experience and emotions, and artists like The Microphones, Big Thief, Jason Molina. Her debut album was Exit Light (2023) and she has headlined at Celtic Connections and been featured on BBC Radio. ★★★★★ 'Triumphant' (All Edinburgh Theatre)★★★★★ 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' (The Wee Review)★★★★★ 'Utterly fabulous' (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)MUST SEE 'Legendary' (Fringe Review) Queer Folks' Tales is supported by Creative Scotland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 13 Jun: 11am) Thigibh agus rannsaichibh clàr nan òran Gàidhlig a sgrìobh is a sheinn Runrig bhon chiad chlàr aca a-riamh Play Gaelic, anns an robh cuid de na h-òrain as motha nan cùrsa-beatha, gu òrain Gàidhlig nas co-aimsireil a chuidich le bhith a’ cumadh sealladh dùthchail na Gàidhlig agus a’ brosnachadh mòran sheinneadairean thar nan 50 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. B’ e Calum agus Ruaraidh MacDhòmhnaill prìomh sgrìobhadairean òrain na Gàidhlig thar nan 50 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh agus chuidich na h-òrain aca le bhith a’ cumadh saoghal seinn na Gàidhlig chun na tha e an-diugh, agus cluinnidh sibh mòran de na h-òrain aca gan cleachdadh aig an fhèis Ghàidhealach as motha san t-saoghal, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail. Come and explore the catalogue of Gaelic songs written and performed by Runrig, from their first ever album Play Gaelic, which included some of the biggest songs of their career, to more contemporary Gaelic songs that helped shape the Gaelic folk scene and inspire many singers over the last 50 years. Calum and Rory Macdonald were the key Gaelic songwriters of the last 50 years, and their songs helped shape the Gaelic singing world to what it is today. Many of their songs are now used at the biggest Gaelic festival in the world, The Royal National Mòd. ~~~~~ Norrie Tago MacIver is a singer-songwriter from the Isle of Lewis, with a reputation as one of Gaelic music’s most versatile and accomplished voices. Until November 2025 he was the lead singer of Skipinnish, one of Scotland’s most popular and dynamic folk bands, for nine years. Known for his powerful voice, melodic flair, and deep roots in Gaelic tradition, Norrie has brought his signature style to sold-out venues across the UK, including the Barrowlands and Edinburgh Castle. In December 2011, Norrie was voted Gaelic Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, and in 2021 he won the Online Performance of the year. He has two solo albums under his name and also released an album of new songs with the Glasgow Barons called Songs of Govan Old.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
Sat 13 June 2026 (2pm), Fri 20 Nov 2026 (7:30pm) Drawing on his family’s Holocaust history, his own experience of disability, and Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom, Iddo Oberski weaves a deeply personal journey with his onstage (puppet) counterpart, Svjetlana, a dialogue that constantly surprises and reveals new layers of understanding. In Balancing in Freedom, Iddo fuses storytelling, movement, puppetry, visual art, music, spoken word, magic, and philosophy into a living artwork that shifts between intimacy and spectacle, exploring what it means to be human, and our ongoing search for freedom, connection, and meaning. Just as you think you know where it’s heading, the performance transforms again, surprising, thought-provoking, and always engaging. Following a sold-out, standing-ovation premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Balancing in Freedom returns to the stage in 2026. Moving, insightful, and unlike any other show, it invites every audience member to take away something unique and personal. After each performance, audiences are invited to take part in a 30-minute facilitated discussion. Written and performed by Iddo Oberski, co-direction and creative mentorship by Mark Kydd. BSL interpreted Fri 20 Nov 7:30pm, interpretation by Rachel Amey. 'Exquisite beyond words.''Your presentation was a most profound and deeply moving one. You managed to combine heart-serious content with art, humour and entertainment.' 'I was struck by your powerful story and the way you told it.' Funded by Creative Scotland. Sponsored by the Authentic Artist Collective and the Salisbury Centre.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 13 & Sun 14 Jun: 7:30pm) A contemporary, poetic yet realistic narrative with a cinematic gaze, engaging with the Europe of tomorrow and bringing audiences into contact with its ordinary people. Set in 2040, in the so-called “Old Neuropa,” four individuals — Xenia, Ingrid, Melina and Aris — move within a landscape of constant control, in a society of limited sovereignty and continuous surveillance. They walk a path that leads either to annihilation or to the so-called people of the caves. Written in 2016 and considered prophetic for its time, The 3% combines video art, cinematic aesthetics and live stage action, moving between realism and dystopian imagination, while approaching contemporary dead ends with humour and subtle irony. With a playful yet deeply human perspective, with hope and proposition, the play explores what freedom and consciousness mean in a world that seems to have stopped desiring them. The play is inspired by the financial crisis experienced by Greece and is written by Eurodram-awarded playwright Vily Sotiropoulou and produced by Greek theatre company Boufoni Theatre Group. Performed in Greek with English surtitles.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 14 Jun: 1pm) Come with family and friends to dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Cèilidh 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 fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 14 Jun: 3pm, 5 Jul & 19 Jul: 2pm) Our lives are stitched with stories. Each of us imagines a story in our own unique way. None more so than children. This project by storyteller Beth Cross provides a quiet informal space for stitching into life children's drawings of stories imprinted on a quilt. Come for the chat and stories, add some stitches, no experience or prior skill required. The quilt currently being worked bears drawings that children of Tiree drew from a session of sea stories. The illustrated quilts provide a place for further children to sit for story sessions adding their own contributions to this living ever evolving record of how stories thread through our lives. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship, with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Tues 17 Mar, 5 May, 16 Jun, 22 Sep & 17 Nov: 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.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 17 Jun: 7pm) What if money wasn’t just background detail—but the driving force of your success story? In Finance and Accounting for Storytellers, you’ll learn how to use the fundamentals of finance and accounting to set yourself up for success and keep you on the right side of the law. This session will be led by Allan Taylor and Alasdair Morton; with a combined 60 years of experience across both business and the third sector, they will lead you through practical frameworks and story-driven examples with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. You will leave with a greater understanding around:• How to set yourself up for success• Pricing, cash flow and ongoing monitoring of income and expenditure• Record keeping and how to keep yourself on the right side of the law• The dreaded T word - Tax!• Some best practices around necessary administration Because every great story has something at stake — and often, it’s money.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Online
(Fri 19 & Sat 20 Jun: 8pm) Strange Town’s Film Groups return to the Storytelling Centre as part of the youth theatre’s Spark Showcase 2026! Strange Town are delighted to present 4 short films made by their Red and Black film groups (ages 11-18). 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from their writer development programme. Zoltar Squeaks by Emily GeesonDream and Little Dream by Marion Geoffray
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 12pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 8-11s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- No More Jazz Hands, No More by Indra WilsonThe Tank by Josh King This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 8-11s (Fridays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 3pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 11-14s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- Life Lessons by Christy GillCrabocalypse by Kelsie Sullivan This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 11-14s (Fridays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 20 Jun: 6pm) Strange Town’s youth theatre groups return to the Storytelling Centre with their second ever Spark Showcase. Come and see a handful of short performances created from sparks of ideas from the 11-14s! The group will present 4 short pieces, 2 created entirely by members of the group and 2 written with emerging writers from our writers development programme- Sleepers by Zoe BullockHorror Story by Sarah Marie Mooney This show is created and performed by the Strange Town 11-14s (Wednesdays).
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 21 Jun: 3pm) Celebrate Make Music Day with a free concert by Edinburgh's Sangstream Choir! Sangstream are a community choir led by acclaimed Scottish traditional musician Corrina Dawn (Hewat). For almost 30 years they've been entertaining audiences with an enchanting variety of Scots folk songs, both contemporary and traditional, some well known and others less so, mostly in three-part harmony.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 26 Jun: 7:30pm) Dreams pursued, wishes granted or nightmares uncovered, how far would you go to make your dreams come true? Angus Òg, Lord of Summer, bringer of dreams, is at the height of his powers in this Midsummer season. Stories, songs, riddles, spells in the realm of the 'what if' to enchant the long summer evening. 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. Harriet Grindley is the co-host of the popular storytelling ceilidh series organised by the Burgh Blatherers at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Her stories connect with place, history, myth and community with tales traditional and new. She particularly enjoys using Gaelic, songs, clarsach or concertina, found objects and image to create an immersive and inclusive environment. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 27 Jun: 11am) Jyne award-winnin nor’east folk sangster Ellie Beaton fur a blithesome reenge throu tradeitional Aiberdeenshire ballants fae the Greig-Duncan Folk Sang Collection. Uisin sic routhie resoorces, fowk takkin pairt wull fin oot mair aboot the airt o gaitherin folk sangs, alang wi the distinct ornamentation an style o thon pairt o the kintra. Pit on bi the Tradeitional Music Forum o Scotland. Join North-East folk singer Ellie Beaton for an engaging exploration of traditional Aberdeenshire ballads from the Greig–Duncan Folk Song Collection. Through these rich resources, participants will delve into the art of folk song collecting, while exploring the distinctive ornamentation and style of the region. ~~~~~ Ellie Beaton is a captivating award-winning folk singer hailing from Rothienorman in the North-East of Scotland. With a commanding voice that ripples with warmth and confidence, Ellie effortlessly embodies the timeless spirit of Aberdeenshire’s vibrant singing style whilst blending inspirations from across the globe. Born and raised in Rothienorman, in the heart of Aberdeenshire, she has carved a name for herself as one of the most promising voices in Scotland’s folk scene, being described as “one of the most outstanding voices in Scotland’s folk scene” by the Herald. In February 2025, Ellie was crowned BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year, four years after becoming the youngest ever winner of the MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Year.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sun 28 Jun: 12pm) Try your hand at willow weaving in this beginner-friendly afternoon. Spend a day with professional East Lothian basket maker Jilly Greig learning the basic weaving skills whilst working on a real basket project. Materials provided and no prior experience necessary. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 28 Jun: 7:30pm) The Edinburgh Fringe First winning sell-out smash-hit Kanpur: 1857 returns to where it all started at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Strapped to a cannon, an Indian rebel finds themselves answering to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur – an Indian uprising against British colonial forces. Based on historical events, this play satirises contemporary conflicts around gender, colonial violence, and making art in times of crisis. Written by and starring ‘storytelling genius’ (★★★★ Scotsman) Niall Moorjani, co-directed by and starring Jonathan Oldfield, director of 2024’s Best Newcomer Award-winning show. But who is the hero and who is the villain? Whatever happens, it’s going to be explosive. ★★★★★ (EdFestMag.com)★★★★ (Scotsman)★★★★ (List.co.uk)★★★★ (FestMag.com)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby)★★★★ (EdinburghGuide)★★★★ (Mervyn Stutter) Winner of the Asian Arts Award of Outstanding Production. As featured in the New Yorker. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund. ~~~~~ 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Join us across the year for some familiar faces, some brand new work and one or two surprises to celebrate!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 2 Jul: 7pm) Don’t miss the next fantastic show from Scotland’s premiere spoken word night! For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond. Expect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment. July's showcase will feature Emma Atrim, Spencer Mason, Kareem Parkins-Brown and Diz Undone. Please note, this showcase begins at 7pm, rather than 7:30pm as with previous Loud Poets showcases. This will be the consistent start time for Loud Poets events at the SSC moving forward. “Loud Poets is tearing up the landscape, bringing the ancient art to contemporary audiences – spreading mirth, giggles and talent along the way.” - Corr Blimey “Go listen to Loud Poets and hear them say the things you’ve been trying to say yourself.” - Shane Koyczan “There’s a humour, poignancy and most of all confidence which serves to inspire.” - Scotsman Loud Poets is supported through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 10 Jul: 2pm) When a young girl moves to a new home, her extraordinary bed comes alive and carries her through dreamy worlds of music, play and imagination. Together they discover friendship, courage and the joys of growing up. With playful audience participation, original songs, enchanting visuals and multilingual storytelling with integrated BSL, the audience are invited to dream, laugh and explore in this wonderful musical adventure. Ideal for ages 5+ and their grown-ups, but open to all. Audiences of all ages are warmly invited to join artist Alexandra Borghino for a FREE work-in-progress performance of her new show. Performance will be followed by opportunities to feed back and ask questions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 12 Jul: 2pm) The Little Egret is a graceful white heron with dainty yellow feet which look like they have been dipped in a pot of paint! Native to southern Europe, the bird has made an incredible journey to northern Europe - albeit with climate change playing a part. Factor in the over-eating of this unfortunate bird in centuries past - in 1451, a thousand of the birds were consumed at a banquet in Northumberland - and over-hunting in the quest for feathers to adorn hats in the nineteenth century, it's nothing short of a miracle that it is here and spreading along our very own River Tweed. Funded by Destination Tweed and the Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Borders-based Riddell Fiddles use local photographs and music written especially for the performance to lament and celebrate the meteoric rise of such an eccentric bird. This is a musical event with visuals to showcase the magnificence and resilience of nature. ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 23 Jul: 7pm) Estelle and Andrew have been together since university, building a life together - or so Andrew believes. When Estelle unexpectedly ends the relationship, they have to endure a six-week transition period before separating for good. Still living under the same roof, they attempt to navigate the emotional and practical fallout in very different ways. But as tensions rise and old habits persist, both are forced to confront what remains between them - and whether leaving is ever as simple as deciding to go.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 24 Jul: 7pm) Celebrate the launch of the Craigmillar Tapestry Project exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Marking 60 years since the first Craigmillar Festival, celebrate the power of art as a catalyst for social change. Twenty incredible tapestry panels have been stitched by local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, telling the rich and diverse story of the community. The panels are stitched to a very high standard, reflecting the great talent in Craigmillar. The event will feature storytelling by local legend, Heather 'the Blether' Henderson, speeches from people involved in the project over the years and songs of Craigmillar performed, plus talk and presentation from the artist Andrew Crummy MBE (Great Tapestry of Scotland). The original concept was the idea of the late Helen Crummy in 2010 and Andrew subseqently designed and drew the main panels in consultation with the contributors. Soft drinks and snacks will be provided, with the on-site Haggis Box Cafe open for alcoholic beverages. Come along to celebrate the power of community arts and festivals, learn more about the history of Craigmillar and find out more about the Tapestry Project. This event is open to all and there are still panels being developed - add a stitch and tell your story.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sun 26 Jul: 2pm) Marking 60 years since the first Craigmillar Festival and 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, celebrate the power of art as a catalyst for social change. The Craigmillar Tapestry Project is a community initiative to create a series of tapestry panels representing the rich history of Craigmillar. Designed and stitched by local people with artwork and guidance from artist Andrew Crummy, there are now twenty panels stitched by over five hundred local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, who have incorporated elements telling the rich and diverse story of their community from traditional Syrian stitching to imagery of local landmarks. Drop in to find out more about the story of the tapestry and learn some of the techniques yourself! ~~~~~ This event is part of Easy Sundays, a fortnightly session of stories, music, community and friendship with a variety of activities for all to enjoy. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to create a warm and welcoming space for the community. Supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 31 Jul: 7:30pm) 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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sun 2-Mon 31 Aug) The Craigmillar Tapestry Project is a community initiative to create a series of tapestry panels representing the rich history of Craigmillar. Designed and stitched by local people with artwork and guidance from artist Andrew Crummy, there are now twenty panels stitched by over five hundred contributors. The panels are stitched to an incredibly high standard by local residents in Craigmillar and Niddrie, incorporating elements of their own stories from traditional Syrian stitching to names of local activists and important landmarks. On Sun 26 July, drop-in to find out more about the story of the tapestry, meet some of the contributors and learn some of the techniques yourself!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Wed 5-Sun 16 Aug) Ah, new shoes... Delightful on the feet. Soft dancing slippers, swarthy pirate boots, silver buckles and silken soles; no-one makes shoes like an elf. This well-known and well-loved tale has been re-heeled and polished by Theatre of Widdershins in their own inimitable style. Beautifully crafted set and puppets, sublime music, a kaleidoscope of miniature shoes and a comic mouse make this show a magical must-see. Suitable for all ages and shoe sizes. 'A triumph of intimacy, imagination and enchantment' (CorrBlimey.com, for Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown) Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(6-31 Aug: 4:45pm) Returning to venues across Scotland following a critically-acclaimed tour in 2025, National Theatre of Scotland’s Through the Shortbread Tin is a poetic, poignant and playful show which explores the story of the greatest literary hoax of all time. 1760: Scottish poet James Macpherson sets the world ablaze with stories of the third-century Scottish bard, Ossian - but is it built on deceit? 2026: Martin O’Connor questions his own relationship with Scottish culture. Sporrans, stags, and shortbread; do these gift-shop images hold us back or bring us forward? Performed in Scots with Gaelic songs, Through the Shortbread Tin returns to explore the myths we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves. A National Theatre of Scotland production. Part of the Made In Scotland Showcase 2026.Written by Martin O'ConnorRemount directed by Joanna BowmanOriginal production directed by Lu Kemp 'Witty and provocative' ★★★★ (Guardian)'A tartan-wrapped gift of a show' ★★★★ (Herald)'Fierce, funny and challenging' ★★★★ (Scotsman) BSL interpreted Tue 25 & Sat 29 Aug.Captioned Thu 13 & Sat 22 Aug.Audio described Fri 14 & Mon 24 Aug.Chilled Thu 20 & Sun 30 Aug.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 6-Sun 16 Aug) The diagonal of the square is incommensurable with its side. Few words, but with unexpected implications: a number like this – neither whole nor fraction, thinkable but unknowable, wild, irrational – is a chaos element threatening the very order of things. The step from mathematics to heresy is short, and in Pythagoras’ time, mathematics could even cost you your life. A performance balancing mathematics and storytelling, where the story of Hippasus of Metapontum becomes an occasion to reflect on the role of mathematics in Western culture. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Thu 6-Tue 18 Aug) An incendiary retelling of Homer’s Iliad, sung through the voice of Thetis, Achilles’ mother. Two performers fluidly shifting: god/mortal, mother/warrior, goddess/lover, masculine/feminine, collapsing the boundaries of gender, power and fate. Love – maternal, erotic, spiritual – collides with the brutal machinery of war. Developed through international residencies and informed by artistic exchange with Lebanese and Palestinian artists working amid ongoing conflict, the production refuses nostalgia. Olympus is not distant; it is political, volatile, human. Nearly three millennia later, the epic burns with the same question: who wages war, and who pays the price?
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 7-Sun 23 Aug) Award-winning storyteller Brooke Dunbar brings an immersive, theatrical, comical version of the love story of Romeo and Juliet. Bringing another of the Bard’s plays to the bairns – there's nothing tragic about this story! Back by popular demand after sell-out shows of Macbeth For Bairns at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024 and 2025. Get ready to hit the dance floor at the House of Capulet and get down with the Montagues! Featuring level 2 BSL at performances 21-23 Aug. 'An hour of pure wonder' (CorrBlimey.uk)'Pulls out all the stops for an action-packed, playful, sensory retelling' (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com) Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Tue 11 Aug) On a blustery hilltop, a girl has a big secret to share. Following an ancient tradition, she must "tell the bees" that everything has changed. Step into a world of silver-saddled kelpies, mischievous brownies, and the beautiful song of the selkie, as award-winning Hoglets Theatre brings folk legends to life. Packed with gorgeous puppetry, original music and a hive full of interaction, Telling the Bees is a warm, witty, and imaginative show for ages 5+ about brave hearts, new beginnings, and the magic we carry with us.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face... Where better to hear Robert Burns' famous poem Address to a Haggis than at The Haggis Box Café in the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Drop in to hear a different surprise performer each day deliver a rousing rendition of Burns' ode to the Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race. Traditional, vegan and vegetarian haggis, neeps and tatties will be available to purchase all day with gluten-free options available. Haggis for all!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Fri 7-Fri 29 Aug) Respected by ancient cultures but the archetypal villain in European fairy tales, wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland by the 18th century. Ancient myth, mesmeric imagery and dreamlike soundscapes open a liminal space where Norse gods, Irish shapeshifters and Siberian wolf-children traverse Scottish moors and Transylvanian mountains. Live music stirs the soul. Shadow puppetry and animation portray terror and playfulness. Stories about our oldest ally ask: in the absence of the wolf, what is lost? Originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024. 'Powerful and magical' ★★★★ (List)'Richly textured' ★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk) BSL interpreted Sun 9 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Sat 22) One chair. One question. Sit with us for a moment. In this gentle one-to-one encounter, you’re invited to share an idea you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t yet. Step One is a quiet participatory artwork by Short Supply, exploring the moment before something begins. Each meeting lasts a few minutes and unfolds differently depending on who sits down. In the middle of the Edinburgh Fringe, this piece offers a pause from the noise – a space to reflect, speak freely and acknowledge the ideas we carry but rarely say out loud.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Leaping salmon, fishtail women, mythical raves and sacred springs – these legends celebrate those who question the fixed and find their own flow. Troubled Waters transports audiences into a world where ancient folklore intertwines with contemporary themes. Whether you come for the laughs or the watery wisdom, you'll dip your toes into vital waters and explore what moves beneath the surface. Described by audiences as ‘delicious’, ‘captivating', ‘sexy’ and ‘brilliant’, this storytelling show explores our connection to waterways, wetlands and their inhabitants. 'Genuinely very funny... A masterful storyteller’ (BackstageBristol.com) BSL interpreted Thu 13 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Mon 31 Aug) Common Tongue is a play aboot imperfect Scots. A fast-paced, riotous one-person show exploring the impact of language, identity and their intersections in Scotland. Bonnie’s life has been defined by words; the right ones, the wrong ones and the ones used against her. Now, Bonnie has a chance to speak about it. But she’s not really sure what she’s going to say, or how she’s going to say it. Written and directed by Fraser Scott (director, Athens of the North), this ‘quick-witted, damning, and gorgeous’ (★★★★★ CorrBlimey.uk) play is delivered with deft humour and big heart. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Mon 17 Aug) Hamlet has the questions. Do you have the answers? A prince of Denmark needs your help. Take on the roles, journey through the play and resolve the great questions of life together, immersed in the story as never before. From multi award-winning Brite Theater, creators of Richard III (a one-person show) and Deliverance. Starring Emily Carding, directed by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. ‘Sigfusdottir’s adaptation and Carding’s sensitive interpretation provide a shortcut to the empathy that many Hamlets crave but seldom achieve’ ★★★★ (Stage)‘Will leave you feeling closer and more empathetic to Hamlet than ever before’ ★★★★★ (TheFrontRowCenter.com).
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Fri 7-Tue 18 Aug) Returning to the Edinburgh Fringe, to the venue where it won a Herald Angel Award and built a reputation as a smash hit of modern Scottish theatre, Thunderstruck is the tragic, comic and epic tale of the greatest bagpiper that ever lived. The story of a Pitlochry bin man who rocked tradition, flew beyond the summit of his art and changed Scottish music forever. Whatever notions you have of bagpipes, leave them at the door. 'A stunning, staggering piece of modern Scottish folk theatre' ★★★★★ (BritishTheatreGuide.info)'Elucidating, charming and rip-roaringly inspirational' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)'Masterful' ★★★★ (BroadwayWorld.com)★★★★ (Fest)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 7-Thu 27 Aug) Enlightenment Edinburgh. Robert Burns and Walter Scott meet only once, at a salon in the Sciennes home of Adam Fergusson. Or so history tells us. In the School of Scottish Studies archives, a Scottish Traveller recounts another version; a fantastical gathering of 'all the great writers', locked in poetic flyting – until tragedy strikes. Scots folksinger Kirsty Law weaves together documented fact, imagined rivalry and a childhood memory of hearing the tale in the very building where it happened. A meditation on truth and fiction, and on the ordinary people who quietly carry on Scotland's living tradition.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sat 7-Sun 30 Aug) To celebrate 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, join some of our amazing tellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from around the world. Expect folk tales, fairie tales, myths and legends, stories handed down to inspire and entertain across generations. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories of their choosing! Performer Schedule
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sat 8-Sat 29 Aug) Multi-instrumentalist Tom Oakes returns with Forge. Traditional music is set against live composition and improvisation, threaded with archive broadcast and new writing by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. Stories of resistance surface in sound and speech, carried in music that changes from night to night. Forge is a new work building the 2024 hit The Hearth, which was nominated for Best New Work at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before appearing at major festivals including Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Mon 10-Sun 23 Aug) The greatest stories have always opened our eyes, pricked our ears and loosened our tongues; not easy when the chaos makes us want to bury our heads. When faced with injustice, oppression and tyranny how long can we afford compliance? How long do we excuse the beast once it has learned to bite? Two traditional storytellers rally myths, legends and folk songs in this rousing call to arms. Now is the time to pull our heads from the sand, look darkness in the eye and make a stand.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 12 Aug) Following acclaimed performances at Adelaide Fringe and sell-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe, Morna Burdon brings Bonnie Fechters home to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of A Triptych for Our Times, a ten-year celebration of her acclaimed one-woman shows. Bonnie Fechters stand up for themselves or what they believe in. Morna weaves an inspiring tapestry of songs and stories, shedding light on remarkable women whose courage, love, inventiveness and human spirit ripple through time to affect us all – whether we know it or not. ‘Deeply moving... mellow singing... charismatic’ ★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 12, Wed 19 & Wed 26 Aug) The 5-star, award-winning hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its fourth Fringe; camper, fruitier and queerer than ever! Host Turan Ali takes time out from his BBC shows to scour the Fringe for the best queer talent, creating a diverse line-up of artists to share hilarious, surprising, sobering tales, songs and epic poems. Expect jaw-dropping insights into LGBTQ+ lives past, present and future. 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'[A] rich fruitcake of an evening' Must See Show 2025 (FringeReview.co.uk)'Triumphant' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 13, Thu 20 & Thu 27 Aug) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best live poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music thrills poetry lovers and turns sceptics into fans. Catch the Loud Poets themselves – Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean – with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest every show. 'Joyous smorgasbord of words' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Funny, fierce and finely-tuned' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Astonishing range of spoken-word talent' ★★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'The most reliably entertaining spoken word night at the Fringe' ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) BSL interpreted Thu 27 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 15 & Sun 23 Aug) Allow me to give you some advice, Billy... Alan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, performs as two Scottish cultural giants, asking what (might’ve!) happened when Billy Connolly attended the launch for Alasdair Gray’s 1981 masterpiece, Lanark. Bissett unearths the origin stories of these Glasgow geniuses, exploring their struggles in an uplifting tale of triumph against the odds. Directed by Kirstin McLean. Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe 2025. Longlisted for Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award 2025.★★★★★ (BritishTheatreGuide.info)★★★★★ (National)★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.co.uk)★★★★ (Herald)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Tue 18-Sat 22 Aug) Atop a far-off mountain, birds gather to perch on the fate-shaping hands of an old mountain man – stories stirring in the murmuration, waiting to glide into the human world. In this Harebell Tellers production, traditional storytellers Ailsa Dixon and Ffion Phillips follow the flight paths of bird mythology across ancient Britain; oceans, forests, in and out of this world and that. Weaving together Welsh and Scots language, music and story into a meditative hour of storytelling magic, breathing new life into ancient myths and re-enchanting old folktales. 'A captivating hour of bardic wonder' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 19 Aug) Courage, creativity and resilience are celebrated as Morna Burdon highlights women worldwide who have found inventive, daring ways to rebel against war and take a stand for peace. Threaded through with songs and punctuated with humour, this moving spoken word show also looks at how war affects the loved ones of these brave women. Part of A Triptych for Our Times, a celebration marking ten years of Morna's acclaimed one-woman Fringe shows. 'With her first song Morna Burdon plunges us straight into the brilliantly dark humour with which women have creatively waged peace' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com)★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 19-Sun 30 Aug) Niall Moorjani (Fringe First winner) and Ailsa Dixon (★★★★★, Scotsman) present an evocative and moving exploration of what it is to be human, as they lyrically synthesise storytelling with live music and Orcadian folk song. Come for the music, stories and songs, stay for the deep exploration of trans experience in Scotland today, through three queered and reimagined selkie stories set in past, present and future. BSL interpreted Fri 21 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.Captioned Sat 22 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill. Image credit Binski
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 21-Sat 22 Aug) Across northern England, roads wend their way through picturesque countryside. Ancient dry stone walls hold the ghostly stories of the dead that were carried past on these secret and haunted trails. The Corpse Road follows the rise and fall, the twists and turns of these paths to tell the tale of characters that were carried to their final resting place. Storyteller Daniel Serridge and musician Heather Cartwright weave together story and song in this evocative and unnerving folkloric journey to the grave. 'Captivating storytelling' ★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'A Fringe must-see' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk, for Orpheus/Orfeo) Captioned Sat 22 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22, Sun 23, Sat 29 & Sun 30 Aug) When a young girl moves to a new home, her extraordinary bed comes alive and carries her through dreamy worlds of music, play and imagination. Together they discover friendship, courage and the joys of growing up. With playful audience participation, original songs, enchanting visuals and multilingual storytelling with integrated BSL, the audience are invited to dream, laugh and explore in this wonderful musical adventure. Ideal for ages 5+ and their grown-ups, but open to all. Touch Tours are available by appointment for this show, please email Reception reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com at least 24 hours in advance to book. Image credit Alexandra Borghino
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22-Sun 30 Aug) Or, Benjamin Franklin’s Scottish Enlightenment. The Founding Father loved Edinburgh. He visited in 1759 and made pals with David Hume and Adam Smith. But what does Auld Reekie have to do with America's Declaration of Independence? Exactly 250 years after the Declaration, Rick Conte retraces his countryman's steps in a warm, funny and historically grounded account of how Enlightenment Edinburgh influenced a nation, and how a native of that nation found a home here centuries later. 'Delightful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'A beguiling show' ★★★★ (Scotsman)'Storytelling at its best!' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com)'Heartwarming' ★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com) Captioned Mon 24 Aug. Open captioning by Claire Hill.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 22-Sun 30 Aug) Witch! Hag! Spinster! Words are powerful – even one can tell a whole story. This storytelling show welcomes you into the spinster's cottage, but what will you find there? A financially independent woman with a honed skill and craft, or an evil-doing hag waiting to snatch your child? Journey through three Scottish folktales that illustrate the change in the meaning of the word spinster, and thus the changing role of women in the Middle Ages. Spin together the threads of ancient tales and unpick the tapestry of the demonisation of women with storyteller Frankie Regalia.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Sun 23-Mon 24 Aug) A young girl wears her heart on her sleeve. Her father struggles to support the family and accepts a devastating offer from a strange figure... Can a woman without hands reach into a pool of dark memories to reclaim her own future? Based on the Grimm story of the Handless Maiden, this storytelling show explores disability and resilience in the face of trauma and societal expectations. Cara Silversmith has lived with a chronic condition for most of her adult life. Her storytelling celebrates diverse identities, the environment and the creation of a better world.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Mon 24-Sun 30 Aug) Shetland storyteller and comedian Marjolein Robertson travels across the sea to the UK’s most northerly isles for an hour of immersive tales – beautiful, sad, funny and magical. Told with Marjolein's signature mix of Shetlandic and English, enjoy the mother tongue of the once-Nordic lands on your escape to another world. 'Robertson is simply outstanding' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)'Hauntingly lyrical storytelling' ★★★★★ (List)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 26 Aug) Artificial intelligence, Thatcher's children, Gaza, the actions of the homed, the voices of the homeless, Scots language and the joy of blowing raspberries. A critically-acclaimed combination of personal and political poetry and song. Morna Burdon's unique perspectives and observations offer incisive, gentle, provocative, poetic contributions to the wider story we all share. Interspersed with stories and songs ranging from climate change and immigration to that need we all have sometimes to just scream! Part of A Triptych for Our Times, a celebration marking ten years of Morna's acclaimed one-woman Fringe shows. ★★★★(NorthWestEnd.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 26-Sun 30 Aug) England, 1945. The lives of two strangers are changed forever by a chance meeting at a railway station. But this isn't Brief Encounter... We're all extras in the lives of others, but the stars of our own. What happens when you pan the camera away from the leading players? Mark Kydd’s solo show turns the spotlight onto a supporting artist with his own surprising tale of first, forbidden love. Our Martin in the Background is the queer love story Noël Coward didn't write. ★★★★ (Scotsman)★★★★ (QueerGuru.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(Wed 9 Sep: 7pm) What still lives in the wild places beyond our ordered lives? Monsters, magic and tricksters, or our fortune and our freedom? Join the Burgh Blatherers for a series of regular open-floor storytelling nights 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 Edinburgh's own storytelling club who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 11 & Sat 12 Sep) Making stories fun for everyone! Join My Kind of Book for a packed two-day programme of sharing, discussion and inspiration. Discover practical ideas for sharing stories with people with additional needs. Join in the stimulating discussions around creating accessible books. Be inspired by the amazing creativity of the leaders in this field from across the UK and beyond, and discover the organisations providing books and stories for people with additional needs. Plus tea, chat and the chance to swap story and book ideas at shared practice sessions. For parents, teachers, authors, illustrators, librarians, storytellers and anyone who wants to celebrate the fantastic ways books and stories are being made accessible, especially for those with additional needs, the Accessible Book & Story Festival also includes a programme of story sessions for children with additional needs and their families. Keep an eye out for details coming soon. Programme Day 1: Fri 11 SepChoose from a wonderful programme including workshops on sensory, haptic and tactile storytelling, presentations on up-to-date inclusive books and discussions on how picture books can be made more accessible for children with additional needs with organisations from across the UK engaged in this exciting work. Day 2: Sat 12 SepChoose from an exciting programme of workshops for day two! Learn about including props, rhythm, music and tech when you are sharing books and stories with people with additional needs. Be inspired by the tactile books of the renowned French tactile book organisation Les Doigts Qui Rêvent. For more information about the festival go the My Kind of Book website. Then click back to here to buy your tickets! Made possible by the support of Creative Scotland.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 25 Sep: 7:30pm) 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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 26 Sep: 7:30pm) The moon begins to form as the moon spinners wash their wool in the sea, winding it again into a white ball in the sky and re-creating the phases and cycles that guide our seasons, and our stories... Join us for our quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, with live storytelling, music, song and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhuinn) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, cosmic joy, transformation, death and rebirth. ~~~~~ Moonspinners events will follow two distinct phases, with the first half of performance in the Netherbow Theatre, followed by a social and conversational flow upstairs in the Storytelling Court with a chance to digest and discuss the stories amongst friends old and new. Mark it in your diary, or just follow the moon to guide you here! ~~~~~ Image credit: Hester Aspland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
(Fri 16 Oct: 7pm) Don’t miss the next fantastic show from Scotland’s premiere spoken word night! For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond. Expect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment. Please note, this showcase begins at 7pm, rather than 7:30pm as with previous Loud Poets showcases. This will be the consistent start time for Loud Poets events at the SSC moving forward. “Loud Poets is tearing up the landscape, bringing the ancient art to contemporary audiences – spreading mirth, giggles and talent along the way.” - Corr Blimey “Go listen to Loud Poets and hear them say the things you’ve been trying to say yourself.” - Shane Koyczan “There’s a humour, poignancy and most of all confidence which serves to inspire.” - Scotsman Loud Poets is supported through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Tu 3-Fri 6 Nov: 7:30pm) How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be “art”? Serge has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To his friend Marc, the painting is a joke. To Serge, this merely proves that Marc is an intellectual who cannot understand art. Their friend Yvan tries and fails to placate both sides as he gets pulled into the stand-off. Lines are drawn, and what began as a disagreement over a piece of art soon escalates into something that could destroy both their friendship and the painting. Christopher Hampton’s translation of Yasmina Reza’s stage play had its British premiere at Wyndham's Theatre, London in 1996. It won Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Comedy, and New York Drama Critics' Circle and Tony Awards for Best Play. 'Anyone looking for a play that is funny, sophisticated, stylish, stimulating and moving should go to Art.' (Independent)'A remarkably wise, witty and intelligent comedy. Art has touched a universal nerve.' (Times)
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Tue 24 Nov: 7:30pm) The moon begins to form as the moon spinners wash their wool in the sea, winding it again into a white ball in the sky and re-creating the phases and cycles that guide our seasons, and our stories... Join us for our quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, with live storytelling, music, song and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhuinn) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, cosmic joy, transformation, death and rebirth. ~~~~~ Moonspinners events will follow two distinct phases, with the first half of performance in the Netherbow Theatre, followed by a social and conversational flow upstairs in the Storytelling Court with a chance to digest and discuss the stories amongst friends old and new. Mark it in your diary, or just follow the moon to guide you here! ~~~~~ Image credit: Hester Aspland
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Multiple Spaces
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. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Wed 9 Dec: 7pm) Nights are growing long and dark. Cold nips the air. It’s time to braid our evergreen circle - time to join the Burgh Blatherers for their Winter Warmer. Members of Edinburgh's own storytelling club present a heartfelt season finale to their year of storytelling ceilidhs and fan the embers of the year into flame of warming cheer and conviviality. Sit back and enjoy!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Online On-Demand) Another Story is our podcast series exploring some of the themes featured in recent festivals. Tune in to hear some wonderful storytellers share their favourite tales and chat about storytelling in Scotland and beyond. So 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
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Online SISF
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