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(Sat 7-Sun 28 Jun) This exhibition celebrates the creativity and resilience of unpaid carers across the Lothians, showcasing a diverse range of artworks produced through Art in Healthcare’s Caring Spaces initiative. In partnership with VOCAL (Voice of Carers across Lothian) and Carers of East Lothian, this project offers carers a supportive environment to explore various artistic techniques, including collage, painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing and printmaking. Facilitated by Juliana Capes, a multidisciplinary artist and parent carer herself, the programme provides participants with a much-needed respite from their daily responsibilities, fostering a sense of community and personal expression. The artworks on display reflect the participants’ journeys towards self-discovery, emotional resilience, and empowerment, highlighting the therapeutic power of creativity in enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 27 Jun: 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. Featuring a different host every month and a special guest storyteller. ~~~~~ Our guest storyteller this month is Anna Lehr. Originally from Germany, Anna is now based in Glasgow working as a professional storyteller who specialises in performance based interactive and educational stories. Hosted by Beverley Bryant. Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 28 Jun: 2:30pm) The blooming marvellous Edinburgh Fringe 2023 sell-out and 2024 smash hit, returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre this summer! The Gardener has agreed to look after their friend’s allotment. They’re very excited to grow a plant. But there’s a problem. Growing a plant is really hard! What is our Gardener going to do? Come and join us for a sun song, a hose wrestle, and some hilarious clowning around in a joyful show celebrating nature and things that grow that was featured in The Guardian’s ‘Top Edinburgh Fringe Children’s Shows’ in 2023. Particularly aimed at budding gardeners from ages 2–6, this show is green-fingered fun for horticulturalists of all ages. Created by The Suitcase Storytelling Company, with story by Niall Moorjani. Commissioned by the Southbank Centre, adapted from the original production commissioned by Discover Children’s Story Centre. Produced in association with Jasmine Cole Productions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 10 Jul: 6pm) Join us for the premiere of a short film made as part of the Forefowk, Mind Me project by Scots singer Quinie. A screening of the film will be followed by a short artist talk with the artist, plus filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. The film explores the research process behind Quinie's third album, released in May 2025. It follows a journey across Kilmartin Glen with her horse, Maisie — a slow and attentive way of travelling that created space to reflect on connections between people, animals, ancestors, and land. The songs on the album are sung in Scots and draw from Scottish Traveller singing traditions. ‘Quinie’s unfiltered, ripe singing voice resonates like a siren…. Alive with ideas’ ★★★★ (Guardian) Lizzie Mackenzie is a self-shooting director-producer from Argyll whose work explores human and non-human existence at the edges of society, with a sensitive and playful approach. Her debut feature film The Hermit of Treig won several awards in the UK and internationally, including a Scottish BAFTA in 2022. For this project, Lizzie brought her eye to the movement of animals through landscapes, and how these rhythms shape our understanding of place. After the film and talk, the gathering continues with our Hearth Fire Sessions; a space for shared stories, songs, and connection where Quinie will perform as part of an amazing lineup. Please book your ticket for Hearth Fire Sessions separately. This film was supported by Creative Scotland and the event is supported by the Scottish Storytelling Centre
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 10 Jul: 7:30pm) Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry. Steeped in the traditions of Scottish storytelling, we evoke the warm atmosphere of peat-smoked hearthsides and ceilidh house revelry, presenting timeless motifs relevant to a discerning modern audience. Join host Dougie Mackay as he invites a different selection of Scotland’s finest storytellers, songwriters, musicians, and performing artists to each bi-monthly Hearth Fire Session to create an innovative showcase of Scotland’s contemporary culture. July's session features storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė, singer/songwriter Miwa Nagato-Apthorp and multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer Josie Vallely (Quinie). ~~~~~ Dougie Mackay hails from the Scottish Highlands, from a lineage of natural storytellers. He is fascinated by the wild northern tales of Scotland, Scandinavia, Ireland and the Baltics, with a practice steeped in group-work facilitation and storytelling as a tool for development, connection and empowerment. He has been telling stories professionally for over 10 years and has developed successful long-form shows including Animate Lands and A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun. He co-curates and hosts Hearth Fire Sessions throughout the year. Daiva Ivanauskaitė is an engaging and inspiring storyteller who loves to tell tales inspired by real life, myths and folk tradition from Lithuania, Scotland and other lands. Daiva is the curator of SEKAS, Lithuania’s first storytelling festival and regularly performs in her native land, her adopted home of Scotland, and internationally on stage and at community events. Daiva lives in Glasgow and works at the Village Storytelling Centre. She also co-curated the storytelling programme for Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022. Miwa Nagato-Apthorp is an artist and musician based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Her practice is often collaborative and draws on folk traditions to explore multicultural understandings of history, climate, gender and home. Miwa has performed her music at various festivals, including Celtic Connections, and recently supported Eddi Reader on tour. Josie Vallely (Quinie) is a multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer, whose work explores language, landscape, tradition, identity, and alternative histories. Her new album Forefowk, Mind Me was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. The songs on the album are sung in Scots and draw from Scottish Traveller singing traditions. A screening of the Quinie's accompanying film will precede Hearth Fire Sessions, with Josie and filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. Tickets for the film are available here.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 12 Jul: 7:30pm) Popular podcast Scottish Memories is back with its second live event! This time featuring two Scottish broadcasting legends in Ross King and Jay Crawford. Join host Tony Broonford as he chats to Ross and Jay about growing up in Scotland, how they both found their way into broadcasting and some of the incredible people they have worked with through the years. This promises to be a night of great stories, laughter and good old Scottish banter.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 13 Jul: 2pm) In the crook of a glen, there's a but and a ben and a welcome without end... Come along for a family session of welcoming stories, songs and crafts with storyteller Beth Cross. The session will be full of unlikely guests, lively tunes and hospitality galore. In the craft session you'll create story pockets to take your version of the story home so you can keep adding your own family storytelling traditions to it as the fancy takes you. This session is aimed at ages 2-7 but all are welcome.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 16 Jul: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Featuring Eleanor Bell, Traci Mackie, Sháneen McGurnaghan, Rich Mitchell, Lababa Naqvi, Neel Paul and Nina Willms. Hosted by Janis Mackay.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 25 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(31 Jul-10 Aug) Rajiv has feelings for everything. He can feel confident, happy and silly. But today, he feels angry, and he doesn’t know why. With the help of his father, Rajiv sets out on a journey to make sense of his feelings. A sparkly storytelling show for children ages 2+ and their grown-ups. Based on the picture book by Niall Moorjani, award-winning creator of Fringe sell-out show Grow, and illustrated by Nanette Regan. Co-produced and created by Astraea Theatre and Discover Children’s Story Centre. Performed by Maryam Noorhimli. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-24 Aug: 10:30am) Watch out, they’re back! Edinburgh’s gruesome past is brought to life by two performers (as seen on CBBC’s Saturday Mash Up) in this hilarious and outrageously horrible family show, full of catchy original songs and really bad jokes. A crime has been committed and we need you to decide if the culprit is guilty... or very guilty. Warning: children must keep control of their adults at all times! ‘Heaps of fun!’ ★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)‘Epic!’ ★★★★½ (EdinburghReviews.co.uk)'This was cracking! Hidden gem' (FringeReview.co.uk). Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-17 Aug: 12pm) Snow White and Rose Red have lived in the forest since they were Babes in the Wood. Brought up by their Mother to be kind and caring... if sometimes a little over-enthusiastic! When their quiet life is interrupted by a friendly bear a new chapter begins. But why has the bear chosen them as playfellows? Why is he so sad? And who on earth is that rude little man who keeps appearing? All questions will be untangled in this show from Theatre of Widdershins, using puppets, storytelling and a fantastical fairy-tale forest. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-24 Aug: 1:30pm) Her world split in two. Not half. Whole. Both. A selkie, creature of legend, is stranded on land. But when she collides with a stranger completely out of his depth, together they weave through a chaotic Saturday night in Glasgow to help get her back into the water. Folklore gets f*cked up and mythology spills from every stale pint in this pioneering new show, blending narrative theatre with visual storytelling. Performed in BSL and spoken English simultaneously, Dregs challenges how we connect across languages and cultures, seeking understanding beyond translation. Originally commissioned for the Village Storytelling Festival 2024. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 AugRelaxed: 22 AugBSL: Dregs is a bilingual show, therefore all performances are suitable for BSL users
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-24 Aug) A reimagining of the story behind the famous bothy ballad Bogie’s Bonnie Belle, which deals with farm life, class and love, but never from the perspective of the titular Belle. Told entirely in Doric, the traditional dialect spoken in the north-east of Scotland, this spoken word performance by Lucy Beth unveils Isabelle's story. A young woman impregnated against her will, ostracised as an unmarried mother and separated from her son, Isabelle's journey is marked by her resilience, strength and triumph over adversity. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 AugBSL: 6 Aug (interpretation by Lesley Crerar)Relaxed: 22 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-17 Aug: 5:30pm) What does it mean to be believed? Cassandra sits in Apollo’s temple, mind shattering under the weight of predictions never believed. A spaewife is thrust under the waves of a loch. An island witch is put to the pyre. Their voices ring in the ears of their murderers. In an Edinburgh tenement, a girl daubs slogans on cardboard placards, ignoring the prophecies whistling on the wind. Traditional storyteller and musician Ailsa Dixon blends Greek myth, Scottish folklore and personal narrative into an exploration of prophecy, protest and survival. Stories are stirring. The north wind rises. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 AugRelaxed: 11 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-14 Aug: 6:45pm) Duncan Macrae, Scotland’s greatest actor, star of the Citizens Theatre, a champion of the early Edinburgh Fringe and theatre for all – especially in the Scots tongue. This new play explores Macrae's life through some of his greatest roles, from Macbeth and Jamie the Saxt to his signature tune The Wee Cock Sparra. A performance full of passion and respect for his public achievement and his private depth. A life cruelly cut short as international fame beckoned... Written and performed by Michael Daviot. Directed by Michael Nardone. 'There’s something remarkably special here' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'First rate' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Beautifully mercurial performance' ★★★★★ (MustSeeTheatre.com) Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-23 Aug: 8:30pm) 'Allow me to give you some advice, Billy...' Alan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, takes on the dual roles of two Scottish cultural giants, speculating 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 and their art in an ultimately uplifting tale of triumph against the odds. Directed by Kirstin McLean. 'An absolute classic of Scottish working-class comedy' (Scotsman, on The Moira Trilogy).Longlisted for the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award 2025. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(26 Jul-26 Aug) Internationally acclaimed Scottish artist Moy Mackay invites storytellers, songwriters and poets from her local community in the Scottish Borders to respond to new felt paintings of extraordinary colour and texture. The personal and emotive responses to visual artworks creates a symbiotic relationship between artist and writer. Moy Mackay is an award-winning Scottish artist, gallery-owner, author and educator. Born in Edinburgh, she lives and works in Traquair in the Tweed Valley where her work is often influenced and inspired by the natural beauty and seasonal colour of the surrounding landscape.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(1-25 Aug: 1:30pm) Palestinian poet/dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller/dancer Janis Mackay build a bridge of friendship through an evocative fusion of dance, poetry and storytelling. Mending Nets puts forward the simple and radical belief that the act of sharing stories and poetry from our lands can help people retrieve an unravelled sense of identity. The performers first met on the dancefloor. Together they have nourished a symbiotic relationship where Nada's wheelchair is integral to her dance, woven so that the chair becomes invisible and her movement complements Janis's words and stories. Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024. 2 for 1: 5 AugBSL: 17 Aug (interpretation by Sarah Forrester)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(1-25 Aug: 1:40pm) '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
(1-23 Aug: 3:15pm) "Edinburgh’s a village, eh. Villages dinny normally huv castles, palaces and parliaments. But we do. And in villages, everybody kens everybody. Whether ye like it or no." An interwoven, episodic monologue and love letter to Edinburgh’s past, present and future. Against the backdrop of an eroding city, characters weave in and out of each other’s lives in a stream of consciousness set over a single day. Written and performed by Mark Hannah, this compelling and poignant story explores what home means to us. 'Wholly outstanding' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Riveting from the first sentence' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.co.uk) Preview: 1 Aug2 for 1: 4 & 5 AugCaptioned: 11 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)Relaxed: 19 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(1-15 Aug: 3:45pm) Flora Macdonald: Jacobite heroine, saviour of an exiled prince, face of many shortbread tins – and ferocious zombie hunter. Join Flora for a rollicking and completely untrue adventure into Scotland’s past, featuring war, romance, a rogue royal, the undead, a cat assassin and a Scottish schoolgirl on the best history trip ever. A new fantasy-comedy solo-show written and performed by Debbie Cannon and directed by Flavia D’Avila (Green Knight, The Remarkable Deliverances of Alice Thornton). Contains swearing, sexual references and scenes of messy zombie evisceration! 2 for 1: 5 AugRelaxed: 7 AugCaptioned: 15 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(1-12 Aug: 8pm) A solo spoken word drag performance by Jo Morrigan Black celebrating queer resistance. The contemporary folklore of the Mothman is brought to life using vibrant surrealist costuming to explore themes of queer alienation, metamorphosis, cross-border solidarity and homoerotic hot-hub encounters. This show invites you to face the pest in your closet. Is it hungry for light? More creature than human? Join this intimate, frenzied call to celebrate the unknowable within us all, in an unforgettable revelry of cloth. Part of the 2025 Culture Ireland Edinburgh Showcase. 'Beautiful, heart-wrenchingly relatable and hilariously funny' ★★★★★ (TheReviewsHub.com). Preview: 1 Aug2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(1-21 Aug: 8:30pm) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best of spoken word poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music will thrill poetry lovers and turn sceptics into fans. This year the Loud Poets themselves take the stage with a special show featuring the team’s core poets Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean, with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest poet each night. Don’t miss ‘the most reliably entertaining spoken word show at the Fringe’ (TheWeeReview.com). 'A kaleidoscope of spoken word' ★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(2-12 Aug: 12:20pm) Come Fortune! Let’s play a game. It’s only money... Inspired by Timon of Athens, one of Shakespeare’s least known works, Timonopoly is a unique experience; a game, a show, an event. Come take your chance with Fortune. Let’s see how easily any of us can fall through the cracks of society... whoops! Brite Theater (Deliverance) continue to push the immersive envelope, creating ever more daring audience-specific work and bold adaptations of classical material. The long-anticipated final instalment of the Coward Conscience trilogy, following Richard III (a one-person show) and Hamlet (an experience). 2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(2-24 Aug: 2pm) Join some of Scotland's best storytellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from near and far. From fairies and selkies to castles and kelpies, these stories have inspired writers, storytellers and artists throughout the centuries. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day, sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories! Performer Schedule
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(2-15 Aug: 5pm) Award-winning musician’s five-star show returns! A homecoming in viola, voice, movement and storytelling. Mairi Campbell’s journey of musical discovery, from stifling classical music education, to love and danger in Mexico and discovering her roots in Cape Breton, Canada. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. First in the Pendulum Trilogy preceding Auld Lang Syne and Living Stone - see one or see them all! ‘Consummate, visionary musicianship’ (Herald)‘Bare, unabashed honesty… you'll feel transformed’ (ThreeWeeks) 2 for 1: 4 Aug Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(3-16 Aug: 5pm) Mairi Campbell's adventures with Scotland's most famous song. Delivered with her trademark wit and unparalleled musical ability, this funny and heartfelt show resonates with universal truths. As we learn about the song and its history, we journey with Mairi as she negotiates the politics of childhood friendships, the challenges of romantic relationships and the highs and lows of success and failure. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. Second in the Pendulum Trilogy between Pulse and Living Stone - see one or see them all! ‘Voice is like no other…’ ★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(4-17 Aug: 5pm) The journey begins with the discovery of an ancient mill stone on the isle of Lismore. Mairi Campbell explores the stone’s stories and mysteries, the images within it and some of the 100 drawings she made of it. A distinctive blend of live music and song with visual art, creates a rich, multi-sensory experience highlighting the mystery and beauty of everyday life. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. Third in the Pendulum Trilogy following Pulse and Auld Lang Syne - see one or see them all! Fringe First winner 2024. 'Exquisite' ★★★★ (Scotsman) 2 for 1: 4 Aug Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(6-16 Aug: 5:30pm) 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 new 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, Ffion and Ailsa breathe new life into ancient myths and re-enchant old folktales. Relaxed: 12 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(6-20 Aug: 8:30pm) The 5-star hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its third Fringe; hilarious, moving, outrageously queer stories galore! 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. Captioned: 20 Aug (open captioning by Claire Hill) 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)‘A note-perfect evening filled with warmth and queer joy’ ★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'Full of humanity, pathos, humour and wit' Highly Recommended Fringe 2023 & 2024 (FringeReview.co.uk)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(10-24 Aug: 3:15pm / 11 & 13 Aug: 6:45pm) Respected by ancient cultures but the archetypal villain in European fairy tales, wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland by the eighteenth 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? Performed by Dougie Mackay and Jemima Thewes. Originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024 . BSL: 12 Aug (interpretation by Sarah Forrester)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(10-25 Aug: 5:30pm) Personal. Political. Poetry for our times. The birth of a child, artificial intelligence, death by government edict and the lure of bacon rolls. A gentle, fierce and honest hour punctuated with true-life stories and songs. Packed with humanity, compassion and pithy observations on life. From the creator of Gie's Peace, sell-out show Fringe 2023 and 2024. 'Moving. Powerful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com for Gie's Peace)'Charismatic' ★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com for Bonnie Fechters)‘A sweeping spoken word set rich with natural metaphors and dynamic waves of energy’ (FringeBiscuit for Fire is Not the Only Element)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(13-24 Aug: 8pm) A fantastically funny retelling of medieval classic The Green Knight with the subtext made text! (Spoiler alert: it’s gay). Sir Gawain’s been peer-pressured into chopping off the Green Knight's head. Now he has to let the miraculously still-alive Green Knight return the favour. Disaster! King Arthur reckons Gawain needs to be more masculine and there's nothing manlier than a good head chopping off... so there's really no way out. Created by critically acclaimed storyteller Niall Moorjani and produced by award-winning theatre-makers Some Kind of Theatre, this adaptation fabulously queers and modernises an Arthurian classic. Captioned: 17 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(15-19 Aug: 6:45pm) Estelle models for The Artist. Despite decades of experience, she has never sat for a session like this, with such an outcome – both unexpected and inevitable. LIFE is set in a drawing class. The audience is gently invited to draw or doodle during the show, or simply watch the story emerge. Drawing materials are provided with some onstage seats available at easels. An exciting work from Maria MacDonell (Miss Lindsay’s Secret) performed with Leo MacNeill (Them is Brothers). Directed by Ben Harrison (Grid Iron). 'Beautifully written and invites curiosity’ ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'Innovative, unique, inspiring’ ★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(16-25 Aug: 10:15am & 12:20pm) The whimsical adaptation of the Bard for bairns aged 0-4 years returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre after a sell-out Fringe 2024. Little Supernovas stories include music and props that stimulate the senses to create a magical experience, especially for your baby and toddler. Join award-winning storyteller Brooke Dunbar for a comical, musical, sensory version of Macbeth complete with bubbles. Bring your brollies!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(17-25 Aug: 3:45pm) 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 new solo show turns the spotlight onto a supporting artist with his own surprising tale of first, forbidden love. In the year of Brief Encounter's 80th anniversary, Our Martin in the Background is the queer love story Noël Coward didn't write.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(18-25 Aug: 5pm) Benjamin Franklin loved Edinburgh. He visited during the Scottish Enlightenment and enjoyed lively late-night debates at the famous Oyster Club, making pals with all the luminaries including David Hume, Adam Smith and James Hutton. In this funny and informative show, Rick Conte (The Man Who Planted Trees) tells the tale of his countryman’s Scottish enlightenment, echoing his own experiences of the city that took him in 36 years ago and has yet to spit him out. Directed by Andy Cannon. 'Delightful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'A beguiling show' ★★★★ (Scotsman)'Storytelling at its best!' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com) If you want to find out more about Ben Franklin's experiences in Edinburgh and visit some of the places in the show, join Rick for Benjamin Franklin's Edinburgh Walking Tours running throughout August.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(20-24 Aug: 12pm) In the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, folksinger Kirsty Law invites you in for a different impression of Scotland's past, exploring female and queer narratives, movement of people and sharing of cultures. Centuries of folk tradition have kept these songs and stories safe when the history books didn't, kept safe by people who often couldn't read or write, but always sang. With a sound that ranges from contemporary and uncanny to timeless unaccompanied vocal, Kirsty casts light on hidden voices and stories unsung. 'Her melding of the traditional with the modern is entrancing' (Scotsman)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(20-24 Aug: 5:30pm) 'I saw a banshee once... just outside of Galway...' When Charlotte Mooney was a child her granddad told her a fragment of a story she could not forget. Decades later a chance discovery set her off on a quest to find the rest of the tale. Comb is a tangled ride into Celtic, Slavic and Siberian mythology and the perils of obsessive research. Featuring sentient puddles, bishops with holy combs, magical flies and a healthy respect for nits, it is a playful, heart-rending and furious lament for the stories and people we have lost. Relaxed: 22 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(20-24 Aug: 6:45pm) Storyteller Clare Murphy leads a romp through the untold myths of the Celts, exhuming the Celtic canon to bring the wild women who never made the cut back into the light. A shapeshifter spanks her opponents, a queen balances on the point of a spear, heroes are defeated by mother-daughter warriors, and we witness the first divorce... and the woman won. These aren't your regular myths, but wicked tales of badass deities, feral fighters, unorthodox sex, hairy bodies and goddess-on-goddess battles – not for the faint-hearted and definitely for grown-ups. Trailer Captioned: 20 Aug (open captioning by Claire Hill) 'Masterly storytelling!' (CultureWhisper.com)'an incredible storyteller' (Blindboy)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 30 Aug: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills. Storyteller Franziska Droll leads this participatory session for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling talent. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to craft your skills. For new and aspiring storytellers. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum, these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 6 Sep: 10:30am) Sensory stories combine words and intriguing props and objects to create wonderfully engaging tales suitable for the very young, for people with additional needs and for all to enjoy! Learn the steps to creating your own sensory story with Ailie Finlay from My Kind of Book and experts from Pamis and CALL Scotland. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum, these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 6 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 and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, magic, mystery, death and rebirth. For our September session we welcome you under the full Corn Moon with another exciting lineup of storytellers and performers. ~~~~~ 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
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 10 Sep: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own 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 Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales! Child’s play, riddles, stories of tricksters and shaggy dog tales... Make us laugh, make us wonder: can we believe you or is it just stuff and nonsense?!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sat 20 Sep: 10:30am) Storytellers Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett from the Village Storytelling Centre explore their experience of working with community groups in Glasgow, using applied storytelling skills in community development work. Learn how storytelling can impact people’s wellbeing, social connections and creative skills, and how storytelling can be used as a catalyst for social change. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Tue 23 Sep: 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
(Fri 26 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 27 Sep: 10:30am) In this two-part development day, artists will be able to investigate some very important aspects of being a musician. Shameless or not, some kind of self-promotion is necessary! The first half of the workshop will consider such questions as:● Why and how to promote?● What is my music?● Who am I making it for?● What do I want to get out of my practice?● How do I describe my music?● Do I need an ‘artist’ name?● Is branding for me? Participants will take a look at who they are as an artist, how they promote themselves, what they want to achieve, an understanding of a good biography, and a plan for next steps. Touring is considered to be a vital part of being a musician, so the latter half of the workshop will cover:● Whether and when to tour● How to get the most out of it● Practical steps such as how to build contacts, approach promoters, negotiate fees and costs, advance shows, and promoting your tour● Agents, press support, and funding The workshop will include practical exercises such as writing a pitch to programmers, and some things to consider if you are considering applying for funding. Participants should leave with a clearer sense of when and how to go about building and delivering a tour, and how to make touring work best for you. Suitable for new musicians working out who they are, what they do and what direction they are headed, as well as established artists who wish to improve, reflect on or change their current direction or image. ~~~~~ Katch Holmes has worked in the music industry in Scotland for 25 years. She has represented artists, commissioned new music, produced residencies and promoted gigs with folk and crossover music acts through her company Off Site Productions. She organises Knockengorroch roots music festival in Dumfries and Galloway. She sat on WOMEX selection panels in 2021 and 2017 and is a Relational Dynamics business coach working with professional creatives. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 27 Sep: 7:30pm & Sun 28 Sep: 3pm) I didn’t ask to be born amongst all those paintings, but like it or not, I had to deal with the collection. A young man stands in front of us, trying to persuade us to fund a museum to honour his uncle. He is visibly uncomfortable: he wasn’t meant to be giving this presentation. It was supposed to be Jo, his mother. When Vincent van Gogh dies at the age of thirty-seven, shortly followed by his brother Theo, it is left to Theo’s widow Jo to carry on his legacy. Thanks to Jo and her son Vincent Willem the painter of Sunflowers is one of the most beloved artists in the world. Through the words of the artist, his brother, his sister-in-law and nephew, discover the genius that the world almost forgot… Written by Rebekah King, performed by Philip Kingscott and produced by Peapod Productions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 1 Oct: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Hosted by Janis Mackay and featuring a host of new storytelling voices.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 4 Oct: 10:30am) Being a freelance traditional musician means juggling creative work with financial realities - from budgeting for projects to navigating funding applications and managing your day-to-day income. In this practical workshop, Ailie Robertson will demystify the funding landscape and share tools and strategies to help you take control of your finances, build sustainability into your career, and approach funding applications with clarity and confidence. ~~~~~~~~~~ Ailie Robertson has a multi-faceted career combining work as a performer, composer, researcher and educator. She has worked on projects with an array of organisations both in Scotland and internationally, and enjoys helping other creatives bring their ideas to life. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 4 Oct: 2:30pm) Join multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Oakes for a practical workshop on recording and releasing your music, from initial concept to final release.This workshop will guide you through each stage of the process, highlighting where you can save money, where it pays to invest, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Tom will share insightful and helpful tips, and examples of what works (and what doesn’t), helping you navigate your own recording project with greater confidence and clarity. ~~~~~ 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musician of the Year’ nominee Tom Oakes is one of the UK’s top flautists and multi-instrumentalists, as well as a sound designer, composer, producer, educator and label owner. Tom is known widely for his work with Shetland fiddler Ross Couper, genre-bending pan-Finnish act The Auvo Quartet, Scottish power trio OBT, and a new project with Scottish multi-instrumentalist Ali Hutton and award-winning London-Irish fiddler Matt Tighe, as well as his increasing profile as a solo performer. His album Water Street (2022) received global airplay and was longlisted for the 2022 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, while his solo show The Hearth premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe and was shortlisted for ‘Best New Work’ at the 2023 awards. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org. This workshop programme is supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Tue 11 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 12 Nov: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own 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 Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales! Hiring fairs were traditionally held at Martinmas – bring us stories of work, magical service, prisoners or apprentices. What would you give a year and a day to accomplish?
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sat 15 & Sun 16 Nov: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills across two days of workshops and presentations. Day 1 is led by storyteller Ruth Kirkpatrick and Day 2 is led by storyteller and National Development Officer Joanne Urwin. For new and aspiring storytellers. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Fri 28 Nov: 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Wed 3 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
(Wed 17 Dec: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Hosted by Janis Mackay and featuring a host of new storytelling voices.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(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 7-Sun 28 Jun) This exhibition celebrates the creativity and resilience of unpaid carers across the Lothians, showcasing a diverse range of artworks produced through Art in Healthcare’s Caring Spaces initiative. In partnership with VOCAL (Voice of Carers across Lothian) and Carers of East Lothian, this project offers carers a supportive environment to explore various artistic techniques, including collage, painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing and printmaking. Facilitated by Juliana Capes, a multidisciplinary artist and parent carer herself, the programme provides participants with a much-needed respite from their daily responsibilities, fostering a sense of community and personal expression. The artworks on display reflect the participants’ journeys towards self-discovery, emotional resilience, and empowerment, highlighting the therapeutic power of creativity in enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Fri 27 Jun: 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. Featuring a different host every month and a special guest storyteller. ~~~~~ Our guest storyteller this month is Anna Lehr. Originally from Germany, Anna is now based in Glasgow working as a professional storyteller who specialises in performance based interactive and educational stories. Hosted by Beverley Bryant. Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 28 Jun: 2:30pm) The blooming marvellous Edinburgh Fringe 2023 sell-out and 2024 smash hit, returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre this summer! The Gardener has agreed to look after their friend’s allotment. They’re very excited to grow a plant. But there’s a problem. Growing a plant is really hard! What is our Gardener going to do? Come and join us for a sun song, a hose wrestle, and some hilarious clowning around in a joyful show celebrating nature and things that grow that was featured in The Guardian’s ‘Top Edinburgh Fringe Children’s Shows’ in 2023. Particularly aimed at budding gardeners from ages 2–6, this show is green-fingered fun for horticulturalists of all ages. Created by The Suitcase Storytelling Company, with story by Niall Moorjani. Commissioned by the Southbank Centre, adapted from the original production commissioned by Discover Children’s Story Centre. Produced in association with Jasmine Cole Productions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 10 Jul: 6pm) Join us for the premiere of a short film made as part of the Forefowk, Mind Me project by Scots singer Quinie. A screening of the film will be followed by a short artist talk with the artist, plus filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. The film explores the research process behind Quinie's third album, released in May 2025. It follows a journey across Kilmartin Glen with her horse, Maisie — a slow and attentive way of travelling that created space to reflect on connections between people, animals, ancestors, and land. The songs on the album are sung in Scots and draw from Scottish Traveller singing traditions. ‘Quinie’s unfiltered, ripe singing voice resonates like a siren…. Alive with ideas’ ★★★★ (Guardian) Lizzie Mackenzie is a self-shooting director-producer from Argyll whose work explores human and non-human existence at the edges of society, with a sensitive and playful approach. Her debut feature film The Hermit of Treig won several awards in the UK and internationally, including a Scottish BAFTA in 2022. For this project, Lizzie brought her eye to the movement of animals through landscapes, and how these rhythms shape our understanding of place. After the film and talk, the gathering continues with our Hearth Fire Sessions; a space for shared stories, songs, and connection where Quinie will perform as part of an amazing lineup. Please book your ticket for Hearth Fire Sessions separately. This film was supported by Creative Scotland and the event is supported by the Scottish Storytelling Centre
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Thu 10 Jul: 7:30pm) Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry. Steeped in the traditions of Scottish storytelling, we evoke the warm atmosphere of peat-smoked hearthsides and ceilidh house revelry, presenting timeless motifs relevant to a discerning modern audience. Join host Dougie Mackay as he invites a different selection of Scotland’s finest storytellers, songwriters, musicians, and performing artists to each bi-monthly Hearth Fire Session to create an innovative showcase of Scotland’s contemporary culture. July's session features storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė, singer/songwriter Miwa Nagato-Apthorp and multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer Josie Vallely (Quinie). ~~~~~ Dougie Mackay hails from the Scottish Highlands, from a lineage of natural storytellers. He is fascinated by the wild northern tales of Scotland, Scandinavia, Ireland and the Baltics, with a practice steeped in group-work facilitation and storytelling as a tool for development, connection and empowerment. He has been telling stories professionally for over 10 years and has developed successful long-form shows including Animate Lands and A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun. He co-curates and hosts Hearth Fire Sessions throughout the year. Daiva Ivanauskaitė is an engaging and inspiring storyteller who loves to tell tales inspired by real life, myths and folk tradition from Lithuania, Scotland and other lands. Daiva is the curator of SEKAS, Lithuania’s first storytelling festival and regularly performs in her native land, her adopted home of Scotland, and internationally on stage and at community events. Daiva lives in Glasgow and works at the Village Storytelling Centre. She also co-curated the storytelling programme for Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022. Miwa Nagato-Apthorp is an artist and musician based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Her practice is often collaborative and draws on folk traditions to explore multicultural understandings of history, climate, gender and home. Miwa has performed her music at various festivals, including Celtic Connections, and recently supported Eddi Reader on tour. Josie Vallely (Quinie) is a multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer, whose work explores language, landscape, tradition, identity, and alternative histories. Her new album Forefowk, Mind Me was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. The songs on the album are sung in Scots and draw from Scottish Traveller singing traditions. A screening of the Quinie's accompanying film will precede Hearth Fire Sessions, with Josie and filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. Tickets for the film are available here.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 12 Jul: 7:30pm) Popular podcast Scottish Memories is back with its second live event! This time featuring two Scottish broadcasting legends in Ross King and Jay Crawford. Join host Tony Broonford as he chats to Ross and Jay about growing up in Scotland, how they both found their way into broadcasting and some of the incredible people they have worked with through the years. This promises to be a night of great stories, laughter and good old Scottish banter.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sun 13 Jul: 2pm) In the crook of a glen, there's a but and a ben and a welcome without end... Come along for a family session of welcoming stories, songs and crafts with storyteller Beth Cross. The session will be full of unlikely guests, lively tunes and hospitality galore. In the craft session you'll create story pockets to take your version of the story home so you can keep adding your own family storytelling traditions to it as the fancy takes you. This session is aimed at ages 2-7 but all are welcome.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Wed 16 Jul: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Featuring Eleanor Bell, Traci Mackie, Sháneen McGurnaghan, Rich Mitchell, Lababa Naqvi, Neel Paul and Nina Willms. Hosted by Janis Mackay.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Fri 25 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(31 Jul-10 Aug) Rajiv has feelings for everything. He can feel confident, happy and silly. But today, he feels angry, and he doesn’t know why. With the help of his father, Rajiv sets out on a journey to make sense of his feelings. A sparkly storytelling show for children ages 2+ and their grown-ups. Based on the picture book by Niall Moorjani, award-winning creator of Fringe sell-out show Grow, and illustrated by Nanette Regan. Co-produced and created by Astraea Theatre and Discover Children’s Story Centre. Performed by Maryam Noorhimli. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-24 Aug: 10:30am) Watch out, they’re back! Edinburgh’s gruesome past is brought to life by two performers (as seen on CBBC’s Saturday Mash Up) in this hilarious and outrageously horrible family show, full of catchy original songs and really bad jokes. A crime has been committed and we need you to decide if the culprit is guilty... or very guilty. Warning: children must keep control of their adults at all times! ‘Heaps of fun!’ ★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)‘Epic!’ ★★★★½ (EdinburghReviews.co.uk)'This was cracking! Hidden gem' (FringeReview.co.uk). Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-17 Aug: 12pm) Snow White and Rose Red have lived in the forest since they were Babes in the Wood. Brought up by their Mother to be kind and caring... if sometimes a little over-enthusiastic! When their quiet life is interrupted by a friendly bear a new chapter begins. But why has the bear chosen them as playfellows? Why is he so sad? And who on earth is that rude little man who keeps appearing? All questions will be untangled in this show from Theatre of Widdershins, using puppets, storytelling and a fantastical fairy-tale forest. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-24 Aug: 1:30pm) Her world split in two. Not half. Whole. Both. A selkie, creature of legend, is stranded on land. But when she collides with a stranger completely out of his depth, together they weave through a chaotic Saturday night in Glasgow to help get her back into the water. Folklore gets f*cked up and mythology spills from every stale pint in this pioneering new show, blending narrative theatre with visual storytelling. Performed in BSL and spoken English simultaneously, Dregs challenges how we connect across languages and cultures, seeking understanding beyond translation. Originally commissioned for the Village Storytelling Festival 2024. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 AugRelaxed: 22 AugBSL: Dregs is a bilingual show, therefore all performances are suitable for BSL users
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-24 Aug) A reimagining of the story behind the famous bothy ballad Bogie’s Bonnie Belle, which deals with farm life, class and love, but never from the perspective of the titular Belle. Told entirely in Doric, the traditional dialect spoken in the north-east of Scotland, this spoken word performance by Lucy Beth unveils Isabelle's story. A young woman impregnated against her will, ostracised as an unmarried mother and separated from her son, Isabelle's journey is marked by her resilience, strength and triumph over adversity. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 AugBSL: 6 Aug (interpretation by Lesley Crerar)Relaxed: 22 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-17 Aug: 5:30pm) What does it mean to be believed? Cassandra sits in Apollo’s temple, mind shattering under the weight of predictions never believed. A spaewife is thrust under the waves of a loch. An island witch is put to the pyre. Their voices ring in the ears of their murderers. In an Edinburgh tenement, a girl daubs slogans on cardboard placards, ignoring the prophecies whistling on the wind. Traditional storyteller and musician Ailsa Dixon blends Greek myth, Scottish folklore and personal narrative into an exploration of prophecy, protest and survival. Stories are stirring. The north wind rises. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 AugRelaxed: 11 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(31 Jul-14 Aug: 6:45pm) Duncan Macrae, Scotland’s greatest actor, star of the Citizens Theatre, a champion of the early Edinburgh Fringe and theatre for all – especially in the Scots tongue. This new play explores Macrae's life through some of his greatest roles, from Macbeth and Jamie the Saxt to his signature tune The Wee Cock Sparra. A performance full of passion and respect for his public achievement and his private depth. A life cruelly cut short as international fame beckoned... Written and performed by Michael Daviot. Directed by Michael Nardone. 'There’s something remarkably special here' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'First rate' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Beautifully mercurial performance' ★★★★★ (MustSeeTheatre.com) Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(31 Jul-23 Aug: 8:30pm) 'Allow me to give you some advice, Billy...' Alan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, takes on the dual roles of two Scottish cultural giants, speculating 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 and their art in an ultimately uplifting tale of triumph against the odds. Directed by Kirstin McLean. 'An absolute classic of Scottish working-class comedy' (Scotsman, on The Moira Trilogy).Longlisted for the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award 2025. Preview: 31 Jul2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(26 Jul-26 Aug) Internationally acclaimed Scottish artist Moy Mackay invites storytellers, songwriters and poets from her local community in the Scottish Borders to respond to new felt paintings of extraordinary colour and texture. The personal and emotive responses to visual artworks creates a symbiotic relationship between artist and writer. Moy Mackay is an award-winning Scottish artist, gallery-owner, author and educator. Born in Edinburgh, she lives and works in Traquair in the Tweed Valley where her work is often influenced and inspired by the natural beauty and seasonal colour of the surrounding landscape.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Storytelling Court
(1-25 Aug: 1:30pm) Palestinian poet/dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller/dancer Janis Mackay build a bridge of friendship through an evocative fusion of dance, poetry and storytelling. Mending Nets puts forward the simple and radical belief that the act of sharing stories and poetry from our lands can help people retrieve an unravelled sense of identity. The performers first met on the dancefloor. Together they have nourished a symbiotic relationship where Nada's wheelchair is integral to her dance, woven so that the chair becomes invisible and her movement complements Janis's words and stories. Originally commissioned for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024. 2 for 1: 5 AugBSL: 17 Aug (interpretation by Sarah Forrester)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(1-25 Aug: 1:40pm) '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
(1-23 Aug: 3:15pm) "Edinburgh’s a village, eh. Villages dinny normally huv castles, palaces and parliaments. But we do. And in villages, everybody kens everybody. Whether ye like it or no." An interwoven, episodic monologue and love letter to Edinburgh’s past, present and future. Against the backdrop of an eroding city, characters weave in and out of each other’s lives in a stream of consciousness set over a single day. Written and performed by Mark Hannah, this compelling and poignant story explores what home means to us. 'Wholly outstanding' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Riveting from the first sentence' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.co.uk) Preview: 1 Aug2 for 1: 4 & 5 AugCaptioned: 11 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)Relaxed: 19 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(1-15 Aug: 3:45pm) Flora Macdonald: Jacobite heroine, saviour of an exiled prince, face of many shortbread tins – and ferocious zombie hunter. Join Flora for a rollicking and completely untrue adventure into Scotland’s past, featuring war, romance, a rogue royal, the undead, a cat assassin and a Scottish schoolgirl on the best history trip ever. A new fantasy-comedy solo-show written and performed by Debbie Cannon and directed by Flavia D’Avila (Green Knight, The Remarkable Deliverances of Alice Thornton). Contains swearing, sexual references and scenes of messy zombie evisceration! 2 for 1: 5 AugRelaxed: 7 AugCaptioned: 15 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(1-12 Aug: 8pm) A solo spoken word drag performance by Jo Morrigan Black celebrating queer resistance. The contemporary folklore of the Mothman is brought to life using vibrant surrealist costuming to explore themes of queer alienation, metamorphosis, cross-border solidarity and homoerotic hot-hub encounters. This show invites you to face the pest in your closet. Is it hungry for light? More creature than human? Join this intimate, frenzied call to celebrate the unknowable within us all, in an unforgettable revelry of cloth. Part of the 2025 Culture Ireland Edinburgh Showcase. 'Beautiful, heart-wrenchingly relatable and hilariously funny' ★★★★★ (TheReviewsHub.com). Preview: 1 Aug2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(1-21 Aug: 8:30pm) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best of spoken word poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music will thrill poetry lovers and turn sceptics into fans. This year the Loud Poets themselves take the stage with a special show featuring the team’s core poets Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean, with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest poet each night. Don’t miss ‘the most reliably entertaining spoken word show at the Fringe’ (TheWeeReview.com). 'A kaleidoscope of spoken word' ★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(2-12 Aug: 12:20pm) Come Fortune! Let’s play a game. It’s only money... Inspired by Timon of Athens, one of Shakespeare’s least known works, Timonopoly is a unique experience; a game, a show, an event. Come take your chance with Fortune. Let’s see how easily any of us can fall through the cracks of society... whoops! Brite Theater (Deliverance) continue to push the immersive envelope, creating ever more daring audience-specific work and bold adaptations of classical material. The long-anticipated final instalment of the Coward Conscience trilogy, following Richard III (a one-person show) and Hamlet (an experience). 2 for 1: 4 & 5 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(2-24 Aug: 2pm) Join some of Scotland's best storytellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from near and far. From fairies and selkies to castles and kelpies, these stories have inspired writers, storytellers and artists throughout the centuries. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day, sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories! Performer Schedule
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(2-15 Aug: 5pm) Award-winning musician’s five-star show returns! A homecoming in viola, voice, movement and storytelling. Mairi Campbell’s journey of musical discovery, from stifling classical music education, to love and danger in Mexico and discovering her roots in Cape Breton, Canada. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. First in the Pendulum Trilogy preceding Auld Lang Syne and Living Stone - see one or see them all! ‘Consummate, visionary musicianship’ (Herald)‘Bare, unabashed honesty… you'll feel transformed’ (ThreeWeeks) 2 for 1: 4 Aug Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(3-16 Aug: 5pm) Mairi Campbell's adventures with Scotland's most famous song. Delivered with her trademark wit and unparalleled musical ability, this funny and heartfelt show resonates with universal truths. As we learn about the song and its history, we journey with Mairi as she negotiates the politics of childhood friendships, the challenges of romantic relationships and the highs and lows of success and failure. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. Second in the Pendulum Trilogy between Pulse and Living Stone - see one or see them all! ‘Voice is like no other…’ ★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(4-17 Aug: 5pm) The journey begins with the discovery of an ancient mill stone on the isle of Lismore. Mairi Campbell explores the stone’s stories and mysteries, the images within it and some of the 100 drawings she made of it. A distinctive blend of live music and song with visual art, creates a rich, multi-sensory experience highlighting the mystery and beauty of everyday life. Co-created with director Kath Burlinson and co-composer Dave Gray. Third in the Pendulum Trilogy following Pulse and Auld Lang Syne - see one or see them all! Fringe First winner 2024. 'Exquisite' ★★★★ (Scotsman) 2 for 1: 4 Aug Image by Julia Fayngruen. Graphic design by Helen Wyllie.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(6-16 Aug: 5:30pm) 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 new 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, Ffion and Ailsa breathe new life into ancient myths and re-enchant old folktales. Relaxed: 12 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(6-20 Aug: 8:30pm) The 5-star hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its third Fringe; hilarious, moving, outrageously queer stories galore! 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. Captioned: 20 Aug (open captioning by Claire Hill) 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)‘A note-perfect evening filled with warmth and queer joy’ ★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'Full of humanity, pathos, humour and wit' Highly Recommended Fringe 2023 & 2024 (FringeReview.co.uk)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(10-24 Aug: 3:15pm / 11 & 13 Aug: 6:45pm) Respected by ancient cultures but the archetypal villain in European fairy tales, wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland by the eighteenth 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? Performed by Dougie Mackay and Jemima Thewes. Originally commissioned by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024 . BSL: 12 Aug (interpretation by Sarah Forrester)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(10-25 Aug: 5:30pm) Personal. Political. Poetry for our times. The birth of a child, artificial intelligence, death by government edict and the lure of bacon rolls. A gentle, fierce and honest hour punctuated with true-life stories and songs. Packed with humanity, compassion and pithy observations on life. From the creator of Gie's Peace, sell-out show Fringe 2023 and 2024. 'Moving. Powerful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com for Gie's Peace)'Charismatic' ★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com for Bonnie Fechters)‘A sweeping spoken word set rich with natural metaphors and dynamic waves of energy’ (FringeBiscuit for Fire is Not the Only Element)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(13-24 Aug: 8pm) A fantastically funny retelling of medieval classic The Green Knight with the subtext made text! (Spoiler alert: it’s gay). Sir Gawain’s been peer-pressured into chopping off the Green Knight's head. Now he has to let the miraculously still-alive Green Knight return the favour. Disaster! King Arthur reckons Gawain needs to be more masculine and there's nothing manlier than a good head chopping off... so there's really no way out. Created by critically acclaimed storyteller Niall Moorjani and produced by award-winning theatre-makers Some Kind of Theatre, this adaptation fabulously queers and modernises an Arthurian classic. Captioned: 17 Aug (open captioning by Christabel Anderson)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(15-19 Aug: 6:45pm) Estelle models for The Artist. Despite decades of experience, she has never sat for a session like this, with such an outcome – both unexpected and inevitable. LIFE is set in a drawing class. The audience is gently invited to draw or doodle during the show, or simply watch the story emerge. Drawing materials are provided with some onstage seats available at easels. An exciting work from Maria MacDonell (Miss Lindsay’s Secret) performed with Leo MacNeill (Them is Brothers). Directed by Ben Harrison (Grid Iron). 'Beautifully written and invites curiosity’ ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'Innovative, unique, inspiring’ ★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(16-25 Aug: 10:15am & 12:20pm) The whimsical adaptation of the Bard for bairns aged 0-4 years returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre after a sell-out Fringe 2024. Little Supernovas stories include music and props that stimulate the senses to create a magical experience, especially for your baby and toddler. Join award-winning storyteller Brooke Dunbar for a comical, musical, sensory version of Macbeth complete with bubbles. Bring your brollies!
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(17-25 Aug: 3:45pm) 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 new solo show turns the spotlight onto a supporting artist with his own surprising tale of first, forbidden love. In the year of Brief Encounter's 80th anniversary, Our Martin in the Background is the queer love story Noël Coward didn't write.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(18-25 Aug: 5pm) Benjamin Franklin loved Edinburgh. He visited during the Scottish Enlightenment and enjoyed lively late-night debates at the famous Oyster Club, making pals with all the luminaries including David Hume, Adam Smith and James Hutton. In this funny and informative show, Rick Conte (The Man Who Planted Trees) tells the tale of his countryman’s Scottish enlightenment, echoing his own experiences of the city that took him in 36 years ago and has yet to spit him out. Directed by Andy Cannon. 'Delightful' ★★★★★ (NorthWestEnd.com)'A beguiling show' ★★★★ (Scotsman)'Storytelling at its best!' ★★★★ (ScotsGayArts.com) If you want to find out more about Ben Franklin's experiences in Edinburgh and visit some of the places in the show, join Rick for Benjamin Franklin's Edinburgh Walking Tours running throughout August.
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(20-24 Aug: 12pm) In the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, folksinger Kirsty Law invites you in for a different impression of Scotland's past, exploring female and queer narratives, movement of people and sharing of cultures. Centuries of folk tradition have kept these songs and stories safe when the history books didn't, kept safe by people who often couldn't read or write, but always sang. With a sound that ranges from contemporary and uncanny to timeless unaccompanied vocal, Kirsty casts light on hidden voices and stories unsung. 'Her melding of the traditional with the modern is entrancing' (Scotsman)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(20-24 Aug: 5:30pm) 'I saw a banshee once... just outside of Galway...' When Charlotte Mooney was a child her granddad told her a fragment of a story she could not forget. Decades later a chance discovery set her off on a quest to find the rest of the tale. Comb is a tangled ride into Celtic, Slavic and Siberian mythology and the perils of obsessive research. Featuring sentient puddles, bishops with holy combs, magical flies and a healthy respect for nits, it is a playful, heart-rending and furious lament for the stories and people we have lost. Relaxed: 22 Aug
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
George Mackay Brown Library
(20-24 Aug: 6:45pm) Storyteller Clare Murphy leads a romp through the untold myths of the Celts, exhuming the Celtic canon to bring the wild women who never made the cut back into the light. A shapeshifter spanks her opponents, a queen balances on the point of a spear, heroes are defeated by mother-daughter warriors, and we witness the first divorce... and the woman won. These aren't your regular myths, but wicked tales of badass deities, feral fighters, unorthodox sex, hairy bodies and goddess-on-goddess battles – not for the faint-hearted and definitely for grown-ups. Trailer Captioned: 20 Aug (open captioning by Claire Hill) 'Masterly storytelling!' (CultureWhisper.com)'an incredible storyteller' (Blindboy)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 30 Aug: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills. Storyteller Franziska Droll leads this participatory session for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling talent. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to craft your skills. For new and aspiring storytellers. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum, these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 6 Sep: 10:30am) Sensory stories combine words and intriguing props and objects to create wonderfully engaging tales suitable for the very young, for people with additional needs and for all to enjoy! Learn the steps to creating your own sensory story with Ailie Finlay from My Kind of Book and experts from Pamis and CALL Scotland. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum, these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 6 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 and a rotating programme of incredible performers. Following the Celtic Wheel of the Year (the quarterly seasons of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain) we look forward to moon myths, lunar legends and cross-cultural stories, revealing themes of creation, fertility, magic, mystery, death and rebirth. For our September session we welcome you under the full Corn Moon with another exciting lineup of storytellers and performers. ~~~~~ 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
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 10 Sep: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own 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 Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales! Child’s play, riddles, stories of tricksters and shaggy dog tales... Make us laugh, make us wonder: can we believe you or is it just stuff and nonsense?!
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sat 20 Sep: 10:30am) Storytellers Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett from the Village Storytelling Centre explore their experience of working with community groups in Glasgow, using applied storytelling skills in community development work. Learn how storytelling can impact people’s wellbeing, social connections and creative skills, and how storytelling can be used as a catalyst for social change. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Tue 23 Sep: 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
(Fri 26 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Sat 27 Sep: 10:30am) In this two-part development day, artists will be able to investigate some very important aspects of being a musician. Shameless or not, some kind of self-promotion is necessary! The first half of the workshop will consider such questions as:● Why and how to promote?● What is my music?● Who am I making it for?● What do I want to get out of my practice?● How do I describe my music?● Do I need an ‘artist’ name?● Is branding for me? Participants will take a look at who they are as an artist, how they promote themselves, what they want to achieve, an understanding of a good biography, and a plan for next steps. Touring is considered to be a vital part of being a musician, so the latter half of the workshop will cover:● Whether and when to tour● How to get the most out of it● Practical steps such as how to build contacts, approach promoters, negotiate fees and costs, advance shows, and promoting your tour● Agents, press support, and funding The workshop will include practical exercises such as writing a pitch to programmers, and some things to consider if you are considering applying for funding. Participants should leave with a clearer sense of when and how to go about building and delivering a tour, and how to make touring work best for you. Suitable for new musicians working out who they are, what they do and what direction they are headed, as well as established artists who wish to improve, reflect on or change their current direction or image. ~~~~~ Katch Holmes has worked in the music industry in Scotland for 25 years. She has represented artists, commissioned new music, produced residencies and promoted gigs with folk and crossover music acts through her company Off Site Productions. She organises Knockengorroch roots music festival in Dumfries and Galloway. She sat on WOMEX selection panels in 2021 and 2017 and is a Relational Dynamics business coach working with professional creatives. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 27 Sep: 7:30pm & Sun 28 Sep: 3pm) I didn’t ask to be born amongst all those paintings, but like it or not, I had to deal with the collection. A young man stands in front of us, trying to persuade us to fund a museum to honour his uncle. He is visibly uncomfortable: he wasn’t meant to be giving this presentation. It was supposed to be Jo, his mother. When Vincent van Gogh dies at the age of thirty-seven, shortly followed by his brother Theo, it is left to Theo’s widow Jo to carry on his legacy. Thanks to Jo and her son Vincent Willem the painter of Sunflowers is one of the most beloved artists in the world. Through the words of the artist, his brother, his sister-in-law and nephew, discover the genius that the world almost forgot… Written by Rebekah King, performed by Philip Kingscott and produced by Peapod Productions.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Wed 1 Oct: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Hosted by Janis Mackay and featuring a host of new storytelling voices.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(Sat 4 Oct: 10:30am) Being a freelance traditional musician means juggling creative work with financial realities - from budgeting for projects to navigating funding applications and managing your day-to-day income. In this practical workshop, Ailie Robertson will demystify the funding landscape and share tools and strategies to help you take control of your finances, build sustainability into your career, and approach funding applications with clarity and confidence. ~~~~~~~~~~ Ailie Robertson has a multi-faceted career combining work as a performer, composer, researcher and educator. She has worked on projects with an array of organisations both in Scotland and internationally, and enjoys helping other creatives bring their ideas to life. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Sat 4 Oct: 2:30pm) Join multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Oakes for a practical workshop on recording and releasing your music, from initial concept to final release.This workshop will guide you through each stage of the process, highlighting where you can save money, where it pays to invest, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Tom will share insightful and helpful tips, and examples of what works (and what doesn’t), helping you navigate your own recording project with greater confidence and clarity. ~~~~~ 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musician of the Year’ nominee Tom Oakes is one of the UK’s top flautists and multi-instrumentalists, as well as a sound designer, composer, producer, educator and label owner. Tom is known widely for his work with Shetland fiddler Ross Couper, genre-bending pan-Finnish act The Auvo Quartet, Scottish power trio OBT, and a new project with Scottish multi-instrumentalist Ali Hutton and award-winning London-Irish fiddler Matt Tighe, as well as his increasing profile as a solo performer. His album Water Street (2022) received global airplay and was longlisted for the 2022 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, while his solo show The Hearth premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe and was shortlisted for ‘Best New Work’ at the 2023 awards. This workshop is presented by the Traditional Music Forum and is discounted for Forum members. To find out more about TMF activities and how to become a member, visit traditionalmusicforum.org. This workshop programme is supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Tue 11 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 12 Nov: 7pm) Join Edinburgh's own 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 Burgh Blatherers storytelling club, who will transport you with their own stories and imaginative weavings while offering you the chance to tell your own tales! Hiring fairs were traditionally held at Martinmas – bring us stories of work, magical service, prisoners or apprentices. What would you give a year and a day to accomplish?
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Storytelling Court
(Sat 15 & Sun 16 Nov: 10:30am) A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills across two days of workshops and presentations. Day 1 is led by storyteller Ruth Kirkpatrick and Day 2 is led by storyteller and National Development Officer Joanne Urwin. For new and aspiring storytellers. ~~~~~~~~~~ Presented by the Scottish Storytelling Forum these participatory sessions are designed to help you improve your skills and share your experiences with fellow storytelling enthusiasts. This carefully curated workshop programme offers you the chance to work with highly-skilled and experienced artists, giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent. Did you know? Members of the Scottish Storytelling Forum are entitled to discounted rates on our storytelling workshops. For more information on memberships please visit the Storytelling Forum website. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pay it Forward If you are willing and able to donate a workshop place to another person, you now can! Click the button above and select the ticket price to donate. We will then be able to offer a free place to someone who would not have been able to attend otherwise. If you feel the Pay It Forward scheme would benefit you and would like to request a free ticket please email our Reception Team where you will be allocated a ticket if available. We hold 1 space per workshop for Pay It Forward requests.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Training Venue
(Fri 28 Nov: 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. Featuring a different host every month and a guest storyteller to be announced.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Waverley Bar
(Wed 3 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
(Wed 17 Dec: 7:30pm) Come and enjoy live storytelling in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where the amazing apprentice storytellers will show off their skills and explore a different theme with every performance. Hosted by Janis Mackay and featuring a host of new storytelling voices.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
Netherbow Theatre
(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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