Scottish International Storytelling Festival: 5 events to catch
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival returns this month – we pick out five highlights, from workshops to exhibitions, the Medieval to the modern day
Gathering by the fire, dictating into your voice notes app, or boring the socks off your friends in the pub – there are so many ways to tell a story, and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival bring together a whole bunch of them in this year’s edition. Across the programme you’ll find one-person shows, explorations of story from cultures around the world, chances to work on your own storycraft, and a whole lot more. We’ve picked out a few highlights to get you started, so prepare yourself for stories! For tales! For fables, allegories, and other things of this nature!
Warrior/Poet
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 23 Oct, 6.30pm; GalGael, Glasgow, 20 Nov, 2.30pm; Elphinstone Institute, Aberdeen, 24 Nov, 6.30pm
David Hughes’ new show intertwines the stories of two figures from Scottish and Irish folklore. Mad Sweeney was the king of the Dál nAraide people who left Scotland and settled in northeast Ireland in Medieval times; in folklore, Sweeney was cursed to grow feathers like a bird and live out his days in the woods. When the M77 was being driven through Pollok Park in the 1990s, Colin Macleod spent nine days up a tree in protest. That protest grew into the Pollok Free State, a protest camp and community that blockaded roads, inspired school strikes and even included a ‘Carhenge’ sculpture that is exactly what it sounds like. Hughes places the two figures in conversation, exploring place, belonging and masculinity.
Oh Those Inspiring Cows!
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 25 Oct, 10.30am
Not to say we are excited about this event purely on the basis of its title, but we are extremely excited about this event somewhat on the basis of its title. The cows? Inspiring. Us? Locked in. Finnish storyteller Riikka Palonen explores stories and folklore from the cowsheds and fields of Finland, intermingled with her experience of bone craft and the lore behind folk traditions. And for the real cowheads out there (we know you exist), there’s also a workshop element where you can practise the Nordic art of cow calling, kulning, with Satu Lankinen.
Folkloria! by Morvern Graham.
The Conference of The Birds: A Story For Us
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 25 Oct, 6.30pm; Rockfield Centre, Oban, 28 Nov, 7.30pm
The Conference of the Birds is a classic of Persian literature: written in the 12th century by Farid al-Din Attar, it is an allegorical poem about a bunch of birds (technical term) who go in search of the mythical bird the Simurgh. In this event, Muslim storyteller Jumana Moon and storyteller-musician Dawud Duncan breathe fresh life into this tale, blending the original with Scottish traditional music and lyrical storytelling to examine the titular conference as a cipher for movement, transition, and the ability of creatures to traverse borders.
An Introduction to Commedia dell’Arte
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 30 Oct, 10.30am
Originating in Padua in the 16th century, Commedia dell’Arte is a classic form of storytelling and theatre that uses stock characters, masks and physical movement to create a relationship between performer and audience. This masterful workshop by Bologna’s famous Fraternal Compagnia APS explores the traditions of the artform, drawing on characters such as Harlequin and Pulcinella to examine how fixed modes of storytelling can actually lead to theatrical and narrative innovation. Bring your own mask if you like, and get ready to get expressive.
Folkloria!
Scottish Storytelling Centre, daily until 31 Oct, 10am-6pm
For a drop-in hit of folkloric wonder, be sure to visit Morvern Graham’s exhibition at the Storytelling Centre. Graham’s work is inspired by the folk tales and rugged landscapes of communities from Scotland to Scandinavia, and this exhibition draws on artwork from her new book, Seasonal Folktales. Expect mythical beasts, sea creatures and magical moments in Graham’s prints and illustrations.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival takes place at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, 21-31 Oct, with Go Local events at venues across Scotland throughout Oct and Nov