Latest post in my Storyworks Blog
Storytelling Starters ~ Memory Work 3
Stories have shapes and structure – just like people or tables or trees. I love thinking about stories in these terms. It’s another kind of visualisation and it can lead to many happy half-hours with pencils and paper, doodling and drawing and finding ways to discover the different patterns underlying your stories.
But how do you see it? There’s a question! Maybe you’re the kind of person who likes to look at things in a geometrical way, making patterns that look a little bit like the exercise structures in my local park.
Or perhaps you prefer to look for natural patterns such as those made by the branches of trees?
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And now let me introduce myself
What do I tell? All kind of stories! Ancient myths and local legends. Tales from history or things that have happened to me. Stories I’ve heard on my travels or found in dusty old books. Stories I’ve created myself and some which I have published, as in Shemi's Tall Tales and Stories for Young Children. All are prepared for the particular audience and then spontaneously adapted to the particular occasion as and when I speak.
I perform in English and Welsh and for all kinds of audiences - adults, children and family audiences. I also work as a storytelling consultant and trainer, running all kinds of courses to help teachers, students, parents and others to be able to tell stories too. These are based on my Storyworks philosophy which is, in essence, a belief in the importance of sharing our stories and our experiences of them. (Click here to find out more.)
My storytelling takes me to schools and libraries, festivals and arts centres, conferences, concerts, colleges, children’s centres and community venues.
With me I bring my story bag which contains all kinds of surprises - objects, cloths and sound-making instruments to beguile my audiences, young or old.
I travel round England and Wales and abroad to perform my stories, speak at conferences and run my courses but my time is mostly divided between the London area and South-West Wales. My education work in Wales is particularly suited to the Cwriciwlwm Cymreig.
I am a member of Equity and of Academi and am on the Academi database of writers in Wales. I was a founder member of the Society for Storytelling and I edit their Artisan, Oracle and Papyrus publications. I review children's books for School Librarian and write articles on storytelling and related subjects for the general press.
Do please contact me to discuss bookings or for any further information