Storytelling Starters ~ A garden of stories
Saturday, September 20th, 2014This week I’ve been preparing for a Storytelling evening I’ll be giving in Llangollen on 10th October. The event is for the Story Circle regularly organised there by storyteller Fiona Collins . My preparations for it feel a bit like the gardening I’ve also been doing in my garden this week. A garden takes time and effort to make and time and effort to maintain. When it’s going right, it gives great pleasure.
From the Land of the Magic
My Llangollen programme is a new one – From the Land of the Magic. The title comes from the Welsh, gwlad yr hud, which is a phrase that has been applied to Penfro, Pembrokeshire, the part of Wales I come from. The light there really is magic. It’s no surprise to me that so many Pembrokeshire stories reflect its enchanting effects.
My stories for Llangollen will include some smaller ones I’ve often told before as well as one big one I’ve told before but not often, namely the story of Manawyddan which comprises the Third Branch of the early Welsh cycle of stories, the Mabinogion. I feel this ancient story is extremely relevant to our world today dealing as it does with how to bring a halt to the incessant taking of vengeance.
As for the work of preparing my overall programme, I’ve adopted my normal technique – Mind-Mapping. Mind-Maps are what work for me. They prompt me to remember what stories I know, bring them into fresh focus and enable me to create new programmes and themes. So, how to do it?