scottish storytelling blethers centre and network · career teachers for use with young learners....

BlethersScottish StorytellingCentre and Network

Issue 19 Autumn 2009

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR

T: 0131 556 9579 E: [email protected]

www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Teachers Becoming STORYRICHThe Scottish Storytelling Centre has launched a newnational training programme, Storyrich, whichfocuses on developing the storytelling and storymakingskills of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and earlycareer teachers for use with young learners.

Through the ScottishArts Council's Learnfund the ScottishStorytelling Forum hasbeen awarded £27,500

to provide training, resources and support which willhelp new teachers bring to life the Curriculum forExcellence through storytelling with primary and earlysecondary pupils.

The Centre has also been delivering storytelling tasterevents in Initial Teacher Education universities to sharewith student teachers the value of storytelling as a toolfor encouraging learning in the classroom – and onewhich will prove invaluable throughout a teacher'scareer.

The first wave of training, set up in liaison with Scottishlocal authorities, will kick off this autumn with events inthe Highlands, Western Isles, Dundee, Glasgow andMidlothian. Follow up mentoring support fromstorytellers will also be made available to helpparticipants and the children they work with to becomeStoryrich!

Joanna Bremner [email protected]

Storytelling Festival celebrates

20th birthday!Now in it's 20th year, the Scottish InternationalStorytelling Festival explores the rich and complexidea of Homeland as we bring together Scottishstorytellers with leading storytellers, poets,researchers and writers from the USA, Canada, NewZealand, Australia and the Caribbean for Scotland'sYear of Homecoming.

From Friday 23rd October until Sunday 1stNovember, Scotland's annual celebration oftraditional and contemporary storytelling delves into thehistories and stories of belonging, identity, migrationand exploration in a packed programme of entertainingand inspiring live storytelling performances, thought-provoking talks, club nights, workshops anddiscussions, and family activities.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre hosts the core Festivalprogramme but, as usual, key to the Festival's richpattern and diversity is the host of fabulous eventstaking place at partner venues across the city, from theenchanting Royal Botanic Garden to the fascinatingGladstone's Land on Edinburgh's ancient Royal Mile.

Building on previous years, the Festival alsocoordinates a busy schools and communities outreachprogramme (Tuesday 27th October to Friday 6thNovember) in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

And this year the Festival is becoming truly Scottish –a new 'Festival on Tour' strand of events will see gueststorytellers join with networks in Tayside, Glasgow,Highlands, Dumfries and Galloway and Argyll andBute, in a series of first-class regional eventssupported by the Festival.

Visit www.scottishstorytellingcentre.comor call 0131 556 9579 for full programme andbox office information.

SCOTTI S

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Blethers

Out of the cloud of red dust thereemerges the local bus, a rusting,yellow chitty-chitty bang-bang ofa vehicle. Hurrah! It seems as if Ihave been waiting forever, in40°C heat with nary a breeze, fortransportation back to Baisewhere I have been living for thepast three weeks. And this is notyour average bus ride back homein Scotland!

In the autumn of 2008, aided by aprofessional development grantfrom the Scottish Arts Council, Itravelled to Baise, China about 200kilometres from the northernborder of Vietnam. I was there for atwo-fold purpose: one, to visit myfriend Kath Saltwell who wasemployed by Amity International toteach English at Baise University;two, to collect as many storiesfrom her students as I couldrelating to the Moon Festival, formy stay coincided with that joyouscelebration. These stories I wouldbring back home to Scotland to beshared with other storytellers

because the theme of the 2010Scottish Storytelling Festival isfocused on the lore of the Far East.

It was my intent to reach as manystudents at Baise University aspossible. In order to facilitate this, Ifirst met with the English TeachingFaculty, introducing the five-weekcollection project. The responsewas overwhelming! They madeavailable huge blocks of classroomtime in order that I could meet withtheir students, explain what I wasseeking and why; tell them moonstories from my homeland's NativeAmerican culture; answer anyquestions that they might haveabout life in both the United Statesand in Scotland.

I was invited to speak at twoEnglish Corners gatherings, heldoutside in the main square at 9pm.The first gathering had over 300students present; the second hadabout 150. Students took it uponthemselves to go to the Dean ofLanguages, find an emptyclassroom – filling it to overflowwith student doubling up in classseats, sitting on the window ledgesand floor – just to hear stories inEnglish, abetted by my 4th yearstudent translator Ellen. One suchevening went on until after 11pm,

2 www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Once Upon a Time in a Land Far Away

Donnie with Baise University colleagues

Signs of our Lives

Stories in the Air, the Scottishcharity which promotes the use ofsigned storytelling within the Deafcommunity and meets the literacyneeds of deaf children, has justlaunched a new DVD, 'Signs ofour Lives'.

'Signs of our Lives' is the result ofa two year project funded by theScottish Arts Council LotteryFund. It shares the stories,experiences and recollections ofolder members of Scotland's Deafcommunity, aged 60 to 95 years.The stories are about ordinarypeople's lives – their memoriesfrom particular times and theemotions that accompanied them– and offer a real insight into thelife of the Deaf community fromthe West of Scotland.

An education pack accompaniesthe DVD. If you are interested inreceiving a copy please visitwww.learnbsl.org.

and that day had started at 7am!Students were so eager to practicetheir English with me that I wouldmeet them on the marble benchunder the trees before their firstclass, to listen to them read aloudwhilst I munched on warm rice ballsfilled with black bean curd, washeddown with warm coconut milk.

Due to the kindness of theUniversity of Baise's EnglishFaculty and the eagerness of all toparticipate, I was able to collectover eighty stories in five weeks.No small task, but one that wouldnot have been possible without theenthusiasm of all involved! Andmuch to the delight of my halfChinese grandchildren, I finallylearned to conquer chopsticks, sothat I no longer embarrass them byasking for a fork when we go outfor dim sum!

Donnie Henderson Shedlarz

This book is an ambitious andsignificant attempt to draw togetherthe deep values of oral storytellingand its contemporary contexts. Theresult is a wise, humane andpractical primer which will be ofinterest to all those touched by theburgeoning renaissance.There are two big themes inParkinson's treatment – the role ofmetaphor and the psychologicaleffects of storytelling. As regards thefirst, he links metaphor in dreams tonatural mental processes that arevital to wellbeing. Storytelling is away of metaphor making that tapsinto, and feeds, these processes.Storytelling itself though generates,in Parkinson's view, a relaxed stateof consciousness which is unrelated

Transforming Tales: How Stories Can Change People

to 'trance'. This enables creativeshifts in consciousness which occurthrough new mental space which isthe shared experience of story. Building on these ideas, the authorprovides a host of practicalexamples and applications toeducation, community building andtherapy. To a degree the book losessome momentum here as itbecomes compendious. However,people will pick and choose what isof relevance to them.There are also a host of samplestories illustrating themes andcontexts. Again, everyone can pickand choose what suits.Inevitably many of these are cast ina slightly neutral kind of plainEnglish.


Stories: The Politics of the Heart

"Without the story in which everyone unborn, living and deadparticipates we are no more than bits of paper blown on the coldwind." So says the great Orkney writer George Mackay Brown.

Story is the lifeline of human consciousness, it is the blood stream of ourinterconnectedness. Stories carry the irrefutable proof that we are onefamily and the renewed sharing of them is the pathway to empathy and astep towards understanding, generosity and peace.

There is a story told by the luminous Scottish traveller storyteller DuncanWilliamson, 'Half a Blanket.'

"But you can't do that to your ownfather," said his wife.

"No buts," he said, "he goes tonight,now."

"You'll need to give him some moneysurely or something."

"He gets nothing, he goes."

"It's a cold haar frost tonight. Give hima blanket at least to keep him warm."

"Very well, a blanket he gets, and hegoes."

At this the wee girl came huggingher mother's knees and said, "No,mummy, give granddaddy half ablanket."

"Half a blanket!" said her mother.

"Yes," said the little girl, "we'll need theother half when it's daddy's turn to go."

A story has, by the unique capacityof human imagination, the power ofreplicating life, vicariouslyconveying experience so that wefeel we have been there. TheScottish Travellers say they will giveyou the story, ‘eye to eye, mind tomind, heart to heart'. It is a directtransfusion given in this way andwe, the recipients receive the giftas a child would, whole.

If we return to the words of GeorgeMackay Brown we hear hiscaution, for the scraps of papermay well in our age be theproliferation of information blownon the cold wind of technologywithout human contact.

Many believe today that we can letthe machines teach our childrenbut the stark truth is that betweenthe machine and the child there isno real contact, no heart contact,no love contact. Yes, the videogame can respond and answerquestions but the child could behurt, lonely, sick or die and theimages would flicker on relentlesslyon the plasma screen.

I believe that in our age whichconsigns children and adults aliketo the solitary confinement of thescreen, there is a growing hunger,a deep yearning for the humannecessity of communication andconnectedness. This deep urgeaccounts in part for the dramaticgrowth of storytelling not simply inScotland but internationally.

Our Scottish government,doubtless to the surprise ofsceptics, has realised, in the spiritof George Mackay Brown's insight,that stories, our stories, bind past,present and future into one, giveidentity, carrying our culture andcharacter. The government has putin place a policy to let every schoolchild in Scotland experience astoryteller.

Stories are marvellously the politicsof the heart. They break all barriersof colour, clime, class, religion,age. They are emissaries andluminaries in which we find, fromfairy tales to epics, from fantasiesto fables, snatches of our sharedhuman journey. We cannotdisagree with someone's story butwe can listen, walk in step andthereby make a little contribution towidening and deepening theunderstanding between our brotherand sister homosapiens.

David Campbell

3www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Half a Blanket, A Cautionary Tale

An old man on sour and unforgivingland in Scotland worked hard all hisdays and with perseverance.Working sunrise to sunset, heprospered, turning the land into afine and fertile farm. As age beganto come upon him, he gave thefarm to his son and he would takehis ease with his friends – have awee dram and a crack in the localpub – and he loved nothing betterthan to take his wee granddaughteron his knees and tell her stories bythe fire, stories of the old times, offairies and elves and strangecreatures. The wee girl loved thesestories.

One day his son said to his wife,"He needs to go. He does nothing but,puff, puff, puff on that pipe, bletheringto his pals in the pub and putting daftfairy stories into the bairn's head. Hehas to go and he goes tonight.”

David during a storytelling visit to Japan

Parkinson's emphasis, though, ison people adapting anddeveloping these to suit their ownsituations and styles of telling.So Transforming Tales offerstheoretical insights and extensivepractical resources. It is alsogrounded in excellent valuesdefying any specialisation ofstorytelling as either an exclusiveart or a technical therapy.Storytelling belongs to ourcommon humanity and it is vitallyneeded for our humaneness tothrive.Rob Parkinson has donestorytelling and storytellers of allkinds a great service in producingthis wide-ranging resource.Donald Smith

Rob Parkinson


Blethers

First SkellefteaStorytelling FestivalThe 23rd to 26th June saw thefirst ever SkellefteaInternational StorytellingFestival in Western Bothnia in thefar north of Sweden. Organised bythe Western Bothnia TheatreStorytelling Project, this was theculmination of several years' work,building on co-operation betweenthe theatre and various groupsand individuals here in Scotland.Representing Scotland at thefestival were myself, HamishMacDonald from Moniack Writers'Centre, and the Dogstar Theatregroup from Inverness.

The format was a combination ofstorytelling and theatre with aninformal cabaret club of story andmusic most nights. In addition Ipresented a paper on 'The Story ofStory' to a well-informed andenthusiastic audience and therewere extensive discussions aboutthe different approaches to storyhere and in Sweden, with a view tofurther co-operation. Thesediscussions involved representativesfrom the two established Swedishfestivals, Ljungby and Stockholm'sFabula.

Dogstar put on the award-winningone-man show 'The Tailor ofInverness' by Matthew Zajac andhis wife Virginia Radcliffe performeda remarkable one-woman version of'Mollie Whuppie' which was trulyremarkable. The energy wasincredible. Amongst othersappearing there was ThomasAnderson, probably Sweden's bestkennt storyteller who incorporatessome damn fine fiddle playing. Asever Thomas was electric even forthose of us whose grasp ofSwedish is minimal. Other finestorytellers performing were GunnarEklund and Marianne Folkedottir,who have both been over here inthe past. The presentations inEnglish, including storytelling in asmaller venue in the theatre byHamish and myself, were extremelywell-attended and went down great.

Overall the combination of playsand storytelling brought outremarkable audiences and therecan be little doubt that the eventwas a great success. Plans areafoot to turn it into an annual event.

Stuart McHardy

Friday 7th August was a day forsaluting Stanley, and for sharingour sadness about his death. Thefuneral in Aberdeen was aninspiring occasion with greattributes, real warmth and humour– fit for the man himself.

On the Lumphanan Road, folksang 'Yellow on the Broom' asStanley asked, and at theStorytelling Centre people sang tooin the garden where Stanley helpedopen the new building. Even in faraway Switzerland, at the time ofStanley's funeral, storytellers fromall over Europe raised a glass ofwhisky.

There is a sense of voices there,voices carrying in the wind, and thememory and the soul, round theearth. Stanley was a master ofthose voices and we shall behearing them with his tone andaccent for many years, manygenerations to come.

Stanley would always have spokenfirst of his own family, andforebears and people. It was theirtraditions of music, song and storythat he carried with him on hispassage through life, and to whichhe was so true. Few have beenborn into so rich an inheritance andStanley made the art and culture ofthe Scottish Travellers an honouredpart of Scotland's culture.

But Stanley was also an individualartist of genius. He had his ownvision and imagination and craft,which he practised both as an oralartist and through his uniquewriting.

Stanley telling in the Netherbow Theatre

Stanley Robertson 1940-2009

He both honoured the tradition andadded to it in many ways. Who,apart from Stanley, could haveturned the fish gutters' tables into ahearthside of story andexperiences shared by all? Whocould touch the spiritual nerves likehim?

The tradition bearer and the greatartist seem bound up though, inour memories, with Stanley theperson. The warmth, the insight,the loving wisdom, the humour –wicked at times! – the respect anddecency and care for all his fellowcreatures; and that alongside hisrealism, a knowledge of all thetough and hard things life canbring. Yet humanity comes out stillon top. Jack wins through in theend.

Stanley has won through now andwe are sad but in some strangeway happy too. We have lost himbut we are still listening to hisvoices. He is in the Land of NoDeath.

Our thoughts and prayers are withJohnanne and all of Stanley'schildren and grandchildren.

A Memorial to Stanley

We would like to create a fittingpermanent memorial to StanleyRobertson in the ScottishStorytelling Centre. As Stanleyalready has his seat as HonoraryFounder, we propose tocommission a painting illustrating'Auld Cruivie' or 'Jack and theDancing Trees'.

'Ayld Cruivie' seems a definingand inspirational Stanley story,set by his dearly lovedLumphanan Road. We will askthe renowned storytelling artistKate Leiper to illustrate Stanley'sstory, so adding to the'Scotland's Stories' collection.

If you would like to donatetowards this memorial pleasegive a cheque (payable to theScottish Storytelling Forum) or acash donation to Donald Smith,Honorary Treasurer.

Donald Smith



Scotland-Kolkata Connections

In January this year, I was invitedby the British Council to take partin Kolkata Book Fair, a 10-dayliterary extravaganza that formedpart of Scotland-KolkataConnections, a year-longprogramme of events aimed atstrengthening ties betweenScotland and India.

Working with the first group ofchildren was great. They wererather shy when they first arrivedbut soon warmed up with a song.English seemed to be more like afirst language than a second tothese children and they listenedintently while I told them atraditional Scottish story about a girlwho looks after the goats andsheep whose only friend is a littlegoat.

I didn't realise then how appropriateand accessible my choice of storyand subject was. The next day, as Iwalked on the Maidan (commonground in the centre of Kolkata), Isaw great herds of goats beingtended by boys and men. It's sucha timeless activity, and one soconnected to Nature, and yet onewe have lost in our march towards'progress'. I was continually struckby this comparison between ourtwo worlds.

My story also provided anotherpertinent theme. The girl is not fedproperly by her stepmother, so isalways hungry. She discovers thatby rubbing the goat's ear andsaying a rhyme she is magicallygiven a feast of food. We saw manypeople begging for food during ourstay but were also presented withmany feasts ourselves. The flavoursof India will find their way into mystorytelling and will especially colourmy Indian tales.

My second event was very special.I heard a traditional Bengali Patuasstoryteller, Swarna, tell the story of‘The Fishes Wedding'. She actuallysang the story and her style wasreminiscent of the Traveller style ofballad singing in Scotland. She heldup a canvas which she had hand-painted to illustrate the story. I hadsent out a Scottish story to her for

which she had then painted a scroll,and it was exciting to see herimages for my story. I told the storyof 'The Three Donalds' and sang aDundee song which was popular atthe height of the jute industry there,which has connections in Kolkata.I will use this scroll again inScotland and show people hereSwarna's work.

It was in the Junior section of theamazing English bookshop calledOxford Bookstore that my thirdevent took place. I told the youngpeople aged 10-14 years aboutBeira, the Celtic goddess of Winterand the coming of Spring. Thisstory explains the very creation ofthe Scottish landscape, if not theScottish character also. I asked thechildren to make up stories of Beiracoming to India – what would shehave created here? I was delightedby all the responses. It wasgenerally agreed that Beira wouldnot like the South of India as itwould be too hot for her taste. Onegirl told us in a very animated styleabout Beira dipping her icy fingersinto the Ganges and seeing it freezeover. Then she could put on her iceskates and skate across India. So,many thought that Beira wouldfavour the Himalayas and couldsettle there in the snow.

My husband Roni also told themthe story of how mosquitos came toIndia and the young people joinedin enthusiastically offering wonderfulideas of how to rid Kolkata of amurderous beast. Alas they werenot successful and so themosquitos still remain.

Thankfully we were not plagued bythem on our trip as we thought wemight be!

Ruth Kirkpatrick

Ruth performs with Bengaliteller Swarna Chitrakar

Everyone has a story to tell andthe Centre's annual Tell-a-StoryDay event is a great opportunityfor adults, young people andchildren alike to set up their ownDIY storytelling event – big orsmall – and tell their own stories,anecdotes, memories andexperiences, or inspire andenable other people to sharetheirs.

Traditionally held on the last Fridayof October, Tell-a-Story Day isScotland's national celebration oforal storytelling, and bringstogether friends, family, colleaguesand communities all over Scotlandas part of the Storytelling Festival.

We want to inspire people of allages to celebrate the magic ofstories in schools, libraries,community centres, churches,hospitals, homes, gardens – andanywhere else they can think of! –and we're providing all thesupport and materials neededfor a stress-free event: onlineresources, colourful posters andstickers, and of course limitlesshelp and advice.

It's time to talk! If you'reinterested in taking part in Tell-a-Story Day and running an event inyour area on (or around!) 30thOctober, visitwww.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.ukor call Caroline Budge on 0131652 3272 for more information.

Tell-a-Story DayFriday 30 October 2009


Blethers

Healing Words: Storytelling as a Pathway to Peace in the Holy Land

Thanks to a Scottish Arts CouncilProfessional Development awardand the support of friends andcolleagues, I was able to takepart in a unique six-weekprogramme at Emerson Collegeentitled 'Healing Words:Storytelling as a Pathway toPeace'.

The first four weeks were spent inthe classroom, training in advancedstorytelling and peacemaking, andafter a month of working intensivelyas a group we were as ready ascould be.

Yet nothing could prepare us forthe reality of storytelling in Israeland Palestine. On the first day ofour tour, we met with one of theleaders of the Combatants forPeace, a group of ex-soldiers –Palestinian and Israeli – who haddecided to lay down their arms andtake up the cause of peace. Theywanted us to facilitate their firstjoint meeting of ex-soldiers andinvited guests.

More than a hundred peoplearrived, including local media. Webegan by listening to ex-soldiers –men and women – tell their storiesof war. These were difficult, oftenpainful confessions of brutality; yetthese stories were also part of thehonesty and transparency which isnecessary before healing andreconciliation can begin.

After the warriors had spoken, wedivided into three large groups: amix of Arabs, Jews, Palestinians,Israelis, men and women of allages. For many, just sitting next toeach other was an accomplishment.All eyes looked at my Swedishcolleague and I expectantly. Webegan with some 'firestarters':songs and games to warm us upand ease the tension. A youngman offered a Palestinian children'ssong; soon everyone was clapping,laughing and singing along. Thetension was beginning to meltaway.

However, it was time to put asidechildren's songs and get down tothe serious storytelling. Followingsome nervous moments ofhesitation, a Palestinian manoffered to begin, then another, then

a young Jewish woman, then, inturn, Israelis and Palestinians,Arabs and Jews, men, women andyoung people shared their storiesand hearts. They were filled withconflict, fear, mistrust, oppression,aggression, arrest, beatings, guilt,humiliation, martyrdom andtriumphs of survival. Yet despitethe darkness, almost everystoryteller expressed an overridingdesire for the light of peace.

That wish was soon put to the testwhen suddenly, without warning,the Israeli army arrived. Thesoldiers' shouts and gesticulatingmachine guns needed notranslation, and several youngPalestinian men in my groupjumped out of the circle and beganmaking their own threateninggestures.

Quickly, through my translator, I asked the men to return to thecircle, explaining that they and thesoldiers were enacting an 'oldstory' of aggression, intimidationand revenge. We all knew too wellhow that story would unfold.Instead, I challenged them to returnto the circle where we were in theprocess of 'writing a new story'.They stopped and stared at thetranslator, then back at me. Theireyes were alight with anger. Butthey listened and after a fewmoments returned to the circle,while the organisers of theCombatants for Peace negotiatedwith the soldiers.

At the end of our session, we hadshared names, songs, stories,tears, laughter, hugs, gratitudeand, at the very least,acknowledgement of the other. Ofcourse, I was under no illusion thatninety minutes of sharing storiesunder a hot sun in a remote olivegrove between two smallsettlements was going to solve theconflict in the Middle East. Thereality is that peace is gained oneheart, one mind at a time. I witnessed hope that day as Iwatched Jews and Arabs look ateach other, speak to each otherand listen to each other.

That experience was repeatedthroughout our two-week tour invarious venues and with a varietyof audiences, young and old alike.I am proud to have taken part inthe 'Healing Words' project;grateful and proud of those whoenabled me to participate, proud ofmy fellow storytellers. But most ofall, I'm proud of those courageousmen and women, young peopleand children throughout the HolyLand who chose and continue tochoose to set aside racial andreligious prejudice, to meet oneanother, to share their stories, tolisten and walk together on thepathway to peace.

Michael Williams

Michael leads a group of Palestinians and Israelis in storytelling

about the Safari Park to take backto school. After lunch, it was allchange.

My remit was then to help thechildren create a story on theirchosen animal and record it ontoCD. They all had wonderful ideasand loved hearing themselves backthrough headphones when werecorded. Over the next fewweeks, six artists helped thechildren to make large banners andworked on other craftwork inspiredby the animals and stories.

On the day of the launch, the usualmix of invited guests, parents,teachers and children assembled inFalkirk Town Hall. The bannerswere on display before going on totheir permanent home at BlairDrummond. All six stories were tobe told and I was warned that thechildren would find it too stressfulto be involved in the telling in frontof such a large audience ofstrangers.

How wrong they were! To theamazement of many of theteachers, the children eagerlyjoined me at the front to help telland take ownership of their ownstories. 60 very happy children leftwith their own copy of the CD.


Stories on Safari

There is always job satisfaction instorytelling, but sometimes one islucky enough to be involved in aspecial project. That was myexperience when I was asked tobe the storyteller on a wonderfuland exciting collaborative projectcalled ‘Stories on Safari.'

It was instigated and devised byArtlink Central, in conjunction withBlair Drummond Safari Park andalso sponsored by Arts andBusiness Scotland and the EIS.Artlink is an organisation whichaims to bring all kinds of artactivities to a wide range ofmarginalised and special needsgroups and this one involvedprimary schools, art, storytelling –and, of course animals!

On a beautiful day just beforeEaster, we assembled at BlairDrummond Safari Park – tenchildren with additional supportneeds from each of six schools inFalkirk and Stirling, teachers andhelpers, six artists, the organisers,and one storyteller. Thirty childrenspent the morning with the ParkEducation Officer, meeting theanimals and learning about theirhabitats. The other half stayed inthe marquee where they listened toanimal stories and made a poster

Bea and pupils at the Windsor Park launch day


It was obvious that the childrenthoroughly enjoyed the wholeexperience, but feedback has alsoproved that the learning outcomeswere exceeded. The childrenlearned to work in teams, formedfriendships, and the improvementin their confidence, concentration,self-esteem and verbal expressionwas evident, not only during theproject itself, but carried over intogeneral classwork andrelationships.

It was a huge learning curve for meas well, but very very enjoyable.

Bea Ferguson

Scots Go FEST

projects in education, health andwellbeing, heritage, performance andcommunity development.

The Scottish influence in all this wasdistinctive and recognised – nopushing required. As Director of theScottish Storytelling Centre I gavethe opening address on tradition,artistic diversity and ethos. GeorgeMacPherson reported from the'Healing Network' and JohnBarrington from one of the two'Education Networks'. Culturalhappenings around the conferencecore were another Scottishcontribution, and George stayed onto feature in the first LausanneStorytelling Festival.

Most significant perhaps was theagreement to formally establish FESTthrough an international'Memorandum of Understanding',containing definitions of purpose andan organisational structure. This, asone might imagine, was the subject

Following planning meetings at theScottish Storytelling Centre and thepathfinder Gathering in Oslo inAugust 2008, the Federation forEuropean Storytelling wasformally established at the secondGathering in Lausanne in August2009. I attended, representing theScottish Storytelling Forum andCentre.

A key feature of Lausanne was thegrowth in participating nations. Therewere 25 represented in person and afurther five participating thoughunable to attend. FEST is nowgenuinely pan-European.

There was creative excitement and amood of mutual encouragementabout, since no one, including theplanning group, had fully realised theextent and diversity of theresurgence across Europe. Therewas inspiration in that and somehard-headed networking, embracingfestivals, national associations and

of a lengthy debate which I wasasked to chair. Now I know what EUsummits are like!

The end result was unanimous andprovides a clear platform fordevelopment. On the basis of theMemorandum, a Steering Group waselected, while England and Spainwere established as the Gatheringvenues for 2010 and 2011. It wasalso agreed to offer a wide range ofInterest Group Networks, allowingeach to find its appropriate supportand form, reporting to the nextGathering.

The universal view amidst the 65participants is that Lausanne was adecisive milestone in the worldwidestorytelling renaissance and from thatview, despite being Scottish, I cannotdissent. The European Memorandumcan be viewed online atwww.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Donald Smith


Issue 19 Autumn 2009Blethers

BOOK BLETHERS

In the Spring issue we were lookingforward to Stanley Robertson'sReek Roon A Campfire and DavidCampbell's Out of the Mouth ofthe Morning. Both are the classics Ipredicted. That is because theycombine a poetic gift for languagewith fine repertoires and a truestorytelling vocation. It was sad andyet also consoling that Stanley'sReek Roon A Campfire somagnificently summed up his artand tradition just a few monthsbefore his death.

More recently we have added areprint of another classic, DuncanWilliamson's Fireside Tales. Thishas been expanded by LindaWilliamson with fresh material, andit takes us back to the start ofDuncan's journey out into the worldto share his heritage. There is anemphasis here on stories enjoyedby Scottish Traveller children andthere is an evergreen freshnessabout the whole collection.

There is another milestone event inthe offing. After more than a centuryof, partly enforced, silence LadyEvelyn Stewart Murray's collectionof Gaelic folktales is appearing in asuperb bilingual edition courtesy ofthe Scottish Gaelic Texts Society.This is a neglected treasure oftradition from Highland Perthshireand it is down to the dedication ofTony Dilworth and Sylvia Robertson,ably championed by Donald Meek,that we shall be able at last to openLady Evelyn's hard won kist o'riches.

Fortunately another dedicatedservant of Scotland's traditions,Emily Lyle, is not having to waitmore than a hundred years forsome hard-earned recognition. Twofine books have appeared – Fairiesand Folk: Approaches to theScottish Ballad Tradition by Emilyherself and Emily Lyle: ThePersistent Scholar a tributecollection of essays, edited byFrances Fischer and SigridRieuwerts. Anyone interested in therich and growing research onScottish balladry cannot be withoutthese fine publications; Emily Lyle

Reek Roun A CampfireRobertson, Stanley (Birlinn)ISBN 9781841587950

Out of the Mouth of the MorningCampbell, David (Luath)ISBN 9781906307936

Fireside Tales of the TravellerChildrenWilliamson, Duncan (Birlinn)ISBN 9781841588148

Tales from Highland Perthshirecollected by Lady Evelyn StewartMurray (Scottish Gaelic TextsSociety)Trans/eds. Robertson, Sylvia &Dilworth, Tony ISBN 9780903586023

Fairies and Folk; Approaches tothe Scottish Ballad TraditionLyle, Emily (Wissenshcaftlicher VerlagTrier)ISBN 9783884769577

Emily Lyle: The Persistent ScholarEd. Fischer, Frances and Rieuwerts,Sigrid (Wissenshcaftlicher Verlag Trier)ISBN 9783884769959

Cuttings from the ViolasWhite-Parkes, Annette (Freshcut Press)ISBN 9780960555055

Young ShakespeareBonning, Tony (Waverley Books, YoungClassics)ISBN 9781902407425

Tam O'ShanterDon, Lari (Barrington Stoke)ISBN 9781842997840

Transforming Tales: How StoriesCan Change PeopleParkinson, Rob (Jessica KingsleyPublishers)ISBN 9781843109747

Magnus Fin and the Ocean QuestMackay, Janis (Floris Books)ISBN 9780863157028

Scottish Storytelling Centre43-45 High StreetEdinburgh EH1 1SRT: 0131 556 9579E: reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.comwww.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

has made an unequalled yet oftenunheralded contribution to Scottishstudies.

The Year of Homecoming hasstimulated some fine storytellingaround themes of migration andglobal connection as this year'sStorytelling Festival shows. Cuttingsfrom the Violas by Annette White-Parkes is the story of one woman'sjourney to reconnect with her Scotsgrannies and their roots. This is amoving personal story with biggerimplications regarding the hidden-ness of many women's lives and yetthe persistence of strong underlyingconnections and values.

Storytellers in Scotland are alsocontinuing to spin off new freshpublications including fresh takeson the classics. Tony Bonning'sYoung Shakespeare puts younglearners in touch with Shakespearethe boy, the man and the artist withlots of Bonning zest. Lari Don spinsher take on Tam O'Shanter andadds a dash of dark spice to theBurns 250th mix.

Donald Smith

Janis Wins Kelpies Prize! Just as we go to print, news hascome in that Janis Mackay's novelMagnus Fin and the Ocean Questhas won the 2009 Kelpies Prize.Floris Books made theannouncement at a packed awardceremony at the EdinburghInternational Book Festival.Congratulations Janis!

Edinburgh-based Floris Booksrelaunched the Kelpies Prize in2004. It is awarded annually toencourage and reward newScottish writing for children. At thesame event, the 2010 Kelpies Prizewas launched. Manuscripts areinvited for submission by 26February 2010.

For more information about theprize and for the full rules andguidelines for the 2010 award, seewww.florisbooks.co.uk/kelpiesprize

scottish storytelling blethers centre and network · career teachers for use with young learners....

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