Marking 35 years with Stories

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival continues until 31 October

Next week, guest storytellers from Berlin arrive in Edinburgh to share stories and films from their divided and reunified city to mark 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This milestone coincides with the founding year of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, which runs until 31 October and takes place at the Storytelling Centre, and various venues in Edinburgh and across Scotland, thanks to support from Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund. 

The Festival’s German strand kicks off with West-East-West – stories from a still divided Germany on Tuesday, 29 Oct, 8pm. 

Supported by the Goethe-Institut, guest storytellersCarsta Zimmermann, Kristin Wardetzky, and Peter Hofmann will be sharing stories of their experiences in, and since, the early 1990s in Berlin. 

Curated by Rachel Clarke who currently lives in Berlin and works in theatre, these guest storytellers include actress Carsta Zimmermann who moved to a squatted house in the newly reunified East Berlin in the 1990s where she and her brother, director Jan Zimmermann, built a theatre and performed Shakespeare in the summer and Grimm’s fairy tales by the fireside in winter; Kristin Wardetzky, a storyteller and professor of theatre in education, who moved from East to West Berlin and introduced a storytelling course to the University of the Arts; and Peter Hofmann, who went from being at home in the cosy independent music scene of 1980s West Berlin, to playing his part in the emerging club scene in the East of the city.

This event will be complemented by a screening of a documentary film by Horst Edler on Wednesday, 30 October, 5.30pm, illustrating the peaceful revolt that was witnessed during the fall of the Berlin Wall when people brought down the power of the Stasi using music, caricatures and satirical slogans.

The footage includes unknown stories told by eyewitnesses at the original locations, pictures of current actions, events, and posters to commemorate the Peaceful Revolution.  Some of footage shown will also be from scenes at the Zion church or Zionskirche 35 years ago.

This patriotic landmark stands at the highest point in Berlin and was a meeting place for opposition groups in the mid-1980s, it was also where vigils were held for members arrested by the Stasi, and as a result, became the home of the civic movement that campaigned for the end of the GDR.

Daniel Abercrombie, Associate Director, Scottish International Storytelling Festival said: ““We are delighted to welcome our international guests from Berlin and the Storytelling Arena to take part in this year’s festival.

“Our theme this year is ‘Bridges Between’ and it feels even more fitting than ever that at a time where literal, figurative and societal walls continue to be constructed everywhere we try to look beyond these boundaries and continue to build bridges between us using the universal power of storytelling.”

Hanna Dede, Director of Goethe-Institut Glasgow said: “Storytelling is the ideal medium for exploring complex narratives from various perspectives.

“When we learned the Scottish International Storytelling Festival shares its founding year with the fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago, we felt it was the perfect opportunity for the Storytelling Festival and Goethe-Institut to team up in commemorating this event. 

“We are excited to cooperate with our partners in bringing storytellers from Germany to Scotland to share their stories about this pivotal point in German history, which set off the process of unification – still ongoing and shaping the public debate to this day.

“Horst Edler and Storytelling Arena delve into the topic by including perspectives from East and West Germany, thus creating an atmosphere to listen and learn from each other – a prerequisite for anyone truly committed to building bridges.

“We hope the Storytelling Festival will continue with this remarkable work for many more years.”

Kate Deans, International Officer, Creative Scotland said: “As the Scottish International Storytelling Festival celebrates its 35th anniversary, it continues to connect local and global stories.

“Creative Scotland welcomes the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, supporting new commissions and uniting storytellers and musicians from Scotland and abroad, covering regions as diverse as Andalucia, Siberia, the Celtic Isles, and India.

“This year marks an exciting moment as the festival hosts UNESCO City of Literature delegates from around the world. As Edinburgh celebrates 20 years of its UNESCO designation, these delegates will also be able to explore the festival’s rich programme of events during their time here.”

Other international guests performing this year include Jeeva Raghunath who will be sharing stories from the folk lands of India, and Irish guest storyteller and broadcaster Nuala Hayes who founded the Dublin Storytelling Festival who will be joined by Irish musician Aoife Granville for two events celebrating the life of storyteller, seanchaì and author Peig Sayers thanks to support from Culture Ireland.

For the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk