Today (Wed 11 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 35th festival programme.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (18 to 31 October 2024) is organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling.
Since it began in 1989, it has been building bridges between cultures, artists and audiences all over the world through the power of storytelling.
To mark its 35th anniversary, which coincides with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the festival has chosen ‘Bridges Between’ as its programming theme, which has been the inspiration for eight new story commissions premiering during this year’s festival.
It has also invited international storytellers from the Storytelling Arena in Berlin, from Ireland with the support of Culture Ireland, and from India to participate in this year’s event.
New Commissions supported by the Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund:
● Mending Nets (Fri 18 Oct) – Palestinian poet and dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller Janis Mackay present stories of loss, friendship and hope, to help people attempt to retrieve an unravelled sense of identity.
● The Bouncy Billy Goats Gruff (Sat 19 Oct) – a sensory version of the traditional tale of Billy Goats Gruff suited to children with additional needs, their families and friends with storyteller Ailie Finlay and artist Kate Leiper.
● The Dream of Al-Andulus (19 Oct) Storytellers Sef Townsend and Inés Álvarez Villa accompanied by flamenco guitarist Danielo Olivera and Moroccan musician Omar Afif, transport audiences to mediaeval Spain.
● The Desperate Battle of the Birds (Mon 21 Oct) Scottish storyteller James MacDonald Reid presents his version of this classic Gaelic folk tale intertwined with live electric cello music by Scottish-Korean musician Ryan Williams. Performed in English and Gaelic throughout.
● Òran Mhòir (23 Oct) Costumes, films, field recordings, folk songs and electronic sounds come together in a multi-media performance exploring the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone. With storyteller Eileen Budd and experimental folk duo Burd Ellen.
● Jack and Beggar’s Island (25 Oct) The most powerful freedom story of Scottish oral tradition recreated by storytellers Jimmy Williamson, Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson connected with music from Toby Shippey and friends.
● Kanpur: 1857! (26 Oct)Niall Moorjani and Jon Oldfield present a dilemma between a young Indian rebel strapped to a cannon and a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur. Are they a hero or villain?
● A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun (30 Oct) Weaving myth from the Celtic Isles, Scandinavia and Siberia, storyteller Douglas Mackay takes a deep dive into the history of our troubled relations with our oldest ally. With Jemima Thewes providing shadow puppet animation and original, dreamlike soundscape.
This year the Festival is also part of the city’s Edinburgh 900 programme, celebrating nine centuries of story and literature in Scotland’s capital city.
Festival Director Donald Smith, who is also author of the newly-published Edinburgh Our Storied Town, has programmed a series of events showcasing Edinburgh through the centuries and exploring different eras of its history.
These include talks on ‘chivalry’ and the knightly values of the crusades; Edinburgh’s theatres and the history of the festivals; Scotland’s golden age of literature; and a conference and ‘Lit Fandango’ with Michael Pedersen to celebrate 20 years since Edinburgh was crowned the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
There are also guided walks through the city to explore Edinburgh’s founding women with Claire McNicol; an after-hours tour of Surgeon’s Hall where tales of chloroform tea parties and grave robbing will be shared; and storytelling sessions at Bridgend Farmhouse, The Balm Well and Edinburgh’s Philosophy Cafe on the Southside.
For younger audiences and families there is a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 12 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme (18 to 31 Oct).
Family highlights include storytelling fun and adventures with Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson in Raven Jack and Lady Unicorn; dancing and stories with Moyra Banks and Fergus McNicol; tales of dragons and tunes from Lithuania and Scotland; and The Hairy Tale of Sam the Skull about a gallus Glasgow cat, told by storyteller Alastair McIver.
There is also a chance for young storytellers to learn new skills in the 3-day workshop series School of Storycraft and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day and Macastory’s Caddie Capers.
Plus, the festival’s Global Lab strand returns with four online workshops exploring intangible cultural heritage; the war in Gaza through the voices of children and young people; stories from across India hosted by the Folklogue Team; and a discussion of Scotland as a slaver nation trading in Jamaica hosted by Kate Philips, author of Bought and Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery.
Work in progress, marked as ‘In the Making’ will be shared during the festival and will include stories from Norway created and performed by Svend-Erik Engh, Hafdís Huld and Neil Sutcliffe; adventures beyond the iron curtain told by Alice Fernbank through her dad’s memoirs; a coming of age story told in the spirit of the Griot storytelling traditions from West Africa by French-Cameroonian artist Fay Guiffo; and retellings of the work of Hamish Henderson.
This year the festival runs up until Halloween and includes events when storytellers, musicians and artists will join together to share dark tales and gather for Samhain. There will also be four Tree of Memory events celebrating and honouring some of our storytelling elders including Irish and Scots storyteller Audrey Parks; Shetland storyteller Lawrence Tulloch, and Edinburgh storytellers Jack Martin and John Fee.
Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth gatherings of storytellers and musicians in the evening at the Netherbow Theatre, and post-show Festival Nights at The Waverley Bar.
Go Local returns this year, with new voices from Angus, the Highlands, and Stirling joining storytellers from all over Scotland throughout October and November to celebrate 35 years of the festival.
From Orkney and the Western Isles, to the Scottish Borders, there will be nearly 50 Go Local events in this year’s programme, plus two of the festival’s commissions will tour to community halls, libraries and storytelling festivals in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Tobermory.
Finally, this year’s festival exhibition hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will be Take Me To New Lands & Then Take Me Home, a series of paintings by Orcadian artist and musician Sarah McFadyen exploring the line between the worlds of fact and fable, and the place where land and sea meet.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s 35th anniversary is a magnificent achievement and demonstrates what a successful and important event it is.
“That’s why the Scottish Government has provided £100,000 in EXPO funding this year to support the commissions of eight performances at the festival.
“This year’s programme is incredibly diverse and there is plenty there to appeal to people of all interests, and both young and old. I am really looking forward to hearing some of the amazing stories at the Festival.”
Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said:
“In a world plagued by violence and division, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival offers bridges of imagination, fellow feeling and hope.
“And these qualities are inspired by a capital city that is celebrating 900 years of story, art and friendship.”
Performing at today’s launch storyteller Janis Mackay and poet and dancer Nada Shawa said: “We met on the dance floor fifteen years ago. Building bridges between is at the heart of our dance practise, 5 rhythms.
“Bridges between each other, between the heart and the body. Between the music and the dance. And with both of us there are many opportunities for exploring bridges between.
“Nada is from Gaza, Janis is from Edinburgh. Nada uses a wheelchair. Janis does not. Nada is a poet. Janis is a storyteller. So many rich differences that we weave into this show; Mending Nets.”
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will take place from Friday, 18 October to Thursday 31 October.
Tickets to family events cost just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass offers discounted tickets to many live festival events, online and at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop, Haggis Box Café and an invitation to the Festival launch event.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk