On World Storytelling Day (Friday 20 March), TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) is delighted to announce the appointment of Daniel Abercrombie as the new Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. An experienced creative arts producer deeply embedded within the storytelling community in Scotland, Daniel will take up his appointment from April 2026.
Daniel has been Associate Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) for the past five years, and at the forefront of the much-loved Scottish Storytelling Centre since 2010.
He has been a key figure in driving and shaping the current resurgence of interest in traditional and contemporary storytelling, and his work, just like a traditional ceilidh is rooted in shared creativity, partnerships and collaboration.
Under Daniel’s guidance, the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme has developed into a thriving platform for storytellers and trad-artists, becoming a must-see programme of first-class creativity each August.
In 2013 Daniel was also part of the team that led the creation of Edinburgh Tradfest.
Raised in Edinburgh, Daniel has a deep understanding of the city’s festivals, but also how the SISF reaches across Scotland and absorbs international friendships. As part of his appointment he will join the Directors of Festivals Edinburgh bringing with him a wealth of experience in working with a wide range of artists and cultural organisations and an educational background in cultural and literary tourism.
SISF was founded in 1989 by former director Donald Smith to promote storytelling, nurture new talent and celebrate community. Today, the festival welcomes audiences in excess of 40,000 participants and connects with new and well-known storytellers from all across Scotland and in other parts of the world.
SISF is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling and is organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), the national network for traditional arts in Scotland. In 2026 the festival will run from 21 to 31 October.
Daniel Abercrombie, new Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival said: “It’s a great joy to be tasked with continuing the great work of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
“I have seen first hand the natural evolution of the festival into the thriving cultural community force it is now and I look forward to being a steward, celebrant and advocate for the great stories, storytellers and traditional artists that make our festival a light in a world in need of stories.”
Beverley Bryant, Chair of the Scottish Storytelling Forum said: “Daniel absolutely understands the importance of storytelling; both the tradition and culture we are preserving and the need for storytelling in contemporary settings.
“He is a passionate advocate of the art form and of the Scottish arts scene more broadly. It will be exciting to see the SISF develop in new ways under his direction.”
Steve Byrne, CEO of TRACS,who led the recruitment process, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Daniel to the TRACS team after many years of working alongside him in partnership, having long admired his innovative programming work at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
“His track record speaks for itself – he is an outstanding candidate whose commitment to traditional arts is first rate. I look forward to seeing SISF flourish under his leadership.”
● International Guest Storytellers from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Germany
● Tales by Scotland’s Travelling Community
● Over 60 Go Local Events
● Dark Tales for Halloween and the Brothers Grimm
TODAY (Wed 10 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 36th festival programme.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (22 October to 1 November 2025) organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling.
This year’s theme ‘Lights of the North’ explores Scotland’s northern identity through sharing tales from the world’s northern arc, which bridges Finland to Iceland and connects Germany to Norway, with Scotland in between.
Over the 11 days of the festival, some of the North’s most celebrated storytellers will join leading voices from Scotland to bring a feast of traditional storytelling to Edinburgh and to venues across Scotland.
International guest storytellers including Anna-Maria Toivonen from Finland; Georgiana Keable Jerstad and Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen from Norway; Hjörleifur Stefánsson from Iceland; Jerker Fahlström from Sweden; and Suse Weisse from Germany; will share tales of Vikings, Huldufólk (or the hidden people from Iceland), trolls, the dark northern winters and some of their favourite traditional folktales.
Joining them, will be some of Scotland’s most celebrated storytellers, who will present new work themed on the ‘Lights of the North’, and their own twist on some classic tales including:
● Of Stars, Bears and the Beginning of Time (Wed 22 Oct) presented by storyteller Riikka Palonenand accompanied by folk musician Richard Clarke. Riikka will take audiences on a mythical journey through the celestial origin stories of the Fenno-Baltic tradition.
● The People of the Sea (Thu 23 Oct) inspired by David Thomson’s remarkable work about selkie myths and coastal voices told by Ruth Kirkpatrick and Colin Urwin.
● Selkie: Past, Present, Future (Fri 24 Oct) with Niall Moorjani and Ailsa Dixon who explore what it is to be human through three queered and reimagined selkies set in the past, present and future.
● Land of Many Waters (Sat 25 Oct) with Eileen Budd, David McAlmont and Debbie Armour whopresent stories inspired by Scottish rivers and waters, the stories they carry and their fragile eco-system.
● He Sits on the Rock of Joy (Sun 26 Oct) with storyteller Linda Perttula and singer-songwriter Aino Elina who combine their own teenage memories, with ancient poetry and ethereal vocals in the search for a connection to this Finnish epic.
● Da Winters O Shetland (Sun 26 Oct) with storyteller and comedian Marjolein Robertson, who takes us on a story arc across the dark night of a Shetland winter.
● Gullrun’s Saga: A Viking Story (Thu 30 Oct) with storyteller Svend-Erik Engh and Scottish musician Neil Sutcliffe who present an original story inspired by the Icelandic sagas.
Classic tales with a twist include:
● Claire Hewitt presenting the magical tale of The Swan Woman with Anna-Maria Toivonen.
● Mark Borthwick retelling the tale of The War of the Birds.
● Sarah Wedderburn-Ogilvy, Isobel O’Donovan, Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett reimagining the forgotten tale of St Enoch through the journey of four women making their lives in Glasgow.
● Monica Madas and Erin Farley using puppetry and song to tell the epic tale of Triduana and her journey to take Saint Andrew’s bones to Scotland.
● Tania Allan and Craig McCulloch’s take on traditional Selkie myths and the parallels between the silence and captivity found in deafness.
The festival is also packed with rich tales and songs from Scotland’s Travelling Community that have been passed down through generations. With Jess Smith and Jimmy Williamson sharing well known tales, and Marion Kenny paying homage to Duncan Williamson with a retelling of The King and The Lamp. This year’s Alan Bruford lecture will also discuss ‘Nackens’ (Scottish Gypsy Travellers) and how their folklore gives us unique insights into Scotland’s history and placenames. This will be led by author Dr Robert Fell who will be joined by Shamus McPhee to recount a tale about Balquhidder and how it got its name. Plus, piper Gary West, author of the Martyn Bennett biography Brave New Music, hosts a live event celebrating the Traveller ballads and stories which influenced the late musician’s work.
As we edge closer to Halloween,and the Samhuinn Fire Festival in Holyrood Park, the festival embraces the dark side of storytelling with Daniel Serridge and Heather Cartwright sharing stories and songs about the unnerving and haunted corpse roads in Cumbria, where the dead passed through on the way to their graves; Anna Lehr presents Dazwischen – a tale about death, birth and what lies between; Chair of the Scottish Storytelling Forum, and celebrant, Beverley Bryant leads a workshop on Mortality and Making and how we craft conversations about death whilst participants weave willow and make decorations for coffins; and Suse Weisse in association with Goethe-Institut, shares some of the Brother Grimm’s fairy tales and tales fit for The Bewitching Season on Hallow’s Eve.
For younger audiences and families there’s a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 11 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme (22 Oct to 1 Nov). Family highlights include sensory storytelling fun with Fibi Cowley in A Dispute with a Butterfly told through puppetry; and sensory stories with Ailie Finlay in Tales of Cold Forests and Cosy Bears.There’s also percussive dancing from Tokyo-born stepdancer Kae Sakurai in BLOOM; a family ceilidh with the Minnow Ceilidh Band; songs and stories about dragons with Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Gaynor Barradell; and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day and Macastory’s School for Skalds.
Plus, Allison Galbraith delights audiences with folk tales about our Scottish waters and will announce the winners of this year’s Words of the Wild nature writing competition run in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Also, new for 2025, three emerging storytellers present their own work themed around shame, consent and survival, in association with FEST (Federation of European Storytelling).
This year’s workshop programmeis packed with tips on telling stories including a look at using BSL in storytelling and how facial expression and movement can help bring a story to life; tech and storytelling with the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s very own inhouse expert Roddy Simpson discussing how best to present storytellers on the stage; what music can add to stories; and the ethical considerations behind using recordings and archive material. Plus, Boglárka Klitsie-Szabad of the Hungarian Heritage House explores the rich repertoire of one of Hungary’s last traditional Roma storytellers Vilmos Csipkés; and Anna Lehr discusses classic fairy tales particularly those of the Brothers Grimm.
Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth gatherings of storytellers and musicians across four evenings in the Storytelling Centre’s Netherbow Theatre.
Go Local returns this year, with new voices from East Lothian and Shetland joining storytellers from all over Scotland throughout October and November to celebrate Scottish storytelling. From the Western Isles, to Dumfries and Galloway there will be over 60 Go Local events in this year’s programme, plus the international storytellers invited to participate in this year’s festival, will also perform in Glasgow, Kenmore, Aberfeldy and Dundee; and as guests at storytelling festivals in Orkney, Aberdeen and Dumfries and Galloway.
Finally, this year’s festival exhibition Stories Drawn from the Land, hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will feature ink illustrations and ceramics by Hester Aspland, whose work is rooted in the realms of folklore, wild places, landscape and history. Hester is also the illustrator of this year’s festival programme.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:
“The fantastic programme for this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival features something for everyone and brings together stars of Scotland’s storytelling scene with our north Atlantic neighbours to give light to dark winter nights through mystical stories and songs.
“The festival received £200,000 this year from our EXPO fund as part of a record increase in culture funding from the Scottish Government. We are proud to support this celebration of Scotland’s storytelling heritage and its important place on the world stage.”
Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said: “I’m very inspired by the chemistry of this year’s programme. Northern stories come from the forests, mountains and oceans, while drawing on an eerie imagination, surreal humour and hidden connections between human and natural spirits. Inner and outer journeys collide with unexpected magic. And Scotland is a hub and a crucible of this unique northern brew!”
Performing at today’s launch, with musician Richard Clarke, storyteller Riikka Palonen said: “This festival is a very special and exciting time for me – as a relatively recent arrival on these shores, I feel honoured to be able to present the stories from my home land, here in the land of my new home.
The stories I will be telling are rooted in the celestial origins of our northern mythology – tales born of the stars – and just as the starlight brings its glow to the darkening nights, I hope my tales can also cast a little light and wonder, if even for a short while.”
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival takes place from Wednesday 22 October to Saturday 1 November. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass (£24) offers discounted tickets to many festival events, 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.
There will also be BSL interpretation available for D/deaf audiences at selected events.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visitsisf.org.uk
To celebrate the life and learnings of revolutionary 19th and 20th century Scottish social thinker Patrick Geddes, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in partnership with the Sir Patrick Geddes Trust is holding a day of workshops, screenings, talks and discussions as part of Edinburgh’s 900 programme on Saturday, 22 February.
Patrick Geddes by Kenny Hunter on display at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
The day looks to the future, structured around Geddes’ key sayings including ‘By Creating We Think’ and combining ideas with practical initiatives that can open pathways into ecology, culture and creativity to create a city rich in local, national and international identities.
Speakers include environmental artists Kenny Munro and Claudia Zeiske; Murdo MacDonald who is a leading writer and original interpreter of Patrick Geddes; environmentalist and nature writer Mandy Haggith; Bengali storyteller Neel Debdutt Paul; Samuel Gallacher who is Director of Sottish Historic Buildings Trust and has had close involvement with the ideas and legacy of Geddes; and many other writers, activists and thinkers.
Patrick Geddes was an ecologist and town planner who believed that our future lies in the merging of the natural world with human culture. He also championed the need for science and society to work together, citizen action, creative learning, and the need for green space.
Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish Storytelling Festival and Programmer of ‘By Creating We Think’ said: “Geddes would have loved to be at this event.
“His method was to bring people together and let the ideas and passions flow. Of course in a sense he will be there, and I can’t think of anyone more important to have at Edinburgh’s 900th celebrations.”
Samuel Gallacher, Director of Scottish Historic Buildings Trust said: “Geddes’ revolutionary thinking has influenced more than a century of practice, and yet still, his ideas and methods have still so much to offer to society today as we reflect, as Geddes did in his own time, on our rapidly changing world.”
‘By Creating We Think’ is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of Edinburgh’s 900th year celebrations and The Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust. It will be the final event in the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s programme of over 40 community events across the city that have been attended by more than 1600 people.
By Creating We Think Saturday 22 February from 10.30am to 5pm Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR.
A day of talks, workshops, screenings and lively discussion to celebrate the life and learnings of revolutionary 19thcentury Scottish social thinker Patrick Geddes,
The event is ticketed on a ‘pay as you can’ basis.
Introduction and hosting by Andrew Bachell, environmentalist and Chair, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.
Re-Naturing a Nation:Mandy Haggith, poet, novelist and nature writer. Greening the City: Bridgend Farmhouse with John Knox and Will Golding.
Think Global, Act Local
Cultures in Conversation: environmental artist Kenny Munro and storyteller/writer Neel Debdutt Paul explore a web of connections between Patrick Geddes and India.
Cultures in Conversation: Tom Hubbard writer and researcher; Claudia Zeiske, environmental artist, producer and community curator; and Iliyana Nedkova Curator of the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland, explore a web of connections between Geddes, France and Europe.
Place, Work, Folk
Remaking and restoring – a participative session led by Claudia Zeiske, environmental artist, producer and community curator.
By Living We Learn
Geddes, Tagore and Education – the work of Stewart A Robertson and Bashabi Fraser introduced by Donald Smith
The Making of Books: By Publishing We Think – Murdo MacDonald, Art Historian and Essayist.
A Geddes Future in Edinburgh’s Old TownSam Gallacher, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust
In October 2004, Edinburgh was designated the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a permanent title celebrating Edinburgh’s status as a literary capital and pioneer in the UNESCO Creative Cities network.
The concept of a City of Literature was devised in Edinburgh by the Trust’s founding members Jenny Brown OBE, Catherine Lockerbie, James Boyle and Lorraine Fannin, trailblazing the way – there are now 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature across the world.
To mark the occasion, 60 representatives from Cities of Literature destinations across the global network came to Edinburgh for a four day conference as part of The Scottish International Storytelling Festival last week (21-25 Oct 2024).
The conference helped mark the achievements of the past two decades and to make plans for the future – ensuring that Edinburgh continues to stay firmly on the literary map.
As part of this conference the Cities of Literature attending from all over the globe carried on the annual tradition of donating a selection of books to the hosting city. This year’s donations sees a range of diverse and beautifully illustrated children’s books in the original language of each of these UNESCO Cities gifted to the Central Lending Library in Edinburgh.
Keira Brown, Communications and Community Manager for Edinburgh City of Literature Trust, said:‘It’s a wonderful initiative that the Cities of Literature decide to donate picture books from their city, showcasing the range of talent from this global network, giving back to Edinburgh for welcoming these delegates to the city for the week, such a beautiful idea reflecting the international connection that is so beneficial for the sector here in Edinburgh.’
Keira Brown from Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and UNESCO Cities of Literature Coordinator, Hannah Trevarthen, with a selection of the donated books.
Nottingham’s City of Literature Director and UNESCO Cities of Literature Chair, Hannah Trevarthen, said: “It’s a fantastic tradition, donating children’s books to the city hosting the meeting every year, and one we hope will long continue.
“It’s our thank-you to the city for all of the hard work that goes into hosting the Cities of Literature delegates.’We hope that the children of Edinburgh will be inspired by the books from other Cities of Literature from around the world.’’
Within Edinburgh City of Literature Trust’s twenty year span, they have helped grow a global network of international literary cities, for the benefit of writers and literature professionals, bringing opportunities for paid commissions, supporting creative practice and broadening literary networks internationally.
At a more local level in Scotland, the Trust’s work has ranged from high profile campaigns to community-based Edinburgh projects, with bold, innovative work bringing communities together – connecting readers and writers as well as literary organisations in the Scottish literature scene.
The Trust has also long partnered with Edinburgh Library service, working to advocate the importance of librarians and libraries across the city.
Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said: ““Donating children’s books is a wonderful tradition within the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network. Through our ongoing partnership we are thrilled to see this meaningful gesture from such a diverse network of cities.
“As the founding city of this international cohort of UNESCO Cities of Literature, we take immense pride in celebrating our 20th anniversary, and I truly hope this wonderful tradition continues for many years to come.”
Edinburgh City of Literature Trust birthday also contributes to the on-going Edinburgh 900 celebrations; marking the 900 year anniversary of Edinburgh – a city-wide celebration of Edinburgh’s history, culture and future.
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 Festivalsaid: ““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.
There’s just one week to go before the world’s largest celebration of storytelling begins.
The 35th Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s packed programme of over 130 events, taking place in Edinburgh and across Scotland, kicks off next Friday 18 October thanks to support from Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund.
Since it began in 1989, the festival has been building bridges between cultures, artists and audiences through the power of storytelling. This year, to mark its 35th year, which coincides with 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the festival has invited international storytellers from the Storytelling Arena in Berlin to join them, and share stories and films from their divided and reunified city.
Other international guests also invited to perform 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.
Nuala will be joined by Irish musician Aoife Granville for two events celebrating the life of storyteller, seanchaì and author Peig Sayers who lived most of her life on The Great Blasket Island off the coast of south-west Kerry.
They will also be entertaining audiences with Stories and Songs from Ireland at the Aberdeen & Beyond Storytelling Festival (22 Oct); in Edinburgh as part of the main programme (23 Oct); and as guests at the Wild Goose Festival in Dumfries (18-25 Oct); thanks to support from Culture Ireland.
Storyteller James MacDonald Reid who performs Cath Gailbheach nan Eòin The Desperate Battle of the Birds with electric cellist Ryan Williams in Edinburgh (22 Oct) and Tobermory (25 Oct) this festival. Photo credit Neil Hanna.
Unmissable Gaelic highlights this festival include, the premiere of Cath Gailbheach nan Eòin The Desperate Battle of the Birds told by Scottish storyteller James MacDonald Reid in English and Gaelic throughout.
This classic Gaelic folk tale will be shared in the traditional manner by James but with a contemporary twist, as it will be intertwined with live electric cello music by Scottish-Korean musician Ryan Williams.
Plus, experimental folk duo Burd Ellen will premiere their new multi-media performance Òran Mhòirwhich explores the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone and mixes costume, film, folk song, electronic sounds and field recordings, with stories told by Eileen Budd from Angus.
Eileen will also be in Angus as part of the festival’s Go Local programme in November, for a weekend of crafts from the glens, Halloween history and folklore, and fireside ghost tales at Balintore Castle.
Performers from The Dream of Al-Andalus with L/R Omar Afif, Inés Álvarez Villa, Danielo Olivera, Director Jelena Bašić and Sef Townsend – premieres Sat 19 Oct at 8pm
Other events not to miss include The Dream of Al-Andalus, told by Sef Townsend and Inés Álvarez Villaand accompanied by flamenco guitarist Danielo Olivera and Moroccan musician Omar Afif. Al-Andalus was a vibrant era of cultural diversity in mediaeval Spain, where the interplay of Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultures sparked an artistic and intellectual renaissance. These cultures are fully represented by this group of artists who aim to evoke Al-Andalus, not as a relic of the past, but as an inspiration for a more tolerant future.
The Festival’s opening weekend also coincides with the October school holidays and there are plenty of family friendly events for children this year including; face painting, crafts, storytelling and songs presented by the Beltane Fire Society for Samhuinn; the premiere of a new sensory version of the traditional tale The Bouncy Billy Goats Gruff, suited to children with additional needs, their families and friends with storyteller Ailie Finlay and artist Kate Leiper;A Jaunt Round Auld Reekie with the Ceilidh Crew n’ Co performed with stories, music, comedy and puppetry; and a retelling of an ancient border ballad in Into the Woods: In the Footsteps of Thomas the Rhymer narrated by celebrated actor Julia Munrow and with music composed by multi-instrumentalist John Sampson and played by Pete Baynes.
Actor Julia Munrow narrates a new take on the ancient Border ballad of Thomas the Rhymer, with Pete Baynes and John Sampson
This year there is also a great selection of Edinburgh 900 events to look forward to, including a visit to St Catherine’s ‘Oily Well’ in Gracemount, known for its healing properties with storyteller Jane Mather, and an opportunity to join storytellers Jan Bee Brown and Beverley Casebow at the National Library’s exhibition exhibition Renaissance: Scotland and Europe, 1460-1630to hear true and traditional tales ofStars, Secrets and Sea Monsters.
In addition, Edinburgh will celebrate 20 years since its designation as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, with a conference from 22-25 October, which aims to bring together all the subsequent cities of literature in the network, and connect them to writers and literary organisations in the city.
Global Lab returns with four online workshops exploring intangible cultural heritage; present day Gaza through the voices of children and young people; stories from India; and Scotland as a slaver nation.
In addition, the festival’s in person workshop programme kicks off in week one with Emotional Literacy with Storytelling with Peter Chand, adult ADHD through the lens of folktales with Jacqueline Harris in Slowing Down to the Speed of Light which is also part of the Festival’s latest podcast series Another Story; and how stories can break down inhibitions, build cooperation and celebrate difference in Telling Across the Divide with storyteller Sef Townsend.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival runs 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
Multiple sell-outs and thunderous applause were enjoyed by the organisers and performers at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival (13-29 Oct).
The festival’s two week programme of live storytelling, music, art and song enjoyed a 20% increase in ticket sales from its events at the Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, online and in pubs, gardens and other venues across the city.
Including the Festival’s Go Local programme, which runs until the end of November bringing storytelling events to village halls and parks all across Scotland, from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, the festival’s 2023 programme included over 125 events, with 64 taking place in Edinburgh compared to 75 during Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.
This year’s festival theme was our ‘Right To Be Human’ chosen to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Storytellers both local and international embraced this theme and presented tales of war, gender inequality, censorship; ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious prejudices; and other threats and challenges that impact us daily as we live in the midst of so many humanitarian crises across the world.
Donald Smith, Director, Scottish International Storytelling Festivalsaid: “Right To Be Human, the theme of this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival has evoked powerful and eloquent creative responses, and drawn capacity audiences.
“Inspired by the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Festival theme gained tragic resonance as Middle Eastern conflict – added to war in Ukraine, the Yemen and Sudan – produced appalling, large-scale breaches of fundamental rights.
“At the same time the Festival drew strength from growing worldwide advocacy which is advancing human values and experiences through legal, social and cultural frameworks. We were also encouraged by the Scottish Government’s plans to incorporate more recent international conventions on environmental, cultural, children’s and other rights into domestic law in recognition of the 75th Anniversary.
“In a myriad of storytelling performances, eloquently married with music and dance, themed workshops, and podcasts, the Festival programme embraces the highs and lows of humanity’s existential planetary struggles, while keeping the frailty and humour of human life in close focus.
“Artistic inspiration remains vital to confronting the horrors of abuse while invigorating hope and its constructive outcomes.”
Steve Byrne, Director of TRACS, the festival’s parent organisation, said: “The festival is a flagship event for TRACS and we are delighted to see its success in connecting with new audiences this year on such a profound theme of our collective human rights, so often under great challenge in many parts of the world.
“The Festival is a superb advert for the humanity and empathy of our storytellers and traditional artists, upholding TRACS’ mission of celebrating the diversity of local cultural traditions from around the globe.”
For those who couldn’t attend in person, Global Lab – a daily programme of online lively workshops discussing this year’s festival theme ‘Right To Be Human’ led by nationally and internationally renowned guest speakers was available.
Chaired by Festival Director Donald Smith, Global Lab talked about our human rights, our cultural rights, our place in nature, and the empowerment of children, exploring how it is often better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness in the world.
Dates for 2024 are to be announced.
Another Story, the festival’s newpodcast series hosted by Daniel Abercrombie, Associate Director, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, is still available online – listen on spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/another-story
Would you know what to do if you were accused of being a witch in the 17th century? How would you cope if your castle came under siege in the Scottish Wars of Independence? Wouldn’t life be easier if it came with an instruction manual?
Thankfully, Gillian Paterson and Nicola Wright have found just such a book for their show at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival, A Girl’s Own Guide to Surviving History.
Told in the style of a Boy’s Own adventure book, A Girl’s Own Guide to Surviving History is filled with hot tips about surviving life as a pirate, fighting the system, and being a master (or mistress) of disguise. Told using silly songs, and a ridiculous amount of props this show presents a light-hearted look at the serious subject of the challenges faced by women through the centuries.
Gillian Paterson originally from Arbroath has worked as a costumed historical storyteller at museums and events around the country. She has a knack for finding the funny side of history, taking irreverent approaches to subjects and bringing them to life through her passion for history and storytelling.
Nicola is equally passionate about history and delivers entertaining and engaging workshops to primary and secondary schools on subjects ranging from castle life and the cursed Stewarts to Jacobites and WW1.
Gillian Paterson said: “I love history and entertaining audiences with stories of derring-do, fighting the system and life across the ages.
“It’s a chance to tell all the best bits and I really hope that this new show about women’s history, particularly all those great feisty women that have been buried in the history books over the years, will be as fun to listen to, as it is to tell.”
The Girl’s Own Survival Guide to History with Gillian Paterson and Nicola Wright is on TODAY Sat 21 Oct at 4pm at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR,
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival runs until Sunday 29 October. Tickets to each event in this year’s programme cost a maximum of £10, with family events costing just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Pass (£20/£10) 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 and Haggis Box Café.
The 2023 programme for this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) explores our Right To Be Human,and celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Just as Scotland’s consultation on a new Human Rights Bill draws to a close, storytellers, musicians and artists will join together in venues across the country to embrace this milestone with tales of human courage and creativity, spoken with powerful words.
During this year’s festival (13-29 October) there will be stories told about the impacts of war, gender inequality, censorship; ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious prejudices; and other threats and challenges on our human rights as a global nation.
New this year is the Festival’s first podcast series Another Story –six weekly episodes themed around our right to be human starting from 12 September;andArt of the Storyteller – in-person, weekend workshops led by Festival Director Donald Smith with various professional storytellers, where budding storytellers can learn to improve their storytelling skills and better connect with their audience.
Opening this year’s Festival will be storyteller Gauri Raje with Tales of Exile and Sanctuary(Fri 13 Oct) sharing stories from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, India and the horn of Africa, woven together to question the beauty and horrors of exile from across the world.
Other events exploring and celebrating our universal human rights include new commissions:
● Wave Riders (Sat 14 Oct) with storyteller Jan Bee Brown and musician Renzo Spiteri sharing the sagas of Viking pioneers who forged better ways to live in peace.
● Letters to Jackie (Sun 15 Oct) returns with agony aunts Bea Ferguson, Heather Yule and Maria Whatton on hand with old tales to answer the problems of today.
● Joyfully Grimm: Reimagining a Queer Adolescence (Mon 16 Oct) with James Stedman who takes a heartfelt and slightly irreverent look at Section 28, and the joy with which LGBTQIA+ people have always existed in both stories and real life.
● The Voice Shall Always Remain(Tue 17 Oct) told through the traditional ‘pardeh-khani’ technique (narration through curtains), Iranian storyteller Zahra Afsah and Syrian storyteller Khloud Ereksousi explore how Iranian women find their freedom in their own voices and talents.
● Don Quixote Rides Again (Wed 18 Oct) a spellbinding comical experience with Spanish storyteller Inés Álvarez Villa and flamenco musician Danielo Olivera challenging prejudice, showing compassion, and embracing our true selves.
● Stories of healing told through the Norse tales of Odin, Gullveig and Mimir in Odin’s Eye and The Art of Seeing with Alice Fernbank (Sat 21 Oct) followed by Shadow Walkingcovering dark tales of jealousy, destruction and vanity with Ruth Kirkpatrick and Peter Chand.
● The story of Orpheus and Eurydice gets a Scottish twist in Orpheus | Orfeo (Sun 22 Oct) told by Daniel Serridge, Heather Cartwright and Neil Wood (harp).
● Fire from the Woods(Thu 26 Oct) with storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė and musician Gaynor Barradell exploringthe silence between generations, how sometimes fathers are silent while children grow up without stories and our right to know about our ancestors.
● The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse (Sat 14 Oct) – a multisensory adventure suitable for children with additional needs with illustrator Kate Leiper and storyteller Ailie Finlay.
Also appearing in this year’s programme are some of the nation’s favourite storytellers in our Collective Treasures strand which gathers memories, experiences and values together in tales to celebrate our common humanity.
Highlights include:
● Scots Character (Thu 19 Oct) with James Spence which tours the range of Scots tale and tongue including some dour, thrawn, stoic, droll and outrageous personal memories.
● Gillian Paterson and Nicola Wright take a whirlwind trip through women’s history in The Girl’s Own Survival Guide to History (Sat 21 Oct) with female pirates, raucous rebels and top tips on learning how to avoid being called a witch.
● Shonaleigh Cumbers dips into her own Jewish and British storytelling traditions in A Garment for the Moon (Sun 22Oct).
● Berit Alette Mienna and musician Øistein Hanssen share the deep roots of the Sami culture and the threats it faces, inNorthern Treasures (Wed 25 & Sat 28 Oct).
● Prolific writer and political activist Italo Calvino’s centenary is celebrated with a Scots-Italian garland of stories from Anne Hunter, Donald Smith and Simone Caffari (Mon 16 Oct).
● Tradition bearer Allan MacDonald and musician Aidan O’Rourke present tales from the John Francis Campbell’scollection in Sgeul – Mighty and Magic ( Fri 20 & Wed 25 Oct).
● Dr Valentina Bold and storyteller Amanda Edmiston present excerpts from Mike Bolam’s film Up the Middle Roadwith live storytelling and a discussion around the stigma of mental health (Tue 17 Oct).
For younger audiences and families looking for some fantastic activities during their October school holidays there are craft and storytelling sessions, story walks in the Royal Botanic Garden Garden Edinburgh including Rewilding Cinderella: An Eco-Storytelling Concert (Sun 15 Oct) weaving together stories from all over the world about the ash-child told by the Storytelling Choir which includes storytellers Gauri Raje, Kestrel Morton, Laura Sampson, Wendy Shearer, Joanna Gilar and Fleur Hemmings.
Poetry from Tunde Balogun, music from Heulwen Williams and artistic enchantments by Hannah Battershell; and stories about trees, animals and bugs in Once There Was A Bug (Sun 15 Oct).
Walks through the cobbled streets of Edinburgh with Macastory (Sat 21 Oct) where the characters of Deacon Brodie and Aggie the Fish Wife come to life; the Egyptian tale of Isis and Osiris (Sat 14 Oct) is retold by Fergus McNicol with belly dancing from Moyra Banks; and a Kamishibai Workshop (Thu 19 Oct) with renowned storyteller, harpist and Urasenke Japanese Tea Master Mio Shudo.
At the end of the day, as darkness begins to fall, audiences can gather at the Netherbow Theatre for a relaxed evening of stories and music in our Open Hearth sessions featuring storytellers and musicians from around the world (Fri 13, Wed 24 & Sun 29 Oct).
Plus, there are special events including Anna Conomos-Wedlock’s The Promise, where stories inspired by the oral testimonies of Asia Minor refugees, draw on the meaning of homeland, displacement, memory and friendship, with music and song by Rebecca Vučetić (Fri 27 Oct); The Displaced Heart (Mon 23 Oct) an exquisite storytelling and music performance, combining English, Punjabi, and Irish songs accompanied by guitar and sitar; and Songs & Stories of the Fianna (Fri 20 Oct) supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Colmcille fund; and two events presented by Deaf Action and originally performed at Edinburgh Deaf Festival earlier this year: Visual Fun With Sports (Sat 21 Oct) by Petre Dobre & Craig McCulloch and Red Aphrodite (Thu 19 Oct) by Amy Murray.
Our popular online workshop strand Global Lab returns this year and during Week One (16-19 Oct) the festival will look at our planet’s eco-system and how ecological passion drives twenty-first century storytelling.
In association with Earth Charter International each day Festival Director Donald Smith will invite storytellers from all corners of our planet to perform stories of human messiness, healing, hope and connections with nature.
In Week Two the workshop theme is Shared Lives (23-26 Oct) and our focus returns to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the importance of valuing dignity, respect, equality and compassion in our lives.
Go Local also returns this year, with new voices from more regions in Scotland including North and South Lanarkshire coming together to share stories and songs. From Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, there will be tales of battles, adventure, love and friendship shared by the fireside through October and November, with many of the festival’s commissions also going on tour.
Alongside these events, this year’s Festival Exhibition hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will be TALK – a series of portraits taken by Edinburgh-based photographer Graham Williams, exploring the subject of men’s mental health as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival .
Looking ahead to this year’s event, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director, Donald Smith said: “All over the world human and environmental rights are under threat. But against that there is an activist and creative tide building towards a different future.
“The Storytelling Festival is part of that wave.”
Minister for Culture Christina McKelvie said:“Right to be Human is inspired by the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and could not be more timely.
“During the coming parliamentary year, the Scottish Government will introduce an ambitious new Human Rights Bill for Scotland. This will be a significant milestone in Scotland’s human rights journey, building on past work to embed a human rights culture across Scotland.
“This year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival, supported by £120,000 of Scottish Government Festivals Expo funding, celebrates and explores all aspects of our common humanity in a challenging world.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Telling stories is part of being human and why events like the Scottish International Storytelling Festival are so important.
“The ‘Right To Be Human’ project in particular, supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO fund, provides opportunities for Scottish storytellers to present their work on an internationally recognised platform, reflecting human rights issues and the human experience across the world and increasing their national and international reach.
“Including podcasts, music, children’s stories, Scots language, global voices and Greek myth – the festival has something for everyone to recognise and enjoy.”
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will take place Friday 13 – Sunday 29 October.
Tickets to each event cost a maximum of £10, with family events costing just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival 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 and Haggis Box Café.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk.
