Scottish International Storytelling Festival is heading to Argyll.
Audiences from all over our area are being invited to join storytellers, musicians and artists to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, embracing this year’s theme, Right To Be Human, with tales of human courage and creativity, spoken with powerful words.
During the festival, which takes place from October 13 to October 29, storytellers from across the country will share stories about the impacts of war, gender inequality, censorship; ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious prejudices; and other threats and challenges on human rights as a global nation.
At St Conan’s Kirk in Lochawe on Sunday October 22, the tale of Rickle O’Stanes will be told by storyteller Shona Cowie and musician Neil Sutcliffe on the accordion, with dramaturg by Liam Hurley. It was especially commissioned for this year’s festival about Scotland’s land: its rocks and mud, what it has grown, what lives it has sustained and how it has been bought, fought for and wounded. This performance is an hour long and entry is by donation.
Elsewhere, An Tobar and Mull Theatre will be at Bunessan Community Hall on Monday November 17 hosting another of this year’s new commissions Once Upon a Time there Was a War. Here Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh will share stories of the harsh reality of war gathered from his research into the lives of soldiers. Musician Mairi Campbell from Lismore will complement his work with songs of peace and love from the canon of Scottish traditional songs and her own work. The piece will be illustrated live throughout by Danish artist Tea Bendix. Pay What You Can. To book and find out more, visit www.antobarandmulltheatre.co.uk
At the Rockfield Centre in Oban, two more Go Local events, also commissioned as part of the festival’s Right To Be Human series, will take place on Tuesday November 14. Alice Fernbank will share a personal story of ill-health and healing in Odin’s Eye and the Art of Seeing, threaded through with the Norse tales of Odin, Gullveig and Mimir, and, earlier in the day, Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh will join Alice in The Laughing Mermaid and Other Stories – an hour of tales written by Svend in his book Danish Folktales, which is brimming with stories of mermaids, giant snakes, devils, Vikings and much more which is suitable for ages seven upwards. Pay What You Can. Go to therockfieldcentre.org.uk
As events take place across Scotland, audiences from further afield can enjoy more stories by tuning into the Festival’s new podcast series Another Story – six weekly episodes themed around our right to be human.
And, they can also join in online at Global Lab – a series of digital storytelling and development sessions. From October 16 to October 19, Global Lab will look at the planet’s eco-system and how ecological passion drives 21st-century storytelling in association with Earth Charter International. In week two, from October 23 to October 26, the workshop theme, Shared Lives, will focus on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the importance of valuing dignity, respect, equality and compassion in our lives.
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.”
For tickets and more info visit www.sisf.org.uk
Connect with the festival on social media @ScotStoryFest #RightToBeHuman
Caption: Rickle O’Stanes will be told by storyteller Shona Cowie and musician Neil Sutcliffe on the accordion with dramaturg by Liam Hurley
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also: Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh will be at The Rockfield Centre and Bunessan Community Hall.