Live storytelling with Claire McNicol (Photo: Solen Collet)
When: 18th – 27th October 2013
Where: The festival takes place in and around Edinburgh with the main venue at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
£: Ticket prices vary depending on the event (see the website)
What is it?
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) is a 10 day celebration of live storytelling, oral traditions and cultural diversity, bringing together a large number of Scottish and international storytellers and musicians.
The festival programme traverses continents, nations, regions and islands, but also explores Edinburgh as a unique city of stories. The Storytelling Festival provides a wonderful opportunity to see Edinburgh through its stories, with events that illuminate and enchant. This year’s theme for the festival of Once Upon a Journey is about gathering round the open hearth while the night is still young to share travellers’ tales and songs.
Marion Kenny will take you on a journey (Photo: Peter Dibdin)
International guest storytellers are welcomed to Scotland’s capital from Newfoundland, the Cree nation, South India, Botswana, Portugal and the Sami culture of northern Scandinavia. They will present themed performances, weaving song, music and story together keeping the fireside tradition alight. Through the Storytelling Festival, Scotland truly welcomes the world to its hearth.
As well as the live storytelling at the Scottish Storytelling Centre there will be events at the National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Highlights of the festival include:
Seeing Stories: Calton Hill –Some Mad God’s Dream? Take a story walk with tales of Calton Hill’s monuments and explorations into science, philosophy, technology and war. This event is for adults and is free to attend.
The Storytellers Journeys series has paired up today’s raconteurs with Scotland’s most influential explorers to share their fascinating and insightful tales – hear the adventures of Mary Slessor, John Rae and David Livingstone.
Mercat Tours will be running a special tour for the Festival. Enlightenment Edinburgh explores the hotbed of genius populating 18th century Edinburgh and their radical ideas.
More info: www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk