Looking for storytelling opportunities

Subject: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Anne Lister
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 07:36 AM

Some of you may have thought I've been rather quiet about gigs of recent times, and you're right - I'm busy working on a PhD at Cardiff University and it's taken up much of my time. However, it's a PhD about an Arthurian romance, and part of it is practical. I need to find a range of audiences who will listen to me telling episodes from this romance and who will be prepared to give a degree of evaluation about what they've just heard. So I'm looking for storytelling clubs and less formal gatherings as well as festivals, bookshops and wherever storytelling can happen - primarily in the UK and Europe, because as this is a work in progress I'm happy to do this initially for whatever monies will cover my expenses.
Any thoughts? I've got bookings in the diary already for storytelling clubs in Cardiff and a few house concerts, and I'll be doing something at the Leeds Medieval Congress, and the Chateau de Comper in France. Have contacted a few more places but could do with more. In case you were wondering, the romance was written for adults but there's no reason why children shouldn't be part of the audience (there's some cartoon violence but no sex!), and I'm looking for a range of people including some experts in Arthurian literature and some people who have no clue about anything of the sort.
One idea from a house concert recently was for me to do a set of my own songs as a first half of the evening and then the story for the second half ...there is a lot of flexibility involved.

Please feel free to pm me or email me

Anne

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 02:27 PM

I believe Malvern Story Club still runs. listed here
and Birmingham has a club AFAIK

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 05:39 PM

Are you looking for specific invitations or general leads? It'd be interesting & handy if you could post links to listings you've already found.

I see the main UK Society for Storytelling site
http://www.sfs.org.uk 
is down at the moment
and the forum isn't too busy
http://www.sfsforums.org.uk 
but the FB page is very active
https://www.facebook.com/societyforstorytelling/ 


Storytelling seems much more active in Scotland http://www.tracscotland.org/tracs/storytelling 
and Wales, but I'm sure you'll have this already
http://www.beyondtheborder.com/storytelling-near-you/ 

Round here I've got info for clubs in Nottingham, Matlock, Manchester, Hebden Bridge, Kendal...
Ask if you've not already got them.(.... clicky links are hard work on this pesky tablet!)

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Anne Lister
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 06:10 PM

I'm probably leaning more towards specific invitations at the moment - general leads could take me some time. I have a number of email addresses for storytelling clubs in various places, because of the Society for Storytelling.
Once I start making a list I can put some of them up here but I have to admit to not wanting to be a source of information to Mudcat in this instance as I have so much to do on my own account!
My main thought when posting was whether there were Mudcat friends and acquaintances who might be prepared to host (or know of hosts) for events for me ... house concert hosts who would countenance storytelling, for example.

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: GUEST,RA
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 06:16 PM

Re: What FreddyHeadey says about storytelling in Scotland - try the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh and/or the Village Storytelling Centre in Glasgow. Both cities have conjectured Arthurian connections, or at least certainly Brythonic heritages, so there should be some interest.

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 06:33 PM

Most every small bookstore that I know would be delighted to include you in one of their evenings. Check your local listings.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Best Wishes in All your endevers

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: kendall
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 07:50 PM

Public libraries too. Especially for childrens stories.

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Anne Lister
Date: 14 Oct 16 - 05:35 PM

Thank you for the suggestions and comments. At the moment I am, alas, stuck on the UK side of the pond and any events I'm invited to will have to contribute at least to my expenses ... but I'll certainly give Scotland a whirl. It's not specifically a children's story, although there's no reason why children shouldn't be present, as I've said above - I know in libraries there can be a very wide range of ages present and it really wouldn't be suitable to anyone under the age of 6.

But I will consider all suggestions and take relevant action! And if there are any actual invitations out there - I'm still listening!

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Felipa
Date: 15 Oct 16 - 06:06 AM

in Scotland, do connect with people who know the Gaelic ballad of Am Bron Binn. I suppose you know something (more than I do) about Scottish Arthurian connections.

ah now, from Scotland it's a relatively short hop to N.Ireland! I sent you an email re the Verbal Arts Centre.

if no one is offering travel costs, then Gargoyle and Kendall make excellent suggestions re libraries and bookstores. Also schools, pensioners clubs and day centres, adult education classes. Maybe you could team up with one or more musicians or singers to do combined storytelling and music gigs.

Subject: RE: Looking for storytelling opportunities
From: Anne Lister
Date: 15 Oct 16 - 06:40 AM

Thanks, Felipa - I had of course seen your email. However, the issue of costs is a major one - and also time, as I'm also writing up my thesis as I go, so I don't have huge amounts of time to spend working up detailed tours or acts with other performers, sadly. That might come once the thesis is submitted. So the other issues are whether libraries have the budget these days (especially as, as I've said, this isn't suitable for little ones) and whether bookshops over here will put on this kind of event.
Thank you for all thoughts, though - I don't mean to be negative, just realistic!