Weft, Weave & Waffle: the craft of storytelling 2023

A Foundation in telling traditional stories

Narrative skills are an increasingly valued part of an educators toolkit, applied to great effect in all sorts of settings and with a diverse range of client-groups. The craft of storytelling can be broken down into some fundamentals which once distinguished can assist the rapid improvement for those wishing to make use of it either as professional storytellers, or to blend in with presentation skills they already have.

Finding the right story at the right time is also a key area that the course will consider as well offering some coaching for individual work. Participants will then emerge from this enlivening and empowering process with tales to tell, and more confidence and understanding of how, why and where to tell stories.

Day 1

Creating the container for risk and play

Listening skills

Claiming space and finding the voice

Distinctions of the storyteller role

Mechanics and methods of learning stories

Extemporising

Day 2

Reviewing practice

Spontaneous storytelling

Memory and breath

Mapping

Take-offs and Landings

Pace and pauses

Your material - coaching the storyteller

Participants should bring a story to tell. This should be familiar enough to work on, but not a ‘finished piece’. Ideally, this is 4-6 minutes long.

Course Tutor - Chris Salisbury

Educator, trainer and professional storyteller, Chris has a background in theatre and is a qualified dramatherapist. He founded WildWise in 1999 after many years working as education officer for the Devon Wildlife Trust. In 2002 he founded the Westcountry Storytelling Festival to bring the oral tradition alive in the South West region and for which he is now the Artistic Director. He continues as director and senior instructor for WildWise using every creative means at his disposal to encourage the enjoyment and valuing of nature on events and courses around the world

* rates for individuals / voluntary-charitable organisations / businesses

Host or Publisher WILDWISE ENTERPRISES CIC