An exciting fusion of music and stories will bring together outstanding storytellers from all over the UK this month when the annual Traditional Storytelling Weekend is held.
The much-loved event is the fourth of its kind organised by the University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute, in association with Word 05 – the University’s Writers Festival, and will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, at Woodend Barn, Banchory.
The weekend is a unique celebration of traditional music and storytelling, which has earned a reputation as one of the best events on the North-East’s social calendar.
The event is especially for those who like to hear and tell stories, and enjoy a ceilidh atmosphere, which includes songs and music.
Informal and friendly, it will encourage less experienced storytellers as well as welcoming old hands. The packed programme has something for all from workshops and story-rounds, to talks and ceilidhs.
Dr Ian Russell, Director of the Elphinstone Institute, said: “The art and wonder of oral storytelling has long been recognised, but it’s very rare that people today get a real opportunity to appreciate it at first hand. Our weekend creates the time and the space to be part of this experience”.
Workshops will feature the master storyteller, ballad singer and piper Stanley Robertson, whose repertoire of ballads and stories runs into many hundreds. He is the keyworker for a Heritage Lottery funded project on the oral and cultural traditions of Scottish Travellers, organised by the Elphinstone Institute.
Offering a multi-cultural edge to the weekend will be storyteller Peter Chand who uses his Indian background as a platform for his telling. Speaking fluent Punjabi he performs dual-language stories in venues across the country, often using Indian drumming and Micro Bhangra-dancing in his telling.
Leading two workshops will be Taffy Thomas, MBE, who has taken his art to the public for almost 30 years as a street theatre performer and puppeteer. Taffy is a born storyteller and learnt most of his intriguing tales from oral sources.
Sheila Stewart, from Perthshire, is an ambassador for the Scottish Travelling people and will regale audiences with her stories and songs, which she learnt from her family.
Joining the first-class line-up over the weekend will be one of Scotland’s foremost ballad singers Elizabeth Stewart, from Mintlaw. She is also a fine player of Scottish traditional music on the piano and will join in the Saturday evening ceilidh.
The study of cultural traditions of the North and North East of Scotland is at the core of the Elphinstone Institute’s work and events celebrating the customs and traditions of North-East life are a key part of its work.
This year’s Traditional Storytelling Weekend is supported by the Scottish Storytelling Centre and the Grampian Association of Storytellers.
For more information and to book a place at the Traditional Storytelling Weekend contact the Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, on (01224) 272996, or visit the website at www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone