From 22nd to 31st October in various venues,
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival has come of age, and on it’s 21st birthday its looking to the east for inspiration. This year amongst 53 contributors in 21 venues all across the country, there are storytellers from India, China, Japan, Malaysia Thailand and of course Scotland (East, West North & South).
Based primarily at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh’s High Street this diverse celebration of imagination and wisdom features not just absorbing tales but history, family events the chance to meet the storytellers, learn about other lands and cultures and even pick up some storytelling skills yourself.
There are stories with painting or music and even multimedia storytelling. Kids are catered for with plenty of family friendly events which sound so much fun they won’t even realise they’re learning until the journey home.
One of the best things about the festival is the chance to experience other cultures particularly with performers representing not just exotic countries but also some of the most remote and little known tribes and people of the world with storytellers from the Ainu community of northern Japan as well as Isan in Thailand making an appearance.
This is a rich concoction with something for everyone and it’s to the organisers credit that so much can fit into 10 days not just in terms of quantity but in the diversity of programming on offer.
This festival gives the opportunity for audiences to connect with different cultures at a deeper level stripped of the arms length interaction of other art forms and brings the atavistic intimacy of the campfire to the theatres, halls and auditoriums of Scotland so turn over a leaf in your book and become part of the continuing and evolving story of this most enthralling of Edinburgh’s festivals.
Runs from 22nd to 31st October
www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
Box office: 0131 556 9579