The 36th Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) has the theme of Lights of the North and takes place in Edinburgh and across Scotland this late Autumn. Over the 11 days of the festival, celebrated storytellers from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Germany will join leading voices from Scotland in a programme of traditional storytelling.
Norwegian storytellers Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen and Georgiana Keable Jerstad, Swedish Jerker Fahlström and Icelandic Hjörleifur Stefánsson will be sharing tales from their native lands. Following them from Finland is Anna Maria Toivonen who narrates with Claire Hewitt, and Suse Weisse who brings some German fairy tales.
Boglárka Klitsie-Szabad explores the rich repertoire of one of Hungary’s last traditional Roma storytellers Vilmos Csipkés and Anna Lehr discusses classic fairy tales particularly those of the Brothers Grimm. Some of these international performers like Dahlsveen and Fahlström will also take part in the workshop programme, that also includes using BSL in storytelling; tech and storytelling discussing how best to present storytellers on the stage; what music can add to stories and the ethical considerations behind using recordings and archive material.
Other Festival highlights include Land of Many Waters inspired by Scotland’s rivers and waters performed by storyteller Eileen Budd and singer songwriter David McAlmont; storyteller and musician Mark Borthwick’s retelling of The War of the Birds is a Russian story collected by Arthur Ransome; Against the Current, the forgotten tale of St Enoch told through the journeys of four women making their lives in Glasgow with Sarah Wedderburn-Ogilvy, Isobel O’Donovan, Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett;He Sits on the Rock of Joywith storyteller Linda Perttula and singer songwriter Aino Elina; Lost to the Sea, Lost to the Worldwith Tania Allan and Craig McCulloch is the Selkie story, told through exploring its parallels with Deaf history and is in BSL and spoken English and storyteller and musician Marion Kenny performs The King and The Lamp, a tale by the late Duncan Williamson.
There will also be a programme of free storytelling events taking place at the National Museum of Scotland, and children’s events and workshops will run throughout the October school break. These include stories with Ailie Finlay in Tales of Cold Forests and Cosy Bears;percussive dancing from Tokyo-born stepdancer Kae Sakurai; a family ceilidh with the Minnow Ceilidh Band; songs and stories with Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Gaynor Barradell as well as outdoor events including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day.
S I S F Director Donald Smith, who is due to retire from the role after 36 years, said, “…. Northern stories come from the forests, mountains and oceans, while drawing on an eerie imagination, surreal humour and hidden connections between human and natural spirits. Inner and outer journeys collide with unexpected magic. And Scotland is a hub and a crucible of this unique northern brew!”
For multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass (£24) offers discounted tickets to many festival events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, with a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop and Haggis Box Café.
The S I S F runs from Wednesday 22nd October to Saturday 1st November.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 