The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a delightful place for children, as well as for their accompanying intrigued parents. This award-winning arts venue on the Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural and literary quarter brings great quality storytelling all year round as well as theatre presentations, exhibitions, music, workshops, craft fairs, family events and traditional arts events in the Netherbow Theatre.
Also at the Centre, you will find the Storytelling Court which incorporates a free exhibition space, the Storytelling Café, a bookshop with genuine luckenbooths – the only remaining example of the medieval shops which once lined the high street – and the George Mackay Brown Library. As a four-star attraction, the Centre reinforces Scotland’s contribution to a worldwide revival of interest in storytelling and its traditions, and as well as providing year round public programming, the Centre coordinates storytelling outreach projects, to ensure everyone has access to live storytelling. Organisations can schedule a storyteller for their own events or education projects, as well as attend education training opportunities to utilise the social, aural and oral skills that come with storytelling.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) is a 10-day celebration of live storytelling and music in a fusion of Scottish and international performances. For 2013 the Festival’s theme is Once Upon a Journey so expect travellers’ tales about explorers, pilgrims, nomads and voyagers in the worlds of fiction and geography. Immerse yourself in modern magic as well as ancient traditions and visit Edinburgh during this Festival (18-27 October, 2013) to receive a real, warm, Scottish welcome.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs throughout August presents an amazing number of unique family programmes including Rumplestiltskin and The Wheel of Fortune (Tuesday, July 30, through Sunday, August 25), and The Man Who Planted Trees (Tuesday, July 30, through Friday, August 16), which are both fantastic puppet theatre aimed at both the younger generations and their accompanying adults. Another family event is Starbird (Thursday, August 1, through Monday, August 26), which is a combination of Scottish and African story, music and dance as well as more puppetry.
For adult audiences there’s Pirates and Mermaids: A Fairytale for Adults (Thursday, August 1, through Sunday, August 25), an uplifting drama with comedy as well as servings of whisky and sweets. Angus: Weaver of Grass (Monday, August 19, through Sunday, August 25) is a heart-rending tale of a man’s trials with mental health problems and the comfort he received from grass weaving over a period of 50 years. Plus the communal atmosphere is highlighted at Cafe Voices on Wednesday 14 and 21 August. You can enjoy the other participants as they tell stories, recite poetry, or sing songs, as well as get involved yourself by preparing a piece to perform on the night.
In addition, you can visit the historic John Knox House, which is Royal Mile’s oldest building (dating back to 1470). A visit to the Centre is free, but there is a small charge for entry to the John Knox House. You step right into history in this cultural treasure, which is said to be the final residence of the Protestant Reformer who had a running disagreement with Mary, Queen of Scots. An exhibition contains results of recent excavations at The Netherbow and new discoveries together with time capsules that record how the house was saved from demolition in the 1840s. On three floors of the house, there are highlights featuring the building’s spectacular craftsmanship as well as stories about its famous inhabitants. Also, the original 1621 Netherbow Bell and a carved stone plaque from the Netherbow Gate are reinstated in the bell tower of the Storytelling Centre, retaining the history on the Mile.
Open hours are 10am to 6pm.
Monday to Saturday and from noon to 6pm on Sundays in July and August.
John Knox House Prices:
Adult – £5
Concession – £4
Children over 7 – £1
Children under 7 – Free
www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
0131 556 9579
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
