I have been interested in story since I was a child, having been introduced to a true storyteller in Ireland when I was about 8 years old. As an adult, I rediscovered storytelling about 15 years ago and have been listening to and telling tales ever since.
Tales of origins, of taking the pompous and the scary down a peg or two, the inventiveness and fallibility of the human spirit and that liminal space between the seen and the unseen. Tales inspired by a lifelong love of the natural world and its creatures. Take a journey into the imagination!
I tell stories that appeal to me – an eclectic mix; tongue in cheek, thought provoking and fun. If there is a message in the stories it is understated and there for you to discover.
The tales I choose are all quite short, 8 to 10 minutes at most which allows for adjusting a set as you go along. You won’t find any long and complicated names or ancient mythology in my repertoire!
I love telling stories to adult audiences and sharing the joy of a craft that has been at the heart of human communication for millennia. Adults enjoy background information: The neuroscience behind what makes story such an effective communication medium. The evidence that stories told by our pre-historic ancestors are still being shared today.
I tell tales across the range from pre-school to older folk living with dementia and all ages between. Spinning tales for a group of young people with special educational needs was a delight that I would love the opportunity to repeat!
Story sessions are tailored to the individual audience, whether it is a school or a social group, WI, U3A or a storytelling walk in National Trust woodland.
With a background in the medical world, I have led a storytelling workshops for Drs in training (and their trainers) exploring the use of story as a teaching and presentation skill. I am fascinated by the overlap of storytelling and consultation / communication skills, especially the use of body language and gesture.
Please contact me for more information or to discuss booking.
A video recording is never the same as live storytelling, but here are a couple of samples to give a flavour of what I do.
Simon Martin 