Bookends and runs alongside the main Scottish international Storytelling Festival.

Schools and community groups are encouraged to take part in a storytelling celebration from Monday 2 September – Monday 2 December.

During this time, you are invited to book a storyteller for a local event, take part in the Beyond Words Story Exchange and share all your wonderful storytelling activity with the Scottish Storytelling Forum team and your community.

This year, in celebration of Scotland’s ‘Year of Conversation 2019’, the SISF Community Programme invites you to go Beyond Words.

Oral storytelling can be key in preserving traditions, celebrating old links and new connections and showcasing how music, dance and story help us converse and connect. Beyond Words is also a celebration of stories beyond the written word.

Eye to eye

Mind to mind

Heart to heart

Wednesday 27 November has been designated as a nation-wide story exchange and we are encouraging schools to dedicate an afternoon sharing oral tales beyond the words of your favourite books and to story-tell – eye to eye, heart to heart and mind to mind.

Why not switch off for an hour, get outside if possible, or simply sit on the floor with your favourite fables.

You may even want to book a professional storyteller to hold the session? We have a network of professional storytellers who can visit your school for a storytelling session.

Browse our Storytelling directory below to find out more about professional storytellers in your area, or if you need a bit more of a tailored recommendation, get in touch with the National Storytelling Co-ordinator, Miriam.

Complete the Take Part in the Story Exchange form below so that we can send you your free resources, your congratulatory Story Exchange Certificate and help with any storyteller booking requests.

Take Part in the Story Exchange! 

Browse Storytelling Directory

Email Miriam

Run a storytelling event in your community and make use of a subsidy to hire a professional storyteller.

We have a network of professional storytellers that you can contact to attend or hold an event.

The recommended booking rates are as follows:

• 1 x hour session: £100 + travel
• Half day (up to 2hrs, normally 2 sessions): £150 + travel
• Full Day (up to 4hrs, normally 4 sessions): £250 + travel

Subsidy

To help, we can offer an £80 subsidy towards the booking of your storyteller. We pay the storyteller £80 and you pay the outstanding balance to their booking hire – easy!

If you would like to make use of this, complete this form below to see if you eligible:

SISF Community Programme Subsidy Request For Community Groups & Libraries 

SISF Community Programme Subsidy Request for Directory Storytellers

Need Some Inspiration?

Take part in the Beyond Words Story Exchange

Why not get together in a local community hub and share local stories and memories connected to your community.

We are designating Wednesday 27 November as a nation-wide story exchange, so get in on the action and share some oral stories beyond the written word – eye to eye, heart to heart and mind to mind.

Let us know if you plan on taking part so that we can help.
Email Miriam

If you are holding an event, add it to our events Calendar so that we can help publicise.

Events Calendar

We will have a Beyond Words Events Idea Toolkit available soon, to help inspire and offer some tips on how to engage with the theme and storytelling.

Promotion:

• A Social Media and PR Guide with info graphics, text and press templates to help you promote your event in your community is available below
• Empty belly poster to help publicise your event (coming soon)

Support: We can support you with tips and pointers on creating events, how to book a storyteller and help with an #SISFBeyondWords social media campaign.

Follow Us on Twitter

Join Facebook Group

PR and Social Media Guide 2019

School Resource

Community Resource

Download Poster