DATES throughout 2009

24th – 28th June, Hugh Lupton & Sally Pomme Clayton residential workshop at Cae Mabon, Llanberis, North Wales, all enquiries to: eric@fachwen.org, or phone 01286 871542, or visit the Cae Mabon web-site on: www.caemabon.co.uk

This course will explore the borders between fact and fiction: how a real life can become mythic, how a myth can be threaded through with fact. It will look at the storytelling process involved in crafting a performance that combines story and history. This might be mixing: fairytale with autobiography; legend with local history; myth with biography. The course is for experienced storytellers who want to develop their practice. Participants will be required to bring their own story/history, fact/fiction material, and will work with this during the course. The course will be led by Hugh Lupton and Sally Pomme Clayton whose work has often explored the meeting of story and history.
To register interest contact ....
Places will be offered on letter of application stating background and experience, briefly describing the stories/histories you would like to explore on the course.


7th July, evening performance at Stalham High School, Norfolk. Tel’ 01692 651101 for details.

10th July, ‘On Common Ground’ (with Chris Wood), Slaithwaite Civic Hall, Yorkshire.

11th July, ‘On Common Ground’ (with Chris Wood), John Clare celebrations, Helpston, Cambs. 7pm in marquee in grounds of John Clare Primary school. Tel’ 01480811608 for details

17th – 19th July, Festival at the Edge Storytelling Festival, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

25th July, ‘Beowulf’, (with Rick Wilson) Ancient Technology Centre, Cranborne, Dorset.

29th July, ‘Metamorphoses’ (with Daniel Morden), Wills Hall, University of Bristol (summer school for Latin teachers event, phone 07779 567245 for details)

31st July – 1st August, Sidmouth Folk Festival.

3rd – 9th August, Green Man Camp, Tuttington, Norfolk


September, travelling in North Africa


12th – 17th October, Week-long Residential Workshop, ‘Storytelling and the Mythological Landscape: The Passion of the Corn’ with Hugh Lupton & Eric Maddern, at Ty Newydd Writers Centre, Llanystumdwy, Nr Cricieth, N. Wales, all enquiries to: post@tynewydd.org or phone 01766 522811 or visit Ty newydd web-site: www.tynewydd.org

 After ice melt and sea rise the Island of Britain was ripe for something new – felling forests, tilling soils, cultivating crops and domesticating animals. In a word, farming. We began to live a settled existence, pre-occupied with the seasonal cycle, with continuing fertility, with rebirth after the death of winter. The Moon and the Snake became enduring symbols of renewal. Agricultural surplus also meant the possibility of wealth, the division of labour and a stratified society. Ancestor worship was strong at first (as evidenced by the widespread making of burial chambers), but over the millennia there was a shift to henges and stone circles, suggesting a turn to the heavens, to celestial cycles, to elemental gods and goddesses, the Earth Goddess primary among them. It was a fascinating time in British prehistory.
 
This course will look at the mythology of the Neolithic and early Bronze ages, with reference to some of the magnificent sites of North Wales. Each course is self-contained, so participants do not need to have attended the first course of the series. Storytelling experience is essential.


17th October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), Chester Literature Festival

20th October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), Hartest Institute, Suffolk (tel 01284 829930 for details)

21st October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), Wickhambrook Village Hall, Suffolk (tel 01284 829930 for details)

22nd October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (tel 01284 829930 for details)

23rd October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), Stradbroke Community Centre, Suffolk (tel 01284 829930 for details)

24th October, ‘Liberty Tree’, (with Nick Hennessey), Jubilee Centre, Mildenhall, Suffolk (tel 01284 829930 for details)

28th October, The Homing Stone (with English Acoustic Collective), Barbican Pit Theatre, London

30th October, Celtic Stories, Biddenden Village Hall, Kent (phone 01580 291658)

6th – 8th November, Aachen Storytelling Festival, Germany (tbc)

21st November, ‘The Homing Stone’, evening solo performance, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh (tel 0131 6523272 for details)

22nd November, workshop, ‘The Music of What Is’, storytelling, biography and the Praise Song, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh (tel’ 0131 6523272 for details).

25th – 30th November, workshops in Denmark

5th December, Liberty Tree (with Nick Hennessey), Grantham Arts Centre, Lincs

8th December, Midwinter stories, Guesthouse Storytellers, Newhaven, E. Sussex (contact: steve@evolve-now.co.uk)
20th December, Midwinter storytelling & music (with Big Sky), Dragon Hall, Norwich (contact: helenswoods@ntlworld.com)

Watch this space for….
Tour of ‘Homing Stone’ with Chris Wood & English Acoustic Collective (inc Celtic Connections Festival).

Residential workshop on Crete, storytelling & music, Hugh & Ross Daly.

Performances at the Getty Villa, Los Angeles, California.