Tag Archives: childrens storyteller

I am a twit

Twits islingtonI am delighted to announce that having spoken with Casarotto Ramsay today, they are happy for my performance license to continue until the end of the year and to include schools.

This is wonderful news and will allow me to continue to share a brilliant story and some of the best work I have ever done with even more people.

Today I can say with confidence, I am a twit!

 

Space and time travel stories

PROF MONT RUMPLESEED DRAKEHere is a set list for a space and time travel session I am preparing.  Each of these stories has a some kind of link to space and time travel (albeit sometimes that link is tenuous!)

How the earth was made (Native American – a similar story exists in several tribes folklore)

The three wise astronomers (English – based upon the tradition of English devil tales in which the devil is outwitted)

Urashima Taro (Japanese folk tale about a time travelling fisherman)

The archer and the ten suns (Chinese legend explaining how the sun and stars took their place in the heavens)

The proud turtle (Filipino story about a Turtle who wants to fly)

The boy and the moon (Turkish story about a boy who finds the moon in a well!)

I’ve never found space and time travel to be that easy a theme to get into but I have really enjoyed this opportunity to research and interpret these stories.  Having said that, the image above is taken from a piece I was presenting in 2009 about the irrepressible Professor Montague Rumpleseed Drake who lead audiences through British history on a time travelling adventure.  Then I presented a piece about Dewey Fiction exploring literacy in space (see image below).  Looking back on these stories now it seems like a lifetime ago!

Dewey Fiction @ The Space Hop!I digress.  As I was researching these space and time travel stories I found that some of these tales have many variations and that choosing the best version could be tricky.  In some instances I have mixed up different versions of the same story (ie where I liked the beginning of one and the ending of another).  This might be considered by a purist or an anthropologist to be an affront to culture and of course I’m sensitive to that but on this occasion my choices have been thematic.

Whenever I prepare a story session there are lots of perfectly good stories which bear inclusion(there are no end to the European folk tales I could tell) but I think its important that a storyteller enjoys the story they are telling and that this is part of the reason I get good feedback.  Hopefully I do this set of stories justice and that my audience is inspired to discover the different variations for themselves.

1000 up for Time the Ostler (and counting)!

I also offer a “Highwayman” workshop!!

A year ago I made a video inspired by “The Highwayman” in which Tim the Ostler confesses what he did to betray Bess and The Highwayman.  Twelve months on its just had its thousandth viewing.  Yah!

I’m thrilled that so many people have watched it (admittedly it’s not millions of bods but I’m not a pop star or a puppy/baby doing anything cute).  As with most things though the devil is in the detail – How many people watched the video because they were looking for it?  How is this short clip being used?  Do people like it?  I wish I could tell you but the truth is I have no idea.  For all the views, my video has received very little feedback.

It’d be lovely to know that this little film is being used as a study tool rather than just accidentally clicked on.  So do me a favour, if you’ve watch and enjoy any of my Youtube videos don’t forget to leave a comment or click “like”.

I also offer a “Highwayman” workshop!!

Mammoths to Medals (Revisited)

John Kirk specialises in drama workshops and theatre for young people.In 2013 I moved from the London borough of Hackney to the London Borough of Waltham Forest.  I may have only moved seven short miles but after six happy years in one of the most vibrant boroughs in Britain it was a massive wrench.  Whilst living in Hackney I had some of the most creatively fulfilling years of my life as I built strong working relationships with organisations including The Hackney Museum.  Hackney Museum, based in Hackney Central Library is an amazing community resource staffed by knowledgeable and creative people with a passion for sharing local history.  I may be biased but I think its one of the best museums in the country.

Working in heritage environments is something I really enjoy.  My earliest solo storytelling pieces were based around British history (including a Victorian Classroom session for The Bruce Castle Museum) and this summer I will be helping to lead a creative exploration of the Guilden Morden fire.

Anyway, as I sat watching Lizzy Yarnold, Jade Etherington and Team GB at the Sochi Winter and Paralympic Games I couldn’t help but think back to my time working with Hackney Museum.  It was in the build up to Summer Olympic and Paralympics (London 2012) that I collaborated with Hackney Museum on Mammoths to Medals,a presentation which sought to tell the incredible story of Hackney’s history as part of the Museum’s Mapping the Change project.  In just 30 minutes we explored 200,000 years of Hackney’s history highlighting the contributions of those people who have called Hackney their home; Anglo Saxon Farmers, Tudor Society, Victorian Industrialists and migrants from across the globe.

In the life of the project I have presented the piece on many occasions at Hackney Museum and in Hackney Primary Schools.  Incorporating games and learning activities into a chronological narrative the piece offer facts about Hackney and but also it questions how we will be remembered.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.A lot has changed in the two years since we made the piece was documented at Kingsmead Primary School.  Hackney’s demographic and landscape have been slowly morphing for 200,000 years but concerns about how communities will withstand the gentrification of East London mean our legacy is once again scrutinised.

When we look at Hackney’s story it shows us that change doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  It points to how different traditions, cultures and values have shaped an area into a place people want to live and work.   I am incredibly proud of being a part of Hackney’s history and of this piece.  I hope that through watching Mammoths to Medals young people recognise how they can shape their community.

Thankfully I haven’t lost touch with Hackney Museum and hope to be back to run sessions as the country prepares to commemorate The Great War.  For the moment though I am very settled in Waltham Forest and I’m looking forward to the future.

How Bertholt Brecht changed my life

Stone Soup 5As a student I was introduced to the ideas and work of Bertholt Brecht.

Bertholt Brecht was a German playwright and drama theorist who lived in the early part of the 20th Century.  The theatre of the time was shallower and more melodramatic than the theatre that would be familiar to us today.

Brecht was an advocate of Epic Theatre and sought to readdress the performer-audience relationship, believing that theatre should instruct as well as entertain its audience.

Rather than allowing the spectator to relax, Brecht wanted them to think about what was being presented.  He developed techniques to alienate audiences into objectivity and in his essays he talks about how an actor might encourage this alienation.

Over a decade has gone by since I first read Brecht’s ideas but today many of them are recognisable in my storytelling.

Directly addressing the audience 

Brecht believed that to readdress the relationship between performer and audience meant tearing down the conceit that the audience is somehow invisible to the performers.  In removing the “fourth wall” from the stage Brecht acknowledges the Elizabethan theatre in which delivering a soliloquy to the crowds would be commonplace.

As a storyteller I would find it almost impossible to share stories without looking at the audience.  My narratives often depend upon a more active rapport as the audience become characters or participate in activity and discussion.

IMGA0002Simplicity

Brecht talks about stripping back the paraphernalia of theatre (the lights, set, costume etc) to expose the audience to a story rather than allowing them to hide behind the experience.

A stripped back style isn’t really a choice when you carry your set, costume and props in a suitcase!  I do believe that in stripping away some of the frills of performance my audiences are more focussed.

My further thoughts on technology, concentration and storytelling

Characterisation 

Bertholt Brecht admired the Chinese style of acting in which the performer demonstrated their character.  They do not become the role but play the gestus (a suggestion) of the role.

In my version of A Christmas Carol I play as many as 14 of Dickens’ characters, sometimes for no more than a few seconds.  The character is a vehicle for my narrative.  I must portray the gist of the character quickly with no time to consider my emotional connections to a part.  With small parts I achieve these lightning transformations by making distinct physical and vocal choices (Scrooge is spiky and nasal where Bob is small and timid).  Of course I work with young audiences so I incorporate bits of costume or props to suggest different characters.  The result is very entertaining (particularly when I get confused!) because its visually dynamic but it also forces audiences to concentrate.

My thoughts on the use of subtext in Naturalistic performance

Empathy vs Choice

Brecht believed that empathy shouldn’t be theatre’s primary currency.  Brecht was acutely aware of the theatre’s power to enlighten people to broader social issues.  Through his work he attempted to detach audiences from the sentimental and move them to take action by encouraging his actors to clearly present their character’s choices.

Brecht the playwright would probably have approved of the way I structure my presentations as I will happily mix narrative with drama activities.  In Brecht’s plays he regularly juxtaposes presentation ideas as narrative is interrupted by dramatic songs.  This means, like in a Music Hall presentation, his scenes can often stand alone and that the audience are again reminded that they are watching a play.

As I generally interpret other writer’s works I am rarely positioned to state personal opinions for the duration of a narrative but I will try to convey my thoughts and feelings on a story to the audience.  This could be in the choices I make in the wording of the adaptation or a pause or a look to the audience highlighting what I see as a crossroads for a protagonist in the narrative.

Unlucky MummyIt is difficult to say whether my audiences empathise with my presentations.  My style of presentation means that they probably remain quite objective toward characters (it can’t be easy to empathise with characters when I’m continually changing roles!) but empathy is still important to my stories (if we don’t care what happens to Hansel and Gretel in the enchanted forest then there is no real peril or adventure).

Truth in Non Naturalistic Storytelling

When we talk about alienating an audience from a presentation we must be careful about removing the truth entirely.  Non naturalistic storytelling is still storytelling.  At times it may be heavily stylised and may jar with an audience’s expectations but it’s success will depend upon a world being credibly sustained.  In my own work it is vital that the audience quickly accept that I will be demonstrating lots of different characters who will exist to serve the story.  If style takes precedence over substance then the story has been failed.

 

I believe that it was studying Brecht and non naturalistic storytelling techniques that lead me to be the storyteller I am today.  We are fortunate to have the benefit of past wisdom at our disposal when we make art today.  I could probably analyse my style in the light of other practitioner’s ideas, drawing comparisons and justifying their influence on my work but I feel that learning about Brecht has allowed me the freedom and confidence to tackle complicated and amazing stories that I couldn’t otherwise have done.

My further thoughts on the value of training and experience to the storytelling experience

It’s only by better understanding rules about form and content that we can begin to bend them to our advantage.

Brecht on Everyday Theatre

You artists who perform plays
In great houses under electric suns
Before the hushed crowd, pay a visit some time
To that theatre whose setting is the street.
………………………………………
Here the woman from next door imitates the landlord:
Demonstrating his flood of talk she makes it clear
How he tried to turn the conversation away from the burst water pipe.
A drunk gives us the preacher at his sermon, referring the poor
To the rich pastures of paradise. How useful
Such theatre is though………………
These actors do not, like parrot or ape
Imitate just for the sake of imitation, just to show that
They can imitate; no, they
Have a point to put across. You
Great artists, masterly imitators, in this regard
Do not fall short of them! Do not become too remote
However much you perfect your art
From that theatre of daily life
Whose setting is the street.
Take that man on the corner: he is showing how
An accident happened. This very moment
He delivers the driver to the verdict of the crowd: the way he
Sat behind the wheel, and now
He imitates the man who was run over, apparently
An old man. Of both he gives
Only so much as to make the accident intelligible, and yet
Enough to make you see them. But he shows neither
As if the accident was unavoidable. The accident
Becomes in this way intelligible, yet not intelligible, for both of them
Could have moved quite differently; now he is showing what
They might have done so that no accident
Would have occurred. There is no superstition
About this eyewitness, he
Shows mortals as victims not of the stars, but
Only of their errors.

“The Highwayman” from an Ostler’s Point of View

I also offer a “Highwayman” workshop!!

Highwaymen are often referred to as “Gentlemen of the Road” but they were in fact nothing more than common thieves.  “Stand and Deliver!” (the command rather than the song), was last uttered by a Highwayman in Britain in 1831 but their exploits were (and are) popularly romanticised.  Alfred Noyes’ epic poem chronicles the night time adventures of one such rogue and the Landlord’s daughter, who tragically meet their ends in the cobbled inn yard.  Alfred Noyes’ “The Highwayman” is a brilliant story of love that has been reinterpreted by artists, film makers and musicians around the world.

As part of a workshop exploring Alfred Noyes’ “The Highwayman”, I was challenged to reinterpret the poem for a group of Primary School children.  This video is a part of the result and this blog came about as more and more people watched it online.

PLEASE VISIT 1000 UP! TO VIEW THE VIDEO

Rather than tell the Highwayman’s story I wanted to explore the world of the other characters mentioned in the poem.  I wanted the tone to be quite serious so taking Bess’ perspective was out.  The Landlord and the King’s Guards presented possibilities but the most interesting character seemed to be Tim the Ostler.  In the original poem Tim is mentioned by name but appears in just one stanza:

“And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
    His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
    But he loved the landlord’s daughter,
The landlord’s red-lipped daughter,
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—”

Who was this man?  Why was he there?  What was his role in events and what was his story beyond the inn yard?

What follows is the transcript of the above video.  My version is actually longer than this as I introduce the Captain of the Guard and explain what happens to Tim (I reserve those verses for live presentations).

What was most striking for me in Noyes’ poem was his rhythm and rhyming structure.  When I listen to the poem I always think about a horses hooves and I wanted my poem also to respect a regular meter (which it loosely does).  I also love his imagery and try to include some bold similes and metaphors.  Like Noyes I was drawn to his original themes of love, jealousy and violence but I have chosen for Tim the Ostler to recount his bitter betrayal rather than a third party.

 

Tim the Ostler

Now the landlord he has a daughter, whose lips are as red as a fire

Her hair is a perfumed cascade you couldn’t fail to admire

Oh how I longed for this young girl, who goes by the name of Bess

My master’s black eyed daughter

She smiled at me, his daughter

I dreamt that this sweetest lady would someday be my Princess….

I also offer a “Highwayman” workshop!!

istorytelling

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.Many academics believe, “the attention span of a child is there age plus two minutes”.  In teenagers and adults this apparently maxes out at about 20-40 minutes but by this point in life we are able to refocus on tasks which mean we can do things for longer periods of time (ie watch films).

This rationale is very useful to anyone working with children and young people.  It helps to determine how long a participant can stay on task, how long it will be until they will need further stimulation or how long you have before distraction (in some cases) leads to disruption.

Sadly some experts believe that with the development of technology people’s attention spans are decreasing.  In a world of high speed information, full of fast moving colour and sound some things seem slow.

I was recently introduced to the idea of FOMO (Fear of missing out).  It’s a concept that explains the need to be hooked up to technology 24/7 and explains anecdotal evidence from parents and teachers of a need to teach younger and younger children the dangers of technology and in-school technology agreements (the class are allowed to check their phones in plain sight rather than under the desk).

As a storyteller I have a fear of missing out and sometimes fell that I’m old school.  I’m all for technology but my medium of communication remains much more low tech.  I use the costumes and props I can carry in a suitcase to accentuate a story told using my voice and my body.  My devices are generally theatrical and not electronic.

Some work surfs the new media wave.  In the past year I have seen two striking pieces of work supported by The National Theatre.  “The Animals and Children went into the Streets” (1927) and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” (Mark Haddon).  Both incorporated multimedia boldly, combining sound, light and projection techniques to extraordinary effect.  For all the bells and whistles though , these pieces have brilliant storytelling by exceptional creative talent at their heart.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.At the same time as society embraces a new media revolution, nostalgia continues to infiltrate our culture with businesses offering us more and more vintage clothing, furniture, food and even experiences.  Perhaps this is a sub culture but it does point towards people yearning for something simpler.

Storytelling is embedded within our culture and I wholly believe in its value, power and legacy.  Exchanging stories is a privilege and when you work in front of a live audience the relationship is always special and different.  Storytelling is everywhere you look and I’m not suggesting that we are in danger of losing this most ancient of traditions.  I am questioning how this brand of live entertainment fits into a world where baby’s first book is a tablet computer.  Is oral storytelling with simple props and costumes enough of a reward for patience or is it too much effort?  Is radical innovation the key to engaging a digital generation?  We’ll have to see…

istorytelling

You can’t rewind this if you leave

its not for tablet or box set.

There’s no multi player function

and you cannot hit “Refresh”.

*

A tweet won’t do it justice

and neither will your lens.

If you put this onto Youtube

you’d spoil it for your friends.

*

My interface is wireless

and my network is offline.

My errors are unique

but my “selfie” is defined.

*

I share my profile everyday,

I’m low tech but compelling.

I may lack tricks but I’m still proud

of my storytelling.