And a second post from Girvan! On Sunday I was working with the fab team at CRAG Community Arts in the Wee School Arts Space!
We made shadow puppets based on David’s story of the Cottar and the Devil. Unfortunately I only got a couple of photos because it was time to tidy up all too soon!
In the evening Wee Imp and I went to CRAG’s amazing fire show on the beach. My phone’s camera is not great so I’ll be sure to share some of the official images!
The other two pics are of amazing wicker lantern Pikachu and chip scoffing scurry at the Wee School
On Saturday morning I had a brilliant time telling stories to wee fowk and their grown ups at Girvan Library – what a great bunch who had fun joining in! Then Natalie Chalmers and I had a spot at the Bobby Rob concert.
Later on it was back to Glasgow (no starting late in Girvan for sessions as the caravan was stuck in Abz!) where we had a relaxing walk along the Clyde with Wee Imp
Somehow it’s been 15 years since I’ve telt tales at Girvan Traditional Folk Festival (time disnae half fly!) – but this year I’m delighted to say I’m going back for another visit! Yaaay, cannae wait!
On Saturday 2nd May I’ll be telling some Folkie Stories for Wee Fowk an their Grownups at Girvan Library from 11am – drop in for a tale or two! ( https://girvanfolkfestival.org.uk/family-events/ )
On Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm, I’ll be doing a couple of songs (hopefully wi ma amazing pal TBC) at the Bobby Rob Memorial Concert in the Catholic Hall https://girvanfolkfestival.org.uk/concerts/
And on Sunday afternoon 1.30 – 3.30pm (thanks for the lie in folks! ), I’m joining the fab fowk fae CRAG Community Arts to tell the tale o Coultart the Cottar and the Devil, written by David Powell – we’ll then be making shadow puppets to tell the tale! This event will be held in the Wee School Art Space and links in to the shoreside fireshow at night! Children must be accompanied by an adult.
A wee photo fae last wik’s Bring A Puppet To Life workshop at Whitehills Playing Field ! The bairns (and their grown ups!) worked with the puppets learning to make them talk, move and most importantly… come to life!
We then had some stories and songs before a Scots Variety Concert in the village hall in the evening.
Coming up on Saturday 11th April! I’m going to be running a Hand Puppet Workshop, Family Storytelling Session and a Family Scots Song Workshop – all at the Blackpots Pavilion in Whitehills!
The Hand Puppet workshop runs from 11am to 12pm – Learn to bring a hand puppet to life – Bring your own puppet or borrow one of Pauline’s many characters for the workshop. For bairns aged 5 and up and their grown ups. Unaccompanied grown ups are of course welcome an aa! ÂŖ5
The family storytelling session runs from 1 to 2pm and costs ÂŖ3. Come hear some tales of legendary leviathans,
boastful bosuns and mysterious mermaids! Suitable
for age 2 to 102! Any auller than that an I’m sure you hae a tale or two to tell
The family Scots Song workshop will run 3 to 4pm and costs ÂŖ3. Sing yer hairts oot at this fun Scots song workshop for wee ones and their grown ups – again, unaccompanied grownups are aye welcome!
The pavillion pop up cafe will be open – hot dogs and drinks from ÂŖ1.
I’m also chuffed tae be takkin part in the Scots Variety Concert in the Whitehills Village Hall at 7pm. I’ll be in fine company wi Doug Hay, Moira Stewart, the Portsoy Pipe Band, local highland dancers, Mike Blackburn, Aaron Clark and Graham Legge!
Aye it’s been a busy couple of wiks an although it’s the skweel holidays, I’ve got some exciting prep coming up! I’m delighted to announce a successful application to the Wee Grants for Creativity In The Scots Leid!
I’m going to be visiting Arduthie Primary in Stonehaven to work with the bairns to write some songs in Doric as part of their Hoolie In The Schoolie! This is going to be so much fun
his isn’t even my penultimate post for today! Yes. I have been busy!! And that’s why it was such a pleasure to visit our wonderful friends at Aye Aye Club on Monday for some crafting!
Making dreamcatchers looks tricky the traditional way – luckily M had been busy crocheting all weekend (I did have a go! Mine is the neon pink doily in the second photo!) to create the centres in these cardboard disc dreamcatchers.
It was so relaxing! I must do more crafts in amongst all the upcoming prep for future projects (see next posts lol)
Thankyou Aye Aye for allowing me to pinch and share some of your photos!!
(Cut and paste below for those of you not on Facebook!)
Celebrating Doric, Poetry, and Heritage: A Fireside Evening of Shared Joy
We all enjoyed the last session of our Fireside Chat seriesâDoric speakers and abanderados alike, or not. You didnât need to speak this beautiful language to feel the enthusiasm of our guest, đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ, or to delight in the rhymes collected by đđģđģđļđ˛ đĻđĩđļđŋđ˛đŋ and later reworked by Scottish students aged 5 to 11. đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ, attentive to the diversity of our audienceâfrom California to Saudi Arabiaâoffered vivid translations of the rhymes. But even without them, the verses came alive in her voice, and whether we spoke Doric or not, we could all enjoy their inner music.
But letâs start from the beginning. A century ago, a Scottish woman, đđģđģđļđ˛ đĻđĩđļđŋđ˛đŋ, traveled through parts of the northwest of Scotland by bicycle, collecting songs, riddles, and rhymes. đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ introduced her to us with warmth, offering clues on where to explore her work further.
A project funded by the đđŧđŋđļđ° đđŧđŽđŋđą has recently brought these rhymes into several primary schools. Guided by đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ, children aged 5 to 11 have enjoyed them, illustrated them, and recreated themâafter compiling lovely lists of Doric vocabulary. There are so many valuable elements, so many layers of learning, in the illustrations and rhymes she shared with us!
A note for our international audience: Doric is a variety of Scots, one of the four official languages of Scotland, alongside English, Gaelic, and British Sign Language.
For those who would like to learn more about đđģđģđļđ˛ đĻđĩđļđŋđ˛đŋ, the đđŧđŋđļđ° đđŧđŽđŋđą project, đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ, or Doric itself, we will share some links (see them in the commentsâshhhâĻ the algorithm penalises us if we add them here ).
Many thanks to our guest, the Scottish storyteller đŖđŽđđšđļđģđ˛ đđŧđŋđąđļđģđ˛đŋ, for a night full of poetry and love for linguistic diversity; to our host, đđģđģđŽ đđŽđģđ°đ˛đđ, for guiding the evening with her usual contagious enthusiasm and wisdom; and, of course, to our wonderful international audience.
Whatâs next? đđģ-đŊđ˛đŋđđŧđģ đ˛đđ˛đģđ In collaboration with the đđšđŊđĩđļđģđđđŧđģđ˛ đđģđđđļđđđđ˛ One Thousand and One Persian Nights â a Nowruz celebration Part of the Aberdeen and Beyond Storytelling Festival Wednesday, 25 March
đĸđģđšđļđģđ˛ đđļđŋđ˛đđļđąđ˛ đđĩđŽđ Guest: đđļđģđąđŽ đĒđļđšđšđļđŽđēđđŧđģ (folklorist, musician & storyteller) Tales and songs from the Traveller tradition and beyond 15 April (Zoom) You can find all the details about both events in their corresponding posts.
The p6s at Meethill School are not getting away without a post though! As part of the Aberdeenshire Museums Service Cultural Tides Doric Workshops, the P6s learned stories from Peterhead’s past, figured out 5 stages to each story (start, middle, end!) and started writing out the stories in Doric – they did amazingly well with the Doric spikkers in the class sharin fit they kent wi the ithers!
Weel deen P6 and thanks to the pupils and Miss Jango for working so hard
(and yes, P6 – I’m on the hunt for some CHEERY stories from Peterheid for you!)
), I’m joining the fab fowk fae 
Whatâs next?
đđģ-đŊđ˛đŋđđŧđģ đ˛đđ˛đģđ
In collaboration with the đđšđŊđĩđļđģđđđŧđģđ˛ đđģđđđļđđđđ˛
One Thousand and One Persian Nights â a Nowruz celebration
Part of the Aberdeen and Beyond Storytelling Festival
Wednesday, 25 March
đĸđģđšđļđģđ˛ đđļđŋđ˛đđļđąđ˛ đđĩđŽđ
Guest: đđļđģđąđŽ đĒđļđšđšđļđŽđēđđŧđģ (folklorist, musician & storyteller)
Tales and songs from the Traveller tradition and beyond
You can find all the details about both events in their corresponding posts.
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 