Looking For A Storyteller? Here Are Some Dates For Your Diary

December 16, 2022December 21, 2022Leave a comment

It’s not the end of 2022 yet but in between wrapping gifts and nipping out to post my cards, I’m starting to look at my calendar for the following year. Here are some of the year’s main dates for storytelling activities – so if you’re looking for stories a storyteller to inspire your school pupils or entertain at your event look no further!

I tell all sorts of stories – folk tales, myths and legends, stories of local places and characters – including old Scots songs and ballads. My specialist areas are science, environment and pre-history and I have a number of costumes to choose from. Puppets can also be brought and incorporated into the storytelling session. I am also keen on the promotion of Scots and Doric which is not just used around “Burns Season!” I thoroughly believe that stories are for all ages and can provide storytelling sessions or storytelling workshops from age 2 to 102! (If you’re over 102 then I think you have a few tales to tell to me!)

I am on the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s Directory as well as the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Author Directory. I am a member of Equity and can provide Disclosure certification. Make your enquiry today by emailing paulinecordiner@gmail.com !

Burns Night – 25^th January 2023

National Storytelling Week – 30^th January to 6^th February 2023

World Book Day – 2^nd March 2023

Mother’s Day – 19^th March 2023

World Poetry Day – 21^st March 2023

British Science Week 10th – 19^th March 2023

International Children’s Book Day – 2^nd April (held on or near Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday)

National Share A Story Month – May 1^st to May 31^st 2023

National Writing Day – June 23^rd 2023

Festival of British Archaeology – July 16^th to July 31^st

National Poetry Day – 6^th October 2023

Father’s Day – June 18^th 2023

National Poetry Day – 6^th October 2023

Scottish International Storytelling Festival – End Oct 2023

Odd Socks Day – Anti Bullying Week – 13^th November 2023

St Andrews Day – 30^th November 2023

Book Week Scotland – 16^th to 22^nd November 2023

National Children’s Book Week – 31^st October to 4^th November 2023

Book Week Scotland – 16^th to 22^nd November 2023

Snow Day! Turra Visit Cancelled

December 14, 2022December 21, 2022Leave a comment

It won’t have escaped your notice that there is SNOW!!

Unfortunately this means I won’t make it to Turriff Academy today to visit the S2s as part of my Scottish Book Trust Residency

The students had been collecting stories from family members and friends and I was looking forward to hearing them – but that will now be postponed until January.

Oh well… I thought I’d find out what the fairies were up to!

Peterhead Christmas Lights

December 4, 2022December 21, 2022Leave a comment

After Mallku’s party it was a quick tidy up and off to Peterhead for the Light Up Peterhead event! There was so much on and I was lucky to be telling Christmas stories in the Muckle Kirk. (Just look at those stained glass windows!!)

Of course this required a quick costume change from Viking to Christmas Tree Fairy. See I’ve got my shiny tinsel crown and aathing!

I had some wonderful audiences throughout the afternoon and had the help of Fizzy the Fairy and my wee Tomte/Nisse pal – who is insisting he is not a gnome or a gonk!

A Viking Birthday Party

December 4, 2022December 21, 2022Leave a comment

Well WHAT a busy day I had yesterday! In the morning I had the pleasure of telling Viking tales to Mallku and his guests for his 8th birthday out at Haddo House. After the stories they made clay tablets with their names in Norse runes – and what a great job they did!

Here’s a photo of me with my pal Bjarni who needs to be told that Vikings did not wear helmets with horns OR Ikea rugs over their shoulders (Also note the amazing birthday cake in the background!)

HANDSS Tea Party for the SISF Story Ripple

November 30, 2022December 4, 2022Leave a comment

The Reid Queen O Aiberdeen hid a grand time on Tuesday night!

I had my second session at HANDSS as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival ‘s #SISFStoryRipple

Can anyone guess the theme?

We all had a tea party with yummy cakes and the Queen announced that she enjoyed it so much no one would be allowed to leave unless they gave her the present of…. A STORY!

Luckily our friends at HANDSS. Are great at making up stories. We had a quest for seaweed, a gift for an imp, gold for a troll, shrinking potion, magical scones and a tiny but firey dragon who managed to save everyone from a land of ice and snow!

To top it all off, HANDSS have been telling jokes to each other and putting them up online as part of their Ripple Good Deed. Every day in November- that’s 30 jokes recorded, animated and uploaded to social media! A massive round of applause for all involved

Ellon Christmas Lights!

November 26, 2022December 4, 2022Leave a comment

Here’s a photo of my cosy wee gazebo this afternoon from Ellon’s big Christmas Lights switch on and parade!

A few wee lights and some quality audiences and the festive season has arrived! (Well it certainly has in Ellon )

Telling Stanley Robertson’s Stories at Greenbrae School

November 21, 2022December 4, 2022Leave a comment

Yaay! What a great session I had this morning with the P6s at Greenbrae Primary School!
Here’s a quick selfie taken after tales and ballads about the treasures of the earth, death in love and gory revenge!
Thanks you lot for being a great audience!

This session was my second last one for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival‘s #SISFStoryRipple of 2022!
The pupils will be writing some tales of their own, inspired by Stanley Robertson’s stories and they will then take their stories into a local care home to share for their Good Deed

Stanley’s Stories at Greenbrae Primary School

November 20, 2022Leave a comment

I’m heading off to Greenbrae Primary School tomorrow to tell stories to P5/6 as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s 2022 Story Ripple. ( #SISFStoryRipple)

Their current theme is “Could You Be An Artist,” so I’m going to be telling them some of the stories I learned from the wonderful Stanley Robertson.

Stanley was a storyteller, ballad singer, piper and an inspiration to anyone who wanted to learn the tales and songs he taught. He was a Scottish Traveller and spent many years as a fish filleter in Aberdeen before writing 7 books of his stories in Scots, Doric and Cant as well as traveling the world telling his tales.

I was privileged to learn many of the songs and stories he shared and here’s a photo from May 2009 of the last time I shared a stage with him. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my favourites that I learned from Stanley with the pupils 🙂

Hazlehead Primary School’s SISF Ripple Visit

November 8, 2022Leave a comment

It may have been a dreich day yesterday, but the pupils of P6/7 at @hazlehead_primary_pc fair cheered me up with their enthusiasm for their stories and workshop!

The school is exploring different cultures through their sports and so we had two tales – one about a Sumo wrestler and another about a Heeholua (Hawaiian Lava Sledding) race!

#ScottishInternationalStorytellingFestival

#SISFStoryRipple2022

#SISFStoryRipple

Judging the Halloween Poster Competition!

November 4, 2022Leave a comment

Johnny and I were particularly chuffed last night to be asked to judge the Halloween poster competition at Middleton Park Nursery and Primary School Parent Council‘s Halloween Spooktacular!

The pupils had put in SO much hard work – from Nursery all the way up to P6. As a storyteller I was particularly taken with this one of Baba Yaga’s house!

Pauline Cordiner – Scottish Storyteller

Stories, Songs, Parties, Crafts, Activities and Living History

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