RESHUFFLE FOLLOWS 2nd AGM
The second AGM of the Shaggy Dog Storytellers Club was held at Stubbing
Wharf Pub on 27th October 2005. Club Secretary Robert Johnston reported that
club membership had swelled to 40 members, “lively” monthly club nights
continued and that substantial grant funding had sustained Shaggy Dog and
enabled the promotion of storytelling in the Calder Valley. Paul Degnan was
elected as club chair, Robert Johnston and Rod Dimbleby re-elected as Club
Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Richard Hemingway was elected as a new
committee member.
The Committee (from left to right)
Treasurer Rod Dimbleby, Chair Paul Degnan,
Secretary Robert Johnston, Richard Hemingway
CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Paul Degnan our new club Chair writes:
It was great to return from a year out working in Cornwall to discover how well the club is progressing in its new form.
To receive grant funding that helps to support the club financially and helps to achieve its aims is not only reassuring
but it establishes a platform whereby Shaggy Dog with all its subsidiary activities can be promoted within a wider community.
This achievement is thanks to all the hard work that the committee and the members of Shaggy Dog have invested into
the club. In this, our third edition you will read of how the fruits of this investment have matched up with grant funding
to create new storytelling opportunities in Calderdale.
We however must not rest on our laurels but we must continue in our efforts to secure further funding in this new year of
the funding cycle and we must continue to encourage and enable the art of storytelling in our communities in line with
our club vision.
I want to welcome our new committee member Richard Hemingway who brings new skills to our committee group. Already Richard has set up
our very own Shaggy Dog Storytellers website and has become co-editor of this newsletter. Thank you Richard and welcome!
I look forward to an exciting year ahead. Keep up the good work and keep on telling those stories!
CONTINUING AS A VIBRANT ENTITY
Robert Johnston, Club Secretary writes:
My good news is that the Club continues as a vibrant entity engaging ever more with the community and other groups serving the community.
The backbone of the Club is twofold. Firstly, well attended Club nights and ever increasing numbers of active storytellers in the Club. We have
both of these, but are not complacent. We have been successful in attracting grants from Awards for All, the Arts Council, the Community
Foundation, the Bearder Charity, Todmorden Town Council and Calderdale Cultural Grant. A big THANK YOU to all these funding bodies.
Through these grants we have been able to book international storytellers for Club nights and by the work of Alan Sparkes and Christine
McMahon have also arranged for these international stars to perform in schools and libraries. Since the last newsletter we have had a beginner's
workshop, run by Christine and Alan and an advanced workshop run by Shonaleigh. At future meetings you will be able to judge how much I
have improved under the tuition of Shonaleigh! Our funders want to know what our income is and where it comes from. The answer is door
takings and Membership Subscriptions (£ 5.00 and a bargain at that).
Your participation is vital to club life. The club appreciates your ongoing support!
ENTHRALLED AND COMMITTED
Richard Hemingway, our new Committee Member writes:
Early in 2004, I was introduced to the concept of Storytelling by Christine McMahon. I was intrigued by the idea but resisted for a long time. I
thought the oral tradition had died out long ago and that storytelling was now an activity reserved for children. Eventually my curiosity got the
better of me and I came along to a club night. I heard Nick Hennessy telling Finnish folktales from the Kalevala. I was enthralled, a sense of
wonder was reawakened that I hadn’t felt since I was child. I became a regular at Tales from the Wharf. For a long time I was happy just
listening, soaking up the stories but as time passed I couldn’t resist the urge to start telling stories myself. The next thing I knew I found myself
elected to the committee. I’m not sure how that happened, I suspect that the fact that I could create websites might have had something to do
with it. Robert however assures me it is because the Shaggy Dog needed a Complaints Officer……..I hadn’t bargained for that! I wish to make
a complaint!
BTB NORTH STORYTELLING FESTIVAL 2007 FEASIBLE!
Last year Shaggy Dog received a grant from the arts council to conduct a feasibility study to look into the possibility of a storytelling festival
in the North of England.
Alan Sparkes of Shaggy Dog linked up with Ben Haggarty and David Ambrose, both co-directors of Beyond the Border International
Storytelling Festival (an annual summer storytelling festival held at St. Donat’s Castle South Wales) in order to explore the idea of a similar
festival in Yorkshire to be known as Beyond the Border North (BTBN). The feasibility study has now been completed.
Alan Sparkes writes:
The feasibility study has indicated a very high level of interest and support from a variety of community groups for the idea of BTBN. This
festival and associated outreach work will make storytelling more accessible. Indications are that West Yorkshire folk are keen to develop
more opportunities to use storytelling for the greater benefit of their communities. A new audience will be brought to storytelling.
We are now ready to put in the full funding bid! The plan is to include performance storytellers from France, Central India, Ireland, the Native
American culture, the Jewish culture, Eastern Europe and of course not forgetting Yorkshire. It is anticipated that the Festival will be held at
the West Yorkshire Playhouse in the Spring of 2007 and will be over 4 days packed with exciting events from family sessions to offering a
forum for local talent to wonderful theatre performances. Included in the bid are a total of 26 outreach sessions during and leading up to the
festival. Also, we will hold 6 monthly storytelling evenings commencing in October at the West Yorkshire Playhouse highlighting the
excellence in storytelling performance.
There is nothing like it in the region and the vision, experience and scope of the BTBN team will ensure the successful running of this event.
“JUST DO IT!” – THE POWER OF STORY
A weekend workshop held at the Stubbing Wharf pub in November attracted 10 people from the Calder Valley and as far afield as North
Yorkshire. They were keen to learn more about the art of storytelling and the “Power of a Story.” Research has shown that people learn more
easily through stories and stories put people at ease and help build relationships. A person who tells a good story, just like the story itself,
tends to be remembered. Every day we hear and tell stories, at work, in the classroom, at home or in a social situation. Stories are the most
powerful means of communication and entertainment. The workshop guided students towards telling a story with more impact. A series of
exercises over the 2 days included:
How to choose your stories and source material
Techniques for learning and remembering stories
Storytelling techniques and skills
Owning a story
Telling your story
The students unanimous view – “it was a marvellous experience!”. The following club night at
Tales from the Wharf in January 2006 was exclusively a “Stories from the Floor” night. This
became an opportunity for students from the beginners workshop to tell a story for the first time
in front of a very enthusiastic audience. The storytellers were Tom Croft, Jill Bostock, Miriam
Scott and Richard Hemingway.
“Just do it” became the students motto as they came to realise that they could!
Some of the feedback received from the students:
"I have gained confidence in storytelling and it was great fun!"
"Thoroughly enjoyed it and felt challenged, supported and able to take risks."
"The leadership was subtle, unobtrusive but effective."
"PUTTING STORIES TO WORK"
Putting Stories to Work was a one day conference in November, aimed at introducing people to the idea of using stories for more than just
entertainment. To take stories into the workplace, schools, hospitals, community centres. To use stories to educate, heal and build communities.
Over 30 people from Calderdale and beyond attended at the Little Theatre, Hebden Bridge to learn from 3 fantastic storytellers:
Michael Parent, an American storyteller of French Canadian descent from the state of Maine.
Shonaleigh, an English storyteller, a leading light in UK storytelling circles.
Janet Dowling, an English storyteller with vast experience using stories in family
therapy and counselling.
Some comments from the participants:
"An absolutely enchanting day; full of the beauty and sheer wonder of the art of storytelling"
"A very useful workshop. I will be able to use some of the skills in my work."
"Lots of good ideas which our team can use with individuals, groups and classes in
school."
"Very informative, delivered by people passionate and enthusiastic about their subject."
Many of the students expressed the desire for more workshops and an interest in a storytelling festival.
THE VISIT OF THE LITTLE BALD MAN!
Christine McMahon writes:
I am already madly in love with the Irish storytelling scene, the place, the people, all of it. Imagine my thrill
at being asked to perform at the Yarnspinners club in Dublin. As if that wasn’t enough my amazing host
Miceal Ross took me on a tour of the area, telling me stories all the way, it was magical.
As we chatted on the journey Miceal asked me what my dreams were. I said that one was to visit Alaska.
Micael simply said I should get on with it, giving me a contact name of an Alaskan storyteller called Brett. I
was intrigued as he had a cheeky smile all the time he was telling me about the little bald man from Alaska.
I took the advice and got in touch immediately and was rewarded with funny, descriptive E-mails that further
fuelled my desire to go. I discovered that his storytelling passion was to work with ‘difficult’ teenagers. As
I work with a Youth Offending Team I wanted to find out more about how he worked. Hearing that Brett was
coming to Ireland, I asked if he could visit us to perform at our club in Hebden Bridge. I applied to our local
Community Foundation for a small grant for a community performance and training evening.
The little bald man arrived! I discovered he is quite a literacy expert, and has done all kinds of work, for a
very long time. I realised he is no beginner!
I whisked him from venue to venue and was increasingly impressed by his abilities with all ages of young
people. I was lucky to be able to visit a Pupil Referral Unit and watch a session and this is something of what
I saw,
There is a feeling on entering the places where excluded teenage boys are ‘held’. A tension, ready to kick off, anger, or should I say rage. I
dread it because I feel in a go between position – if the kids are hell I feel bad that I have taken a visitor and put him in here, if the storytelling
falls flat I feel bad for telling the unit it would be helpful! It is after lunch and the boys are restless, eating sweets, counting their cigarettes and
they are ferried into a room, a small room and about 8 boys and 3 staff shuffle with tables and chairs.
Brett asks them quietly ‘gentlemen, I would be grateful if you would come and sit on the floor. I wait for the **** offs to begin but there is
something of the respectful way it is asked and then the quiet expectation from Brett that makes them slide off the tables on to the floor.
After a polite introduction the storytelling begins. His rich voice takes them slowly down into calmness, animal sounds of bears and ravens
and dogs keep them listening and awake. ‘Is it true?’ a boy asks.
One story tells of a boy who kills a giant but is still so enraged that he has to do more and more to the giant, even after the giant is dead. The
silence thickens and I can feel the boys thinking ‘someone else knows how it is to feel this angry’.
All the stories are perfectly selected to get the boys to engage with him. A funny story about a boy who loves his dog, a hero story of someone
who people think is lazy and stupid but who saves the village. An ending that suggests the hero is till alive and perhaps in this room leaves the
boys wondering if they really aren’t lazy and stupid after all but are just waiting to show what they can do. There is a question time and the
boys want to know who this man is, does he smoke? Is it cold in Alaska? Does he take drugs? They seem to trying to find out how like them
he might be or have been.
The boys sit on that floor and listen for an hour and then the boy who tends to be the ringleader, the funny one who dares to disrupt and loves
to show off rolls a tiny piece of blu tack and flicks it. There is no threatening or shouting Brett quietly explains that his sessions only take place
in a respectful environment and therefore the session is ended. He has not ‘fallen out’ with them and he is saying well done for the rest of it
but the session is over. The boy who had dared raised his hand. Quietly Brett says he will take just one more question and the boy says ‘The
sweet in your pocket will melt if you don’t eat it soon!’ He was saying in the best way he could that he wanted to say sorry, make friends.
Brett had asked for the sweet earlier in exchange for telling a particular story and he had given Brett the sweet suspiciously.
It was as if I was watching all of my hopes about how storytelling can work confirmed but concentrated into an hour session. I wanted to capture
it, show every one and say ‘see, I told you so! But I found I didn’t need to. Brett came to work with me at a Youth Offending Team evening
launch of a poetry book. We had invited some young people and their families to the event. He spotted a boy that he had worked with earlier,
freshly expelled from school and in 5 minutes prepares him to perform a story with him. The audience are immediately shown how it works,
they get it! No amount of rambling and preaching from me could do it.
I am left after Brett’s visit wanting more, much more. I was like a child saying ‘again’ to the story they want to hear again and again. I am
hoping that he will return in the spring and be able to work in more depth with a group, developing and performing their own stories and then
I am definitely going to see what is happening over there with the little bald man, in Alaska!
CALDERDALE HOSPITAL RADIO GIG
On the 18th February, the committee was invited to send representatives
to visit the Calderdale Hospital Radio studio. The long-term plan is for
our committee to organise the recording of stories which could be played
in between music to add interest and variety to their output.
Rod Dimbleby went along with Richard Hemingway to have a look
around and to meet DJ, Steve Cochran and local writer, Phil Reid, two
volunteers who can be heard every Saturday morning chatting away
between songs. Rod was then interviewed on air, talking about Shaggy
Dog in particular and storytelling in general and Richard talked about the
website (www.shaggydogstorytellers.com). Rod told a story, just to whet
appetites, which seemed to go down well with those in the studio and
hopefully those patients listening. The whole thing was very relaxed and
expertly conducted by the interviewers. Further participation is anticipated.
SHAGGY DOG ONLINE
Richard Hemingway writes:
Many of you will be aware that the Shaggy Dog Storytellers Club now
has its own website, www.shaggydogstorytellers.com.
It is gratifying to note that there have been more than 1000 visits to the
site since its creation in November of 2005. I hope that you are finding
it interesting and informative. We know that people from all over the
UK and parts of the US have been having a look as I am regularly
receiving email from people enquiring about club activities and events.
We know that some of you don’t have access to the internet and the
website will not replace traditional leaflets and newsletters. The website supplements those sources of information. You will find general
information about the club on the site along with details of past,
present and future events, details of workshops and links to other
storytelling related sites.
DRAWING ON WATER AT THE SQUARE CHAPEL
On 8th December last year Christine McMahon and Robert Johnston
represented the Club at a showcase of work on the theme of "Drawing on
Water" organised by local charity, HEADS. The showcase was the
culmination of a years work carried out by old and young from all parts
of the Calder Valley. There were displays of art, photography and
montage work, a musical performance, and a dance performance interlinked with a story. Who told the story ? Why, Christine of course - while
Robert introduced the performers. There was a capacity audience (of
brothers, sisters, mums, dads and grandparents) who had a thoroughly
enjoyable time.
Jude Wadley is our main contact with HEADS and she was delighted
with the show.
Please remember it is your website and any suggestions for improving
it are more than welcome. We would particularly invite you to send
any photos you may have relating to storytelling so that they can be
posted on the Gallery and brought to a wider audience. You can
contact me, by email at [email protected].
SHAGGY DOG AND WORLD BOOK DAY
On 2nd February, World Book Day, Robert Johnston hosted an open
mike session at the Halifax Central Library and was delighted to be
supported by Club members Rachel, Richard , Rod, Jill and Tom. Free
wine and food were provided by the library, and under their influence (or
not) nine people made a contribution. It was a fairly low key affair but
yet more contacts for the Club. Anna Turner was the main contact and
she and Alison of the library staff, arranged the refreshments.
WHAT’S ON NEXT
Friday 28th APRIL
REACHING OUT TO TOMORDEN HIGH SCHOOL
Following the receipt of a Calderdale Cultural Grant, Alan Sparkes and
Christine McMahon trained a small number of Todmorden High School
Sixth Form Students in Storytelling Skills.
These sessions culminated in a performance at the club in July 2005 that
was well received.
Further funding has been granted by the Bearder Trust and Todmorden
Town Council to train some of the younger students at the school in
storytelling skills.
In April the students will visit feeder primary schools in the Todmorden
area to perform their stories.
BEN HAGGARTY
“THE DEVIL’S CATECHISM and other RIDDLING TALES
Friday 26th MAY
STORIES FROM THE FLOOR
Further events will be posted on the website as soon as we have
confirmed bookings.
THANK YOU for all your support in the past and
we hope to continue to see you in the future.
www.shaggydogstorytellers.com