Resources

Storytelling

Presentations and Notes from SSF Development Day 2024

2024-04-TRACS-Storytelling in the Community_M Bennett01 Development Day Presentation Storytelling and Drama in Scottish Prisons Presentation We’ve all got a... View now

SSF Statement of Accounts and Activity 2022/23

SSF REPORT& ACCS 2022-23 SIGNED View now

Illustrated Freelancer’s Guide

“We are encouraged to become… microentrepreneurs of the self, acting as if we are our own, precarious, freelance microenterprises... View now

Year of Stories’ Blog: A Kist Full of Gems – by Jess Smith

Jess Smith- 1st blog View now

Year of Stories’ Blogs 1-3 for Kist o Riches Storytelling Workshop – by Donald Smith

Donald Smith- 3 blogs View now

The Brave Tailor (For children with Additional Needs)

This is multi-sensory story is suitable for all ages. It is based on the traditional Scottish tale The Sprightly... View now

Jack and the Beanstalk (For children with complex additional needs, including those with PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities)

This sensory story version of the famous Jack folk tale was developed by storyteller Ailie Finlay for children with... View now

In a Dark, Dark Wood (For young children and children with additional needs)

For children who like their stories very short and bouncy! Storyteller Ailie Finlay has developed a version of this... View now

Sensory Storytelling for Children and Adults with Complex Additional Needs

Sensory Storytelling for Children and Adults with Complex Additional Needs – A Short Introduction by storyteller Ailie Finlay View now

The Old Woman Who Tricked the Fairies

A sensory story version of the well-known traditional Scottish tale, by storyteller Ailie Finlay. This version includes lots of... View now

Scotland’s Stories – Online Teaching Resource

Scotland’s Stories presents a variety of traditional Scottish stories in written form and a collection of tales on video... View now

The Wee Bannock

Everyone knows the story of the Gingerbread Man who sang ‘Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t... View now

Le Petit Bannock

Storytelling uses verbal and non-verbal methods of communication, which means stories are ideal for sharing between languages. It can... View now

The Indigo Jackal

Contributed by Malaysian-Singapore storyteller Kamini Ramachandran as part of the Open Word – Open World Outreach Resource Pack for the... View now

The Secret of Dreaming

Just like the Halloween Guisers, modern storytellers are concerned with the environment and how people can work together through... View now

Micro-Stories

The power of words can be explored by creating and telling stories with only a hundred words or even... View now

Why the Camel Rolls in the Ashes

Storyteller Josh Colt Gambrel has contributed this Mongolian folktale which uses words, gestures, pictures, sensations and sounds in telling... View now

How the Bear Lost his Tail

Judy Paterson retells this Scandinavian folktale and states: ‘I’ve also heard it told about a rabbit where, not only... View now

Traditions of May

May Day, or Beltane, is one of the most ancient and widely celebrated holidays worldwide, associated with many different... View now

Àiridh na h-Aon Oidhche

Seo sgeulachd eagalach mu dheidhinn àite fior ann am Beinn na Faoghla, ‘Àiridh na h-Aon Oidhche’. Mar a chaidh... View now

Finding Stories to Tell

Are you keen to start telling stories, but not sure where to find them? Not to worry, as we... View now

Mar a Phòs Gille Òg Gun Tochar

Mar a chaidh innse le Tony Dilworth. Fhuair e an sgeulachd seo bho Bonaventure C. K. Mkumbi de na... View now

An Dall is an Crùbach

A story from Tanzania told by Tarvisio Mayuva of the Wanyaturu in Kondoa. Nochd an sgeul seo an toiseach... View now

Auld Cruivie

Auld Cruivie is a very old Scottish folktale that combines myth and local legend with a strong environmental message.... View now

Mallie an da paets

A story from Shetland, told in true Shetland style, exploring the theme of reward and punishment. The first document... View now

The Paddo

As told by Margaret Tollick, with credit to Robert Chambers’ Popular Rhymes of Scotland. Margaret believes passionately in the... View now

The Last Fairy o the Auld Road

An original story, told by the late, great Aberdeen Traveller storyteller, Stanley Robertson and presented in Aberdeen dialect. View now

A Ceilidh Story

Legends have a habit of travelling around – through time, language and cultures – attaching themselves to different places... View now

Guisers

The ancient tradition of guising goes back centuries in Scotland, but has been in some ways neglected lately, with... View now

Blàr Chàirinis

A story resource telling the bloody tale of the Battle of Carinish which took place in North Uist, 1601.... View now

Create your own local legend: Oak Royal

We all know that stories don’t like to sit on the page of a book and be quiet. Stories... View now

Storytelling with Older People

Some useful tips and hints from Rosie Mapplebeck on how to run a storytelling session with older people. Rosie... View now

Story Sacks

Are you a novice storyteller, an early years or primary school teacher or librarian? Does the thought of leading... View now

How to Create and Run a Storytelling Club

An information pack for anyone interested in starting or running a storytelling club for children or adults. Where you... View now

The Spider That Could Spin Golden Thread

‘I had been working in the woodlands of Perthshire and beyond on storytelling projects which help children to connect... View now

How to Create a Legend of Place

Stories of place are often telling of events that happened a long time ago, handed down generation after generation,... View now

Adapting Stories to Places

‘Choosing the best stories to tell about a certain place can be a storyteller’s biggest challenge. However, if you... View now

On the Trail of the Local Legend

‘On Knockfarrel hill above Strathpeffer are the remains of a vitrified Iron Age fort. Its stones were fused together... View now

Queen Scooter the First

This is a short traditional Czech tale translated by Barbora Voráčová as part of her internship at the Scottish... View now

The Camel

This is a traditional Indian teaching tale suitable for use with a wide age range, including special needs. With... View now

The Pirate Treasure – Primary

A short pirate tale from Anne Pitcher, suitable for primary school children (4-5 yrs): ‘This is a pirate tale... View now

Bearskin

Bearskin is an original translation of the German Grimm Brothers tale Bärenhäuter by Helena Weinberg, carried out as part... View now

The Big Wave

This is a short and simple story from Japan, with suggested activities for children over the age of 8.... View now

The Rattle & The Nasty Beastie

The Rattle and The Nasty Beastie are stories that involve a great deal of active participation and interaction which... View now

The Wisdom of Age and Youth

This resource is a really good starting point for your storytelling session. The activities are a fantastic way of... View now

The Tale of Atalanta

This resource includes an original retelling of the Greek tale of Atalanta and Melanion, with a live commentary of the... View now

The Fisherman, the Selkie & the Moon

This unique resource includes a retelling of a well-known traditional story in two versions, a full one for people... View now

Storytelling with Young People

A wonderfully comprehensive resource aimed at anyone already using storytelling with young people, or keen to start incorporating storytelling... View now

Children As Storytellers (Early years)

Children as Storytellers | Sample Workshop for Under 5s This resource aims to help parents and/or children to play... View now

Storymaking with Puppets (Primary, esp. special needs)

Ewan McVicar provides a step-by-step guide to group storymaking using puppets, props and objects. Particularly useful for use with... View now

Nature Story Walk (Primary)

Fun ways to use story with children to bring the natural world and its creatures to life from John... View now

Scots Rhymes, Riddles & Games (Primary)

A favourite selection of rhymes, riddles and games for children from Senga Munro. View now

Early Years Starter Pack

Some rhymes, stories and ideas to get you started with early years children and some hints and tips for... View now

Environmental Story Games

John Hamilton offers some creative ideas for exploring your local environment with children. View now

Puzzle Stories

A selection of puzzling story starters from Bob Pegg to get children and adults alike creating their own tales. View now

The Witches of Kintail

‘This story was learned from the late Angus Russell, who told it all over Scotland and England in the... View now

Foo the Adder is sae Lang

Contributed by Sheena Blackhall. This is a story incorporating movement, told in Doric. Each animal has its own movement... View now

The Star Apple

Contributed by Bea Ferguson, this extended riddle she originally heard from David Campbell always engrosses young children, amazed by... View now