The Art of Storytelling

The storytelling workshop at Allerton Methodist Church on Saturday 16 April was brilliant.  

Sue Allonby is a gifted storyteller who told stories, had us tell stories, and gave us the confidence to try our own storytelling.   We discussed the key skills of words, memory, visualisation, concentration, and geography and gesture - and then practised them!  

We played the Yorkshire Cat game to encourage us to think of words quickly; were told a story and then had to tell it to someone else; discussed visualisation which would help fix a story firmly in our heads; played games of concentration to feel how it is to keep a subject in our minds; discussed the geography of a story and the gestures that we would use.  And then used all of these in the reading of a poem.  

Subjects covered included repeating words and actions, facial expression, speed of delivery, pauses, eye contact, getting the audience on your side; so much covered in so short a time.  

This workshop would help anyone who speaks to five pre-school children, 500 adults or anything in between.  I look forward to further workshops organised by the circuit.  

Chris T, Thackley