Storytelling in Primary Education

We embark on a magical trip to faraway lands through tales from around the world. Story whispers that we all live under the same sun, are nurtured by the same rain and form part of a great big family. We are reminded that Mother Earth is home for all of us and if we look after her she will look after us.

Perfect for promoting tolerance for diversity, a better cross-cultural understanding, the importance of cooperation and the defense of nature.

Technical Chracteristics:
Duration: 45-50 minutes.
Public: 7 - 12 years (The stories are adapted to the age and level of the students). Ideally 50 students.
Space: A big room that is available to set up one hour before the start of the show.

We go on a journey to meet Mama Africa and discover why children around the world have different colours of skin. We sing along with Iyoké who wants to be tall like a giraffe and roar like a lion, until he realizes that it’s actually quite nice being small. And, if you are curious about how to get the drum from the selfish leopard, there is a place waiting for you on this magical, rhythmic storytelling trip.

Good for promoting tolerance of diversity and for the musicality and rhythms of the English language.

Technical Chracteristics:
Duration: 40-45 minutes.
Public: 5 - 7 years. Ideally 50 students at a time.
Space: A large room that is available to set up one hour before the show starts.

A wonderful opportunity to bring my native Scotland to your own school! In this mysterious land Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, lives in harmony with selkies, witches and ghosts.

There are two possible formats:

• A magical storytelling session where the stories and legends of Scotland come to life before your eyes.


• A Scottish ceilidh with stories, music and Scottish dancing. Here my son Pablo accompanies me with the music, although I’m sorry to say he hasn’t quite mastered the bagpipes yet.

Excellent for getting to know the folklore and traditions of Scotland.

Technical Chracteristics:
Duration: 50 minutes.
Public: 6 - 12 years (The stories are adapted to the age of the students). 50 students.
Space: A large room that is available to set up one hour before the show starts. If you are interested in including a Scottish dance there should be an easy transition from sitting to the dance space.

It is said that once upon a time trees and people used to talk to each other. However, one day a boy called Mikkú did something against mother nature and the trees decided to stop talking to us forever. The aim of this workshop is to heal this conflict and try to transform the end of this story so that once again we may hear the sweet voices of the trees whispering in the forest and learn from their wisdom.

In this workshop we:

• Connect with the trees and realize how important they are.


• Listen to the story of Mikkú.


• Make a wish stick and weave in our good wishes for the trees.


• Hang up our wish sticks and let the breeze transport our good wishes to all the community of trees in the hope that they will feel so loved and supported that they will be willing to start talking to us again.

Great for nature and ecological studies.

Technical Chracteristics:
Duration: 90 minutes.
Public: 8 - 12 years. One class at a time with help from a teacher.
Space: Ideally there should be two workspaces. If possible an area to connect with trees and an area where students can do their artwork. I need to set up the space at least one hour before the activity starts.

Having a storyteller-in-residence in your own centre is an excellent way of bringing the magic of the story world to your students. Since there is more contact with the storyteller the seeds of the stories can be well nurtured and there is more opportunity for growth. There are different types of storytelling residences depending on the needs of the school. Here are a few examples:

• Short term: I especially like going to one school in Madrid where they study an English- speaking country in depth every year. I prepare a selection of stories from that culture for all the children in the school from infant to 6^th grade. So far, I have shared stories from Scotland, Ireland, Australia, the USA, India and South Africa and now I am preparing a session of stories from England.


• Long term: In another school I have been telling stories on a weekly basis for over 4 years! The students treasure their interactive storytelling sessions where I tell a wide range of stories from the different cultural origins of the students and try to connect them with the rhythms of nature and the cycle of life and death. We have time to explore them through different senses using body expression, theatre, symbolic psychodrama, shadow puppetry, puppet creation and arts and crafts.

If you have a theme or culture that you would like to explore through story, please feel free to contact me directly.