Training
Download the Centre’s November 2011 - April 2012 workshops and short courses programme.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre's training and development activity is grounded in a true philosophy of education. The aim is to 'bring out', affirm, encourage and develop people's latent potential.
 To achieve this, the Centre offers a wide range of opportunities for those wishing to develop their storytelling skills, whatever their age or ability, whether for fun or to bring new skills to their professional and community lives.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre's in-house Connecting with Stories workshops and short courses programme offers an extensive and innovative range of CPD inservice days, skill development workshops and residential events for teaching, social work and care staff, volunteers, community and professional storytellers, and anyone interested in developing personal storytelling skills.
We also provide tailor-made outreach storytelling visits and training workshops to suit your continuing professional and development needs, whatever your skills or experience, to be delivered at the Scottish Storytelling Centre or your own venue. Training is available in the form of half-day and full-day events, twilights, in-service days and weekend workshops.
Our in-house and outreach training workshops are devised and facilitated by professional storytellers who are highly experienced in working with all ages and groups, including children and adults with special needs. All professional storytellers chosen to lead workshops are selected according to their areas of expertise.
A wide variety of people participate in the Centre's training programmes - teachers, librarians, country park rangers, visitor attraction managers, managers, tour guides, ministers and priests, social workers, care staff, nurses, artists, writers, parents and grandparents.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is an approved member of Learning and Teaching Scotland’s national register of CPD providers.
Please contact Esther Blackburn at esther@scottishstorytellingcentre.com or +44 (0)131 652 3272 for more information on training and CPD options.
Storytelling Journey Certificate
This certificate of attendance can be obtained through participation in four events across two consecutive training and development programmes. Contact davide@scottishstorytellingcentre.com for more information and to arrange your personalised certificate.
Certificate request forms are available here.
Forthcoming Training and Development Events
Help! Funding applications and project proposal
Storyteller CPD | Skills
Fri 20 Jan | 1-4pm
Writing project proposals that are accepted and funding applications that get you the go-ahead is an art in itself. In this intensive half-day seminar, learn what funding bodies and project partners are looking for, and gain some tips on how to talk and write about your project in a way that convinces others. With input from Emma Turnbull, development officer at Creative Scotland, Nick Wong from the Creative Scotland helpdesk, Fiona Campbell of Voluntary Arts Scotland, and a chance to discuss your project ideas in a surgery with facilitator Ewan McVicar after the event.
£20/£16 Network Members
Beginning with Children 0-4 - Fully Booked
Beginner skills | Skills
Sat 21 Jan | 10.30am-1.30pm
Robbie Fotheringham shares hints and tips for getting started with storytelling for very young children (and their parents!). Discover some stories, rhymes and games that work well, and explore the skills you need as a storyteller to keep a young audience engaged. For anyone interested in using storytelling with 0-4 year olds.
£18/£15 Network Members
Learning to Collaborate
Storyteller CPD | Skills
Fri 27 Jan | 2-5pm
Be inspired to push the boundaries of storytelling and draw on your own rich skills and experiences to work effectively with others across artforms, to together create something new. Jean Edmiston offers practical hints, tips and approaches alongside case studies of her own cross-art collaborations with visual artists and physical performers. Aimed at storytellers and other artists with some experience.
£36/£32 Network Members
Starting with Stories 1 - Fully Booked
Beginner skills | Skills
Sat 28 Jan | 2-5pm
An introduction to storytelling and storytelling skills, led by Allison Galbraith. This participative session is for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling skills.
£18/£15 Network Members
Sensing Scotland's Stories - Storytelling for early years and children with additional support needs
Storytelling in practice | Learning
Sat 4 Feb | 10am-4pm
A day-long CPD workshop for teachers, classroom assistants, play workers, parents, carers and storytellers working with early years and children with additional support needs. Over the past year storyteller and puppeteer Ailie Finlay has developed her practice with children with profound and multiple learning disabilities. In this session, Ailie shares practical ideas for engaging children of every ability with their cultural right – Scotland's rich heritage of stories. Discover how props and multi-sensory stimuli can unlock traditional tales and encourage children to make a story their own.
£48/£44 Network Members
A Journey Through Fairytales
Themes | Traditions, communities & cultures
Mons 6-27 Feb, 5-8pm
Immerse yourself in the sometimes dark world of traditional fairytales, over a four-evening short course with storyteller and harpist Heather Yule. Explore the archetypes that have influenced narratives for centuries, the potential for retelling for today’s audiences, and respond creatively to the deeper meanings and symbolism these rich stories contain. This course is for storytellers, artists, writers, musicians, theatre practitioners and any one else who is interested in re-interpreting fairytales.
£50/£46 Network Members
Beginning with Children 5-7
Beginner skills | Skills
Sat 11 Feb, 10am-1pm
What are the skills and the stories you need to engage children aged 5-7 in oral storytelling? Judy Paterson offers a toolkit for telling to children and engaging them interactively, and some practical ideas, activities and resources for working with that age group. A beginners' level workshop, for anyone starting out.
£18/£15 Network Members
Starting with Stories 2
Beginner skills | Skills
Sat 25 Feb, 10am-4pm
Discover and develop your own storytelling skills and techniques. Look in more depth at how storytelling works and build your confidence and personal approaches. Designed for anyone who's attended Starting with Stories 1 and wants to go a step further. This participative workshop will be facilitated by storyteller Claire McNicol.
£32/£28 Network Members
Box office 0131 556 9579 |
