The 12th Annual National Storytelling Week

Sat 28th Jan - Sat 4th Feb

The History of National Storytelling Week

The Society for Storytelling was set up to promote the oldest art form in the world. Storytelling is at the root of every art form: we think in story form, make sense of our world in narrative – from something we’ve seen, through last night’s television, to what family and folk stories we remember and retell.  Performance storytelling can be a powerful experience, both entertaining and moving. Story is also the traditional medium of communication from generation to generation, a tool for education and therapy.

National Storytelling Week was conceived in the year 2000 to increase public awareness of the art, practice and value of oral storytelling. It is held during the first week of February every year.

This week was chosen because it is not too close to Christmas and coincides with Candlemas, which falls on the 2nd of February. Part of the rituals for this old church festival includes a blessing on the throat, a prime tool in the store of nearly all storytellers of every belief and culture.

The first publicity for National Storytelling Week is issued to national and local media in the late summer and early autumn of the preceding year. This allows you greater time to prepare your ideas for events.

The Society for Storytelling provides advice on organising and publicising events, possible sources for funding information. We publish the Directory of Storytellers, which provides detailed information on over 150 storytellers throughout the UK. Plus we have a link page on our website to publicise events, promote networking and encourage the sharing of information and ideas.

The National Storytelling Week Pack contains information on promoting storytelling events, storytelling in schools, libraries museums and art galleries. For a copy, please use our contact form.

Fill out the National Storytelling Week 2012 enquriy form for more information

Resources you may find useful if you want to take part in National Storytelling Week 2012