Sharing Story - the secrets of a master storyteller

This week I encountered master story teller, Ben Haggarty from the CrickCack club, at the National Gallery, London. On a rainy afternoon, a group of kids and adults sat attentively listening to Ben weaving worlds together round the paintings. It was absolute pleasure to be in the hands of this craftsman and inspired me to appreciate the riches of the gallery as a house full of stories.

Following the telling of three wonderful tales, Ben shared some secrets about story that are relevant to BiDiNG TiME and anyone who is engaging with the text and source material.

 a): the story is not the words and b) stories, adapt, change, migrate, translocate, gain things, loose things - you can pretty much say whatever you want with a story if you know how to work well with it.

There are some perimeters for the story of Thyme and we hope our partners take on the wider aims of the project to play, innovate, act green, encourage and engage.

I am personally curious about how old stories connect to the natural environment and use nature to reflect the moods and fortunes of the characters in the tales. This is especially true of many ancient indigenous stories and also found in Shakespeare. Sadly old stories are mostly about wealth, privilege and patriarchy, where women get relegated to a supporting role. Perhaps this is why we need to find and tell new stories.

With an inquiring mind and a will to tell a good story, there are many avenues and paths to explore. Thanks Ben.