Storyknowing Symposium by Clemma Fleat

Nicola and I went to York to a conference about storytelling with young people, organised by ICAN the International Centre for Arts and Narrative at the Theatre Royal.

(http://store.yorksj.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&catid=6&prodid=402).

We got there Friday late afternoon in time for a really nice hot dinner which we needed after our 5 hour journey. The first person we saw there was our dear friend and ex trustee Rona Barbour!

After dinner Jo Blake told a story about a husband who didn’t like listening to stories and how he changed his mind.  Then there were some performances by young people. The first one was a girl telling a personal story about her own life and her best friend. She used simple t shirts and vests to show changes in the story.  She used a blackboard with a chalk map of the main places in her story and she wrote on it as she told the story.  And she turned this story into a fairytale because the friend changed into a bird.  And there was an African story told by Cath Heinemeyer with some Indian dancers.And another group of young people did a play about refugees. 

On Saturday we had a fantastic breakfast in Betty’s Tea Rooms

(www.bettys.co.uk)  which has been in York for a hundred years.  

We heard about the work of ICAN. Then we went to a workshop given by some students on a theatre and storytelling course at Warwick University.

They came from China, Taiwan, Portugal and England.  They used gestures and sounds from Chinese opera. They all wore black. They used a mixture of  mime and narration, and we learnt a lot.

We ran a workshop on Multisensory Storytelling in the afternoon, and we think it went very well. 

Thanks to all the lovely people who took part and to Cath Heinemeyer from ICAN for inviting us and making it possible for us to go.  

STORY-KNOWING SYMPOSIUM CONFERENCE

Tomorrow I am going to the story-knowing symposium in 
York with Nicola Grove.


My name is Clemma Fleat, I am doing a workshop with Nicola Grove. It's a conference about inclusive storytelling for people with learning disabilities, Nicola has asked me along because I have an experience as a storyteller and also do creative writing and I am a professional Administrator and a poet that likes writing poems. I have been with Openstorytellers in Frome for 6 years now and still really enjoy everything I do. I have made lots of friends too.
And I'm going to take a poem with me and talk about myself a bit, I am so looking forward to this and so excited also because this is a great Opportunity for me and I'm looking forward to seeing other people's work also.

Autumn 
it is now
and the leaves
swirling from the tree
onto the ground
leaves
changing colour
silhouetting slowly
through the 
gardens and peoples                                                               
pathways
leaves blowing 
everywhere
as Autumn                          
is here. 


                                            

Cuts to benefits

There has been a lot in the news recently about Government cuts to benefits. Recently  I wrote to the Frome times about how I feel about the cuts.
Since  writing this letter Ian Duncan Smith has resigned with a letter that showed his disgust at the state of the government.
He has been replaced by Stephen  Crabb. 
Its good news that the government have done a complete u turn on disability cuts.
I felt angry but now I'm relieved.
The cuts shouldn't have been coming from disabled people.
I have emailed Stephen Crabb to ask him to be a champion for people with a learning disability.
We hope we never have these cuts again.
He needs to listen to the voice of people with a leaning disability .    by Tim