Peter the wild boy sewing day

We all enjoyed sewing the letters  and different things onto the leafs for peter the wild boy was a really good but a long day.  Clemma sewed stars in my chest onto a leaf thought it looked ok  showed Kay,Clemma today is going to finish it off .
Katie done some  sewing for the story of peter  the wild boy , Tim and Leah done some work on  material. Fiona done bit  of sewing and things on the leafs  for the  peter the wild boy its  to make a forest  scene  for the story. The leafs  are for the story. and they are going to sing a song as well in the performance.

SKILLS WORKSHOPS AND NEW PROJECT

We've been working hard, with Sarah wilson white as part of our management training

which is part of our project Funded by Arts Council England. We've looked at Marketing and promotion, tour booking, finance and tour delivery. I have looked up different theatres in different areas in a time task project for Sarah Wilson White. And as well I looked up all the emails and numbers for these theatres too. It's made me feel very good about myself knowing that I have achieved a task with and without help and I have really enjoyed doing the workshops with Sarah.

 The Peter the Wild Boy group have been doing prop making and rehearsing, making songs and singing, have been hunters in a scene of Peter the Wild Boy, trying out their lines. They've been  measured for their costumes wether they liked it or not, the list goes on and on and we are all working hard like a black bird singing in a tree. 

Our Artist Robin has been working like a busy like a Bee working in the Hives, Ants on a mission Kay and Fiona crafting away like little Beavers with scissors, Tim and myself Clemma have been working on emails  like busy Butterflies flying around in the sky. Tracey has been on the sewing machine- she's been busy like a fairy godmother. Leah has helped us all tremendously been working hard like the good mum she is, and we are all looking forward to taking our fantastic shows on tour. Emma and Jade have been working hard in the office been busy as mermaids swimming in the Ocean.😃😃

Blog Done By Clemma 

Fanny Fust workshop at Fosseway school

8/11/18
Openstorytellers went to Fosseway School where we did a workshop on 'The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Fanny Fust- A True 18th Century Adventure Story' about a Young Lady That got abducted  in the 18th Century.
We showed  the 6th form at fosse way school  we show Them some scene from the show we played and  showed them  Animation film of fanny Fust and with the scene from the play we used we  put pauses and stops in our scene from fanny Fust and asked them questions what they think they would do if they were in Fanny position

Storytelling at Critchill school by Bradley

 Last Thursday Me and Openstorytellers went to Critchill school, My old school.
 It was Me Katie and Robin and we told 'Uwunglema' and  ' Anansi and  the Tug of War'.
 It has  been a while  since  I left Critchill school. Storytelling at my old school has been something that I been wanting to do since I started storytelling for Openstorytellers. The children loved Both Stories we told.
 When I left school I didn't know what was my future was going to be back then- one of the good things that came out of my life when I left school was being an entertainer for the public. Storytelling at Openstorytellers, performing at gigs and on facebook as BMB (dj and rapping name) and DJing with my crew 'Bass beatz' DJ crew, and every once a month doing theme nights DJing at loops dicso for learning disabled people.
I can't remember how I felt about drama at school but if I get the chance now I would do it again!
My achievements I'm proud of are street dancing, Drama, storytelling, rapping and creating my own lyrics, DJing.
If it wasn't for me getting involved in performing arts and doing gigs with my different groups and poeple I would't know where I would be today. Stress that builds on me during the day wears off after putting on a good show.
The person I am today would never have dreamed half of this would happen when I was at Critchill school.
Creating lyrics is a better way to express myself and help release anger and problems I have had running through my head. Stories I tell solo and with Openstorytellers helps with every day life and relate to things I do. I would love to do this for the rest of my life!
I love performing and have been doing it all my adult life and Iv'e reached my goal by going back to my old school- something I have been wanting to do for a while.
I love performing- It's my dream job!

Return visit to foossewayschool for their world book day

On Thursday  7th march Openstory Tellers went to Fosseway School to do a storytelling and a workshop for their world bookday.
Me, Clemma, Tim and support from jade, went into the library to tell 20  children  and staff Silly Jack they all enjoyed the story,we   enjoyed getting invited back to Fosseway  hope we get invited back again next year.
We all got a bar of chocolate from the school for coming to tell stories and worshop also had  delicous lunch provided from the school cafe.
 I thanked staff at the cafe for providing openstorytellers with delicous lunch and nice to see Sarah and Emma who organized  it.
 Simon,  fiona,  Bradley,  Robin, and Leah  done an interactive  workshop with mixed age children in the afternoon, in the forest  with  music.Everybody enjoyed  themselves  and  had a successful day.


Thanks agin  for  inviting  us back to your school   bestwishes Katie at Openstorytellers.
4.4.2019

Looking at how to develop health websites to include people with learning disabilites by Katie

On Monday 11th march  2019  Me, Jade and Robin from Openstorytellers met our colleague Katy at Bath Spa Station  and had a long to journey to get to Bracknell.
Then we caught a taxi that took us to Bracknell Open Learning Centre to meet Mary Waight, Warren Oldreive, and Deborah Chinn who organized  the event.
Then we listened  to Warren  Mary and the sudents who attend self -advocacy group with LD in Berkshire with their presentation, then it was Openstorytellers  turn. I  mentored  Katy with training on how to do a presention on the easy read lefleat about our chairty , I felt  very confiedent  and enjoyed doing  the presentation in front of 24 people and listening to Robin's  presentation about his artist business. Then we summed up the moring with a  task- what dream we would like  to see on the  website?
We had a delious  spread of food!  Sandwishes crisps and  fruit, also drinks throughout the day and biscuits. In the aftenoon we split up into 3 groups to see how we could implement  the dream ideals , I said I would like to see home symbol and symbols for hearing  impairiments, visual impairments and  wheel chair accessible, then we left the venueto  start  our jouney home.
 We said thanks Mary for inviting us to  Bracknell Open Learning Centre to share  the presentations  with them , they gave us a box of chocolates to say well done, and have a safe journey home.
 I had a good trip to Bracknell. Thankyou Jade and Katy for taking us there.

Katie Branch28 .3.2019

Upcoming event the Bardic chair

Hi all  we are  hosting a Bardic chair competition  at the Hub nub on Thursday 6th December.
This year is going to be a smaller event for  open storytellers and family to come along to support .
 If  you are interesting in telling a  story please contact our office info@openstorytellers.org.uk so we know how many people  are telling . 

Best wishes
Katie

Performance of Fanny Fust at Glen side Hospital Musem

On Monday 15th October  we  performed  Fanny  Fust  at Glenside  Hospital Museum  in  front of the  Misfits  and  other people.
Everybody enjoyed the performance  and asked questions  about  Fanny Fust. There were  about  35 people  came  to watch us at the performance.
 People said " I quite enjoyed the  enthusiasm and optimism that the actors showed, it added to the atmosphere and made it fun. I liked the creativity around the props, especially the wagon wheels.! Joshua
" Really good, the actors were really into it and really could tell they had practised a lot.! Chris
" They  put  heart  and souls  into it and it was very informative!' Heather
"I like that they had done so much research and it was interesting that Fanny might actually  have had  Downs Syndrome.! Dave


We are looking forward to taking  Fanny  Fust  out on tour to various places. I have enjoyed doing Fanny Fust

project.

Katie Branch
 15.11.18

Fanny Fust Performance at The Merlin Theatre

Thank you for coming to see our performance in Frome Festival, we are still buzzing from our show at the Merlin theatre on Friday 13th July 2018.
We worked really hard on our performance, we were well rehearsed and gave the best show.
 The reaction of the audience was so powerful. Our confidence grew as the play went on. We were able to share what we learnt about 18th Century life. 
Our family and friends enjoyed the story of Fanny Fust and joined in with the song, they found it funny, touching also very moving.
we all couldn't do it without our helper's so thank you for their help.
we are hoping to take Fanny Fust on tour to reach different people in the audience.

We really feel like our theatre company is as professional as any other. This story has helped us to share our experiences of having a learning disability, which is something we live with and it makes us better storytellers. 88 people came to our performance and 70 people said we should take it on tour.

  

Trip to Taunton to get the cheque

On  the Tuesday  1st May 2018    Katie went to  Taunton  county council with Emma  and Jade  to receive a cheque  from William  Wallace, as we were one of his chosen charity.  We had a lovely surprise of how much  he raise  much more than we  expected . We also meet Carol James  who work as William"s PA  told her all about what we do the Open storytellers. William  Wallace  told us that the  new chair of Somerset County Council  is David Forthergill  and  that William would  recommend Openstorytellers to David to be his chosen charity!

By Katie  Branch

19 .7.2018

Fanny Fust's trip to Clarks museum in Street

 This is Robins visit to Clarks museum in Street Somerset, with his Fanny Fust to look at 18th century shoes, in the 1780 style which had strap-ons with low-heeled slippers which Fanny Fust would have worn in Bristol, when she was kidnapped by Henry Bowerman.

The shoe collection had a set of buckles which were made by the Clarks brothers when they were young men in the 1780s.
They were shoemakers in a old house in Street, Somerset who might have worked with the Bath and Wiltshire cloth makers. They made the clothing that Fanny Fust might have worn in those days. 

 

Heritage Lottery Fund Visit

Today we had a visit from Johnathan and Rebecca from Heritage Lottery Fund. They very kindly funded the Fanny Fust project.
They came to find out what we have been doing. Rob talked about his illustrations.  Brad and Sue talked about playing the characters Henry and Fanny.We showed them some of the show. The bit where the Plotters formed their dastardly plan and …..well, you will have to come and see our show and find out on Friday 13th July at the Merlin Theatre.

The Bishop's barn

The Bishop's Barn Wells

We've got a story to tell... are people all the same?

or are we different?

If you want to find out  more about the stories please come and see us

on the day

at the

Bishop's Barn Wells

Silver street Wells

the stories we are telling:

King of the goblins

and

Silly Jack

on

Monday 14th May

time of the show is

1:30-2:30pm

Open StoryTellers is coming to Frome Festival

 Open Story Tellers are going to perform the Fortunes and Misfortunes of Miss Fanny Fust at the Merlin Theatre in Frome on Friday 13th July 2018.
A Story that will make you think, and question, who has consent. Find out about the dastardly deeds of Henry Bowerman. 
Save the date in your diary, this not to be missed!

Mrs Ann Fust and Miss Fanny Fust

  Illustrated By Robin Meader

Tobacco Factory Bristol
We were the curtain raiser support act for Devils violin at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol.
and we had 125 people in audience which is loads biggest  audience we ever preformed for.
Ceridwen was the story we told    Tim "i was nervous,but excited about performing",
Bradley "I was surprised to see how many was there  as soon as I started I lost myself in the story
and forgot How big the audience was" Katie "I felt nervous before performing I was pleased and happy about the peformance after  telling the story."
Ceridwen is a story about a  sorcerer who has two children a daughter and son
Ceridwen's  son is called Avagddu   who  is disabled and left alone in the dark
Ceridwen gets sick and tried that the local village was taking the mick out of her son because he was different to everyone else so Ceridwen thought if I can't make Avagddu, better I make him wise so
Ceridwen goes off collect some items  to make a magic potion then Ceridwen steals a boy from the village to help make the potion that eventually went wrong. Throughout the rest of the story people forget and forgot about Avagddu, that's why we tell our stories, so we can be included and not forgotten or left alone in the dark or left alone without friends and family .
The audience thought we were amazing. We had a really good technician  who got the lights perfect for us. We like to see our audience when we performing so we know  they can see us .
The audience was moved and understood our message once we told our story I/ Bradley think some people started looking at us differently afterwards the way we want be respected and treated hopefully they can see a different picture and a  life story in people with learning disabilities and communication difficulties. We have a voice and story to tell to you all.
The End.

Telling Stories from around the world at Fosseway School

Thursday  8th  March  Storytelling  performance at Fosseway School.

We were  very pleased to be invited to go to Fosseway school  for their World Book Day .

Bradley  said ' I  managed to   tell the story of  Thor  at a slow  speed  so everyone  could hear me  using  actions  in the story  really helped. People thought it was  really funny, the pace was good I have improved and felt confident.'

  We met another storytellers called Stu Pacher,he wants to come and watch us doing storytelling .

Katie said ' It was lovely to get invited back to my old school. I enjoyed telling Anansi and the tug of the war  to the  young children, they were very interactive- it was a good experience, the teenagers were interested in the Thor  story.  Listening to Tim, Robin and Sue telling the story Stone Soup and the Snot Nose Boy were magical to the young children.'

Sue  said ' It was  challenging and experience .I enjoyed telling  the story Snot Nose Boy to  young children ,I was very nervous  telling the  story Stone Soup. It was  different working with  young children but I'm  looking forward to doing it again.'

By Katie Branch- 22-3-2018

National Storytelling Week

Clemma

Openstorytellers think stories are very important because they have a sparkle, and have character in them, and it makes us all very inspired. They are exciting to listen to, it changes our lives in the way we tell the stories, and it brings people from the outside inside to enjoy and listen to them all.

Robin 

There are people from all over the world with thousands of stories, storytelling goes back to prehistoric times. People used their voices and gestures- its powerful, it makes people have visions and understand the outside world, it makes friendships and brings people together.

Katie

The stories are important to us it reflects on our disabilities and gives us a sparkle, and gets us out of our shells.

Tracey

Stories are fun and exciting

Ruth

Stories are important because it makes people realise that we all have stories to tell, which makes us who we are.

Tim

Stories are important because everyone has a story to tell and that it gives your sparkle a chance to shine.