2019 Headline Storytellers are:


Liz Weir MBE

*

Hugh Lupton

*

Sef Townsend



*Camping and Campervan* *Friday/Saturday*

Including all Sessions

Adult - £65

Child aged 7 to 16 - £25

Children under 7 - FREE!


*Tickets*



Programme and More Information Coming Soon!

 


In the meantime, our past festivals have included:



 


The East Anglian Storytelling Festival 2018 at Jimmy’s Farm

Friday 15th June – Sunday 17th June


Friday evening


5pm Opening Ceremony – The Orchard

Local legend John Row and Artistic Director Justine de Mierre welcome you to the festival with  their trademark banter and maybe the odd tale, before the festival is officially opened by our patron Taffy Thomas MBE. See if you can spot any local celebrities and dignitaries!


5.30pm – 7.30pm 

A Smorgasbord of Family Tales! – The Hub

Justine de Mierre hosts two hours of short tales for all the family. Featuring: Taffy Thomas MBE, Baden Prince, Sarah Brady, Shane Ibbs and Sarah Walker. There will be a short interval.


7.30pm – 8.30pm – Dinner is served!

Vegan Bean Chilli with Flatbreads £9.95

Book with Jimmy’s Farm on 01473 604206 Option 1 if you’d like to eat!


8.30pm – 10.30pm 

A Smorgasbord of Adult Tales! - The Hub

Justine de Mierre hosts two hours of short tales strictly for the grown ups! (14+) Featuring: Hannah Brailsford, Mark Scott-Ison, Carl Merry, Gerry Donlon, Veronica Chambers, Suzanne Arnold


11pm – midnight - Fireside tales

Join us for tales around the campfire back at the campsite



Saturday daytime


10am – 12noon

Professional Development: Performance Skills - The Hub

Join Hannah Brailsford and Justine de Mierre to brush up on your performance skills to connect and engage audiences


10am – 12noon 

Make Believe Craft Sessions - The Marquee

Artist and Forest School Teacher Rose Croft will be running  story related activities including making fairy crowns, weaving God's eyes, hiding wishes in Wishing sticks, bracelet making and Pom Pom winding!


1pm – 3pm

 Family Tales Tag Team! – The Marquee

Eight of our finest storytellers tag teaming their way through the afternoon with tales to delight all ages! Featuring: John Row, Chris Richardson, Jan Williams, Andy Jennings, Eamonn Keenan, Peter Optical, Baden Prince and Justine de Mierre


Afternoon – Walkabout Storytellers

Around the Farm

Shane Ibbs and Paul Jackson will be marauding amongst the crowds bringing tales to every corner of the farm – catch them if you can!


1.30pm – 3.30pm

Adult Storytelling Performance: Rebel Queen – The Hub

After their successful tour of East Anglian, Liam Carroll and Su Squire bring us their stunning storytelling performance of the life of Boudica. Strictly over 14s only


4pm – 5pm Storyround – The Marquee

Gerry Donlon and Veronica Chambers of Bard Aloud host a storyround for your chance to tell your own tales!

 


Saturday Evening


5.30pm – 7.30pm

Tales for all the Family  – The Restaurant

Taffy Thomas MBE hosts two hours of tales for all the family from an all star line up of tellers. Featuring: Taffy Thomas MBE, John Row and Marion Leeper. There will be a short interval.


7.30pm – 8.30pm – Dinner is served!

Vegan Bean Chilli with Flatbreads £9.95

Book with Jimmy’s Farm on 01473 604206 Option 1 if you’d like to eat!


8.30pm – 10.30pm – After dark tales for Grown Ups – The Restaurant

Hannah Brailsford hosts two hours of tales strictly for the grown ups! (14+) Featuring: Hannah Brailsford, Dave Tonge, Paul Jackson, Glenys Newton.  There will be a short interval


11pm – midnight – Bawdy Fireside tales

Suki Silvertongue hosts a night of bawdy tales around the campfire!



Sunday


10am – 12noon

Professional Development: Stepping into Story – The Hub

Join Chair of the Society for Storytelling Paul Jackson for a workshop to take your storytelling to the next level


10am – 12noon

Make Believe Craft Sessions - The Marquee

Artist and Forest School Teacher Rose Croft will be running  story related activities including making fairy crowns, weaving God's eyes, hiding wishes in Wishing sticks, bracelet making and Pom Pom winding!


1pm – 3pm - Family Tales Tag Team! – The Marquee

Eight of our finest storytellers tag teaming their way through the afternoon with tales to delight all ages! Featuring: Taffy Thomas MBE, Rose Croft, Suzanne Arnold, Barrie de Lara, Mark Scott-Ison, Janina Vigurs, Carl Merry, Veronica Chambers


Afternoon – Walkabout Storytellers – Around the Farm

John Row and Justine de Mierre will be marauding amongst the crowds bringing tales to every corner of the farm – catch them if you can!


1.30pm – 3.30pm - Adult Storytelling Performance: A trio of tellers – The Hub

Join Giles Abbott, Cath Edwards and Eamon Keenan for a collection of longer tales strictly for adults (14+)


4pm – 5pm Storyround – The Marquee

Sarah Walker and Barrie de Lara host a storyround for your chance to tell your own tales!


6pm – 8pm – Ten by ten closing tales – The Restaurant

Artistic Director Justine de Mierre hosts the closing session of the festival with ten tellers telling ten minute tales. There will be a short interval where food will be served, Vegan Bean Chilli with Flatbreads £9.95

Book with Jimmy’s Farm on 01473 604206 Option 1 if you’d like to eat!

Featuring: John Row, Justine de Mierre, Su Squire, Glenys Newton, Giles Abbott, Suzanne Arnold, Dave Tonge, Cathryn Fairlee , Paul Jackson and Gerry Donlon



The End!!

 

Please note: Unfortunately Liz Weir has had to withdraw from the festival due to illness, we wish her a speedy recovery! 


All sessions are Pay What You Feel, and if you'd like to do that in advance for 2018, please 



Here's what happened in 2017!


Friday 30th June


5pm - 6pm Opening Ceremony
 A celebration to get the festival off to a magical start!
with Suzanne Arnold, Su Squire and Justine de Mierre


7pm - 9.40pm 
Indoor Storytelling Smorgasbord! 
Pub Function Room
Like your stories in the cosy atmosphere of the Locks marvellous function room?  Then join storytelling host Justine de Mierre for a wild variety of tales from Sarah Spins Stories, Simon Heywood, Baden Prince, Veronica Chambers & Liam Carroll


7.20pm - 10pm 
       Outdoor Storytelling Smorgasbord! 
Garden Marquee 
Fancy some tales under canvas in the cool night air?  Then join storytelling host Marion Leeper for a whole  heap of stories from Bards Aloud, John Row, Andy Jennings, Shane Ibbs & Jan William



7.30pm - 9.30pm
Mardling
Restaurant
Would you like your stories a little more up close and personal?  Then head to the restaurant where storytellers from our main sessions will be dropping in to tell tales at your table on request


10pm - 11pm Campfire Storyround
Come and share your tales with us round the fire at this hosted storyround for night owls...
Hosted by Shane Ibbs


Saturday 1st July


10am - 12pm  Professional Development Workshop 
Pub function room - A professional development session led by renowned storytellers 
John Row and Hugh Lupton

12pm - 2pm  Mardling 
Restaurant - some of our finest storytellers available to tell tales at your table on request 
With Marion Leeper, Shonaleigh Cumbers, John Row and Veronica Chambers 

1pm - 2pm Ferry Tales!
Big Dog Ferry (starts Beccles)
Tales as you travel to the festival!  Delightful stories of wonder to complement your trip along the river
with Gerry Donlon and Suzanne Arnold

2pm - 5pm Afternoon Storytelling Performance
Pub function room - Three renowned storytellers tell longer form stories for over 14s only.
Taffy Thomas MBE (MC), Paul Jackson and Shonaleigh Cumbers



2pm - 3.30pm Family Storytelling Session
 Garden Marquee
A tag team of four accomplished tellers with tales to delight young, old and even middling!
Hugh Lupton, Justine de Mierre, Tilly the Talespinner and Peter Optical


3.30pm - 5pm Story Round
Garden Marquee 
Come and share your tales with us!
Hosted by Bards Aloud

7pm - 10pm Evening Storytelling Performance

Pub function room

Longer form stories from renowned tellers for over 14s only

Hosted by Carl Merry

Featuring Cath Edwards, Glenys Newton

and Hugh Lupton




7pm - 10pm Bawdy Tales

Garden Marquee

Tales of a delightfully adult nature with the odd smattering of risque story-poetry.  (Over 14s)

Suki SilverTongue (MC), Suzanne Arnold, Mark Scott-Ison & Shonaleigh Cumbers



10pm - 11pm Campfire Storyround
Come and share your tales around the warming glow of the fire...
Hosted by Paul Jackson



Sunday 2nd July


10am - 12pm Professional Development Workshop
Pub Function Room - A professional development workshop led by renowned storytellers 
Taffy Thomas MBE and Shonaleigh Cumbers


12pm - 2pm  Mardling
Restaurant - some of our finest storytellers available to tell tales at your table on request
With Cath Edwards, Simon Heywood, Carl Merry and Shonaleigh Cumbers




12.30pm - 2pm Storyround
Garden Marquee 
Come and share your tales with us! 
Hosted by Sarah Walker

1pm - 2pm Ferry Tales!
Big Dog Ferry (starts Beccles)
Tales as you travel to the festival!  Delightful stories of wonder to complement your trip along the river
with Su Squire and Justine de Mierre


2pm - 3.30pm Family Storytelling Session
 Garden Marquee
A tag team of four accomplished tellers with tales to delight young, old and even middling!
Suzanne the Storyweaver, Janina Vigurs, John Row and Taffy Thomas MBE

3.30pm - 5.30pm Live Music
Pub function room
Live music from the region's finest folk rock band Murphy's Lore


5.30pm - 6.30pm Closing Ceremony and Stories
Any storytellers left standing will tell quick fire tales to bring the festival to a close 
(though we suspect there may be some unofficial revelry thereafter!)


All sessions were offered on a 'Pay What You Feel' basis of suggested donations.  These were either paid in advance to the virtual hat or on the door.

There was also an actual hat doing the rounds over the course of the weekend should anyone feel the desire to contribute a little extra to this fantastic event which was  being run on a shoestring budget and much good will and volunteer hours from many of the storytellers themselves.