News Post - Traditional Music Forum

There’s just one week to go before the world’s largest celebration of storytelling begins…

The 36^th Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s packed programme of over 120 events, taking place in Edinburgh and across Scotland, kicks off next Wednesday 22 October, thanks to support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland.

Over the 11 days of the festival, some of the North’s most celebrated storytellers will join leading voices from Scotland, to bring a feast of traditional storytelling to Edinburgh and to venues all across the country.

‘Lights of the North’ is this year’s chosen theme, and one of the main highlights will be hearing guest storytellers from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany, sharing their nation’s favourite folk tales.

storyteller Suse Weisse holding hands up whilst storytelling — Storyteller Suse Weisse

These folk tale events will kick off on Friday 24 October at 4pm with Norwegian storytellers Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen and Georgiana Keable Jerstad sharing tales of trolls, hens, and strange husbands; followed by Jerker Fahlström sharing tales from the forests of Sweden (Tue 28 Oct) and Hjörleifur Stefánsson sharing stories of the ‘Huldufolk’ who are said to live in harmony, hidden in the highlands in Iceland …most of the time (Wed 29 Oct).

Other international guest performers include Anna Maria Toivonen from Finland who will join Claire Hewitt to share the tale of The Swan Woman, and Suse Weisse who will share gruesome German fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Storyteller Jerker Fahlström

Some of these international performers will also take part in this year’s workshop programme, including Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen who will delve into the rich tradition of the Norse ‘skalds’ (bards) and their storytelling techniques; and Jerker Fahlström who will look at characterisation and how to tease out a story from written text. In addition, there will be practical workshops on using BSL in storytelling and how facial expression and movement can help bring a story to life; tech and storytelling discussing how best to present storytellers on the stage; what music can add to stories; and the ethical considerations behind using recordings and archive material.

Plus, Boglárka Klitsie-Szabad of the Hungarian Heritage House explores the rich repertoire of one of Hungary’s last traditional Roma storytellers Vilmos Csipkés; and Anna Lehr discusses classic fairy tales particularly those of the Brothers Grimm.

storyteller Anna Lehr in an open pose — Storyteller Anna Lehr

Other unmissable highlights include:

Land of Many Waters inspired by Scotland’s rivers and waters and the stories they carry in their fragile eco-system performed by storyteller Eileen Budd and singer songwriter David McAlmont, who came to prominence in the 1990s with his hit single YES. Sound provided by Debbie Armour.
Storyteller and musician Mark Borthwick’s retelling of The War of the Birds, a Russian story, collected by Arthur Ransome. This event looks at how our stories-of-self are world-making, with Ransome’s forced migration from Russia used as a touchstone to explore other migration stories from the 20th Century.
Against the Current, the forgotten tale of St Enoch told through the journeys of four women making their lives in Glasgow with Sarah Wedderburn-Ogilvy, Isobel O’Donovan, Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett.
A retelling of He Sits on the Rock of Joy with storyteller Linda Perttula and singer songwriter Aino Elina, who combine their own teenage memories, with ancient poetry and ethereal vocals in the search for a connection to this Finnish epic.
The Selkie story, told through exploring its parallels with Deaf history in Lost to the Sea, Lost to the World with Tania Allan and Craig McCulloch. Performed in British Sign Language and spoken English.
A retelling of The King and The Lamp, a tale by the late Duncan Williamson passed onto, and performed by, storyteller and musician Marion Kenny.

In addition, there will be a programme of free storytelling events taking place at the National Museum of Scotland, and children’s events and workshops that will run throughout the October school break. These include sensory stories with Ailie Finlay in Tales of Cold Forests and Cosy Bears; percussive dancing from Tokyo-born stepdancer Kae Sakurai in BLOOM; a family ceilidh with the Minnow Ceilidh Band; songs and stories about dragons with Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Gaynor Barradell; and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day.

Percussive Step Dancer Kae Sakurai in front of a hill horizon — Percussive Step Dancer Kae Sakurai

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:
“The fantastic programme for this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival features something for everyone and brings together stars of Scotland’s storytelling scene with our north Atlantic neighbours to give light to dark winter nights through mystical stories and songs.

“The festival received £200,000 this year from our EXPO fund as part of a record increase in culture funding from the Scottish Government. We are proud to support this celebration of Scotland’s storytelling heritage and its important place on the world stage.”

Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said:
“I’m very inspired by the chemistry of this year’s programme. Northern stories come from the forests, mountains and oceans, while drawing on an eerie imagination, surreal humour and hidden connections between human and natural spirits. Inner and outer journeys collide with unexpected magic. And Scotland is a hub and a crucible of this unique northern brew!”

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival takes place from Wednesday 22 October to Saturday 1 November. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass (£24) offers discounted tickets to many festival events, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop, and Haggis Box Café.

There will also be BSL interpretation available for Deaf audiences at selected events.

To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk

Why?

Join us in Perth on 14 November for the third Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland conference. With the UK Government ratifying the 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2024, and the national ICH inventorying process starting soon, this year’s conference will focus on how we move forward with ICH across Scotland.

What to expect

The conference will feature inspiring talks from practitioners sharing their journeys, alongside organisations highlighting how they support and promote ICH in Scotland.

Not sure what Intangible Cultural Heritage is all about? Look at our website and learn about Living Heritage and TRACS’s work here.

Who should join?

This event is for anyone interested in ICH, also known as Living Heritage, including practitioners, artists, makers, researchers, and crafts people, and people working for local authorities, public bodies, museums, and culture or heritage groups and organisations.

The conference is organised by the ICH Scotland Partnership – Museums Galleries Scotland, Creative Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland). For the full programme, information on access, bursary support and registration follow the link below.

Register Now!

Today (10th September) with support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 36th festival programme.

Lights of the North – L/R Associate Director Daniel Abercrombie, Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival Donald Smith, storyteller Jan Bee Brown and storyteller and musician Marion Kenny at Newhaven Lighthouse in Edinburgh. Photo credit Neil Hanna

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (22 October to 1 November 2025) organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling.

This year’s theme ‘Lights of the North’ explores Scotland’s northern identity through sharing tales from the world’s northern arc, which bridges Finland to Iceland and connects Germany to Norway, with Scotland in between.

Over the 11 days of the festival, some of the North’s most celebrated storytellers will join leading voices from Scotland to bring a feast of traditional storytelling to Edinburgh and to venues across Scotland.

International guest storytellers including Anna-Maria Toivonen from Finland; Georgiana Keable Jerstad and Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen from Norway; Hjörleifur Stefánsson from Iceland; Jerker Fahlström from Sweden; and Suse Weisse from Germany; will share tales of Vikings, Huldufólk (or the hidden people from Iceland), trolls, the dark northern winters and some of their favourite traditional folktales.

Joining them, will be some of Scotland’s most celebrated storytellers, who will present new work themed on the ‘Lights of the North’, and their own twist on some classic tales including:

Of Stars, Bears and the Beginning of Time (Wed 22 Oct) presented by storyteller Riikka Palonen and accompanied by folk musician Richard Clarke. Riikka will take audiences on a mythical journey through the celestial origin stories of the Fenno-Baltic tradition.
The People of the Sea (Thu 23 Oct) inspired by David Thomson’s remarkable work about selkie myths and coastal voices told by Ruth Kirkpatrick and Colin Urwin.
Selkie: Past, Present, Future (Fri 24 Oct) with Niall Moorjani and Ailsa Dixon who explore what it is to be human through three queered and reimagined selkies set in the past, present and future.
Land of Many Waters (Sat 25 Oct) with Eileen Budd, David McAlmont and Debbie Armour who present stories inspired by Scottish rivers and waters, the stories they carry and their fragile eco-system.
He Sits on the Rock of Joy (Sun 26 Oct) with storyteller Linda Perttula and singer-songwriter Aino Elina who combine their own teenage memories, with ancient poetry and ethereal vocals in the search for a connection to this Finnish epic.
Da Winters O Shetland (Sun 26 Oct) with storyteller and comedian Marjolein Robertson, who takes us on a story arc across the dark night of a Shetland winter.
Gullrun’s Saga: A Viking Story (Thu 30 Oct) with storyteller Svend-Erik Engh and Scottish musician Neil Sutcliffe who present an original story inspired by the Icelandic sagas.

Classic tales with a twist include:

Claire Hewitt presenting the magical tale of The Swan Woman with Anna-Maria Toivonen.
Mark Borthwick retelling the tale of The War of the Birds.
Sarah Wedderburn-Ogilvy, Isobel O’Donovan, Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Trinidad Cabezón Droguett reimagining the forgotten tale of St Enoch through the journey of four women making their lives in Glasgow
Monica Madas and Erin Farley using puppetry and song to tell the epic tale of Triduana and her journey to take Saint Andrew’s bones to Scotland.
Tania Allan and Craig McCulloch’s take on traditional Selkie myths and the parallels between the silence and captivity found in deafness.

The festival is also packed with rich tales and songs from Scotland’s Travelling Community that have been passed down through generations. With Jess Smith and Jimmy Williamson sharing well known tales, and Marion Kenny paying homage to Duncan Williamson with a retelling of The King and The Lamp. This year’s Alan Bruford lecture will also discuss ‘Nackens’ (Scottish Gypsy Travellers) and how their folklore gives us unique insights into Scotland’s history and placenames. This will be led by author Dr Robert Fell who will be joined by Shamus McPhee to recount a tale about Balquhidder and how it got its name. Plus, piper Gary West, author of the Martyn Bennett biography Brave New Music, hosts a live event celebrating the Traveller ballads and stories which influenced the late musician’s work.

As we edge closer to Halloween, and the Samhuinn Fire Festival in Holyrood Park, the festival embraces the dark side of storytelling with Daniel Serridge and Heather Cartwright sharing stories and songs about the unnerving and haunted corpse roads in Cumbria, where the dead passed through on the way to their graves; Anna Lehr presents Dazwischen – a tale about death, birth and what lies between; Chair of the Scottish Storytelling Forum, and celebrant, Beverley Bryant leads a workshop on Mortality and Making and how we craft conversations about death whilst participants weave willow and make decorations for coffins; and Suse Weisse in association with Goethe-Institut, shares some of the Brother Grimm’s fairy tales and tales fit for The Bewitching Season on Hallow’s Eve.

For younger audiences and families there’s a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 11 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme (22 Oct to 1 Nov). Family highlights include sensory storytelling fun with Fibi Cowley in A Dispute with a Butterfly told through puppetry; and sensory stories with Ailie Finlay in Tales of Cold Forests and Cosy Bears. There’s also percussive dancing from Tokyo-born stepdancer Kae Sakurai in BLOOM; a family ceilidh with the Minnow Ceilidh Band; songs and stories about dragons with Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown and Gaynor Barradell; and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day and Macastory’s School for Skalds.

Plus, Allison Galbraith delights audiences with folk tales about our Scottish waters and will announce the winners of this year’s Words of the Wild nature writing competition run in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Also, new for 2025, three emerging storytellers present their own work themed around shame, consent and survival, in association with FEST (Federation of European Storytelling).

This year’s workshop programme is packed with tips on telling stories including a look at using BSL in storytelling and how facial expression and movement can help bring a story to life; tech and storytelling with the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s very own inhouse expert Roddy Simpson discussing how best to present storytellers on the stage; what music can add to stories; and the ethical considerations behind using recordings and archive material. Plus, Boglárka Klitsie-Szabad of the Hungarian Heritage House explores the rich repertoire of one of Hungary’s last traditional Roma storytellers Vilmos Csipkés; and Anna Lehr discusses classic fairy tales particularly those of the Brothers Grimm.

Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth gatherings of storytellers and musicians across four evenings in the Storytelling Centre’s Netherbow Theatre.

Go Local returns this year, with new voices from East Lothian and Shetland joining storytellers from all over Scotland throughout October and November to celebrate Scottish storytelling. From the Western Isles, to Dumfries and Galloway there will be over 60 Go Local events in this year’s programme, plus the international storytellers invited to participate in this year’s festival, will also perform in Glasgow, Kenmore, Aberfeldy and Dundee; and as guests at storytelling festivals in Orkney, Aberdeen and Dumfries and Galloway.

Finally, this year’s festival exhibition Stories Drawn from the Land, hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will feature ink illustrations and ceramics by Hester Aspland, whose work is rooted in the realms of folklore, wild places, landscape and history. Hester is also the illustrator of this year’s festival programme.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:

“The fantastic programme for this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival features something for everyone and brings together stars of Scotland’s storytelling scene with our north Atlantic neighbours to give light to dark winter nights through mystical stories and songs.

“The festival received £200,000 this year from our EXPO fund as part of a record increase in culture funding from the Scottish Government. We are proud to support this celebration of Scotland’s storytelling heritage and its important place on the world stage.”

Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said:

“I’m very inspired by the chemistry of this year’s programme. Northern stories come from the forests, mountains and oceans, while drawing on an eerie imagination, surreal humour and hidden connections between human and natural spirits. Inner and outer journeys collide with unexpected magic. And Scotland is a hub and a crucible of this unique northern brew!”

Performing at today’s launch, with musician Richard Clarke, storyteller Riikka Palonen said:

“This festival is a very special and exciting time for me – as a relatively recent arrival on these shores, I feel honoured to be able to present the stories from my home land, here in the land of my new home.

The stories I will be telling are rooted in the celestial origins of our northern mythology – tales born of the stars – and just as the starlight brings its glow to the darkening nights, I hope my tales can also cast a little light and wonder, if even for a short while.”

There will also be BSL interpretation available for D/deaf audiences at selected events.

To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk

Book Tickets View the Programme Get your Festival Pass

Sat 8 Nov | 10.30am-4.15pm
Inverness Creative Academy (WASPS)

Trad Talk is the Traditional Music Forum of Scotland‘s (TMFS) flagship annual gathering, bringing together performers, educators, promoters, and enthusiasts from across the traditional music community.

This event creates space for meaningful dialogue on issues facing our sector. This year’s theme is Innovation. We will explore the balance between respecting traditions while embracing new approaches that ensure traditional music and song remain relevant and vibrant for future generations.

Join us to connect with peers, share insights, and celebrate Scotland’s traditional music scene. The day will include the AGM of the TMFS. Complimentary lunch is provided as well as a short performance from the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail.

This event is free but ticketed.
(Tickets available to book here)

Information on Inverness Creative Academy can be found here. If you have specific access needs or dietary requirements, please contact [email protected].

———-

Schedule

10.30am – Registration and tea/coffee

11.00am – Keynote Talk
Speaker Kresanna Aigner of Findhorn Bay Arts
With Q&A

11.35am – Equalities, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access in Traditional Music
Short presentation by Creative Scotland and Culture Services

11.55am – Comfort Break

12.00pm – Panel: Community and Tradition Bearers
Calum Alex Macmillan, Amy Lord, Frances Wilkins
Moderator: Laura Harrington

12.45pm – Lunch

1.15pm – Performance
Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail

1.45pm – Traditional Music Forum of Scotland AGM

2.15pm – Panel: Learning & Teaching
Sharon Hassan, Linda Campbell, Rachael Duff
Moderator: Jo Miller

3.00pm – Comfort Break

3.05pm – Panel: Industry and Profession
Emma Wright, Rachel Walker, Simon Thoumire
Moderator: Brian Ó hEadhra

3.40pm – Reflections and Closing Remarks

4.15pm – End

Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail

Trad Talk is supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.

Tha Fòram Sgeulachdan na h-Alba air dàrna sreath den phod-craoladh Gàidhlig, Sgeul is Seanchas, a chur air bhog

The Scottish Storytelling Fourm release a second series of the Gaelic storytelling podcast, Sgeul is Seanchas

Tha Fòram Sgeulachdan na h-Alba, ann an co-bhonn le TRACS, toilichte cur air bhog an dàrna sreath den phod-craoladh le sgeulachdan aithris ann an Gàidhlig, Sgeul is Seanchas.

The Scottish Storytelling Forum, in collaboration with TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is pleased to announce the release of the second series of the Gaelic storytelling podcast, Sgeul is Seanchas.

San dàrna sreath den phod-craoladh, cluinnidh sibh sgeulachdan traidiseanta, eachdraidheil is èibhinn anns a’ Ghàidhlig air an innse le seachdnar sgeulaichean à Alba agus thall thairis.

The second series of the podcast features seven different storytellers from Scotland and further afield who share some of their favourite traditional, historical and funny stories in Gaelic.

Nam measg, cluinnidh sibh sgeulachdan os-nàdarrach à Uibhist a Tuath air an innse le Linda NicLeòid, sgeulachdan nan gaisgeach air an innse le Dùghall Mac a’ Phì à Barraigh agus Ceap Breatainn is cuideachd còmhradh mu dheidhinn sgeulachdan sa Ghàidhlig còmhla ri Essie Stiùbhart à Cataibh.

The episodes include supernatural stories from North Uist told by Linda MacLeod, heroic tales of Finn MacCool and the Fianna told by Dugald MacPhee of Barra and Cape Breton and a discussion about the Gaelic storytelling tradition with Essie Stewart of Sutherland.

Taing mhòr do Mhaoin nan Ealan Gàidhlig airson an taic gus an dàrna sreath den phod-craoladh seo a chur air dòigh.

With thanks to Maoin nan Ealan Gàidhlig for the funding for the second series of the Sgeul is Seanchas podcast.

Cluinnear na h-eapasodan tro làrach-lìn Fòram Sgeulachdan na h-Alba is cuideachd tro Libsyn is làraichean eile aig na ceanglaichean a leanas:

The episodes are available to listen to now on the Scottish Storytelling Forum’s website and through your favourite podcast platforms via the following links:

https://www.storytellingforum.co.uk/podcast-pod-craoladh/

https://sgeulisseanchas.libsyn.com/

Linda MacLeod/Linda NicLeòid

Dugald MacPhee/Dùghall Mac a’ Phì

Essie Stewart/Essie Stiùbhart

With thanks to Maoin nan Ealan Gàidhlig / le taing do Mhaoin nan Ealan Gàidhlig

The Scottish Storytelling Forum are looking to appoint an individual with passion and enthusiasm for Storytelling in Scotland who has excellent administrative and co ordination skills.

Freelance contract

3 days per month

£540 per month

Duties to include but not limited to:

Answering enquiries and meeting with new and prospective apprentices
Co-ordination of Apprentice Days and events
Maintenance of Apprentice Database
Admin and Moderation of ‘Stories on the Way’ Facebook group
Attendance at SSF Board Meetings when presenting apprentices for addition to Directory
Development of Apprentice Programme – in collaboration with Development Officer and SSF Board
Reporting

Person Spec and Job Description

To apply, please submit your CV along with a covering letter (max. one page) detailing your relevant experience and why you are interested in this role. Applications should be sent to [email protected]

Deadline: Midnight, 31 August 2025

My Kind of Book, in partnership with the Scottish Storytelling Forum and supported by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, are offering a paid training and mentorship opportunity in Sensory Storytelling with leading practitioner in the field, Ailie Finlay.

Sensory storytelling is the art of combining props, sensory stimuli and words to create a beautiful story ‘package’. Sensory stories are used with people with additional needs for fun and relaxation, to encourage communication and to promote understanding. This project is for you if you would like to understand why sensory storytelling is so important, learn some sensory story skills and make your storytelling practice more inclusive – particularly of people with severe or profound additional needs.

As part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival: Lights of the North, an inclusive sensory storytelling event will take place at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 25th October. In the lead-up to the event, you’ll have the opportunity to work with Ailie, receiving training and mentorship, before taking part in delivering the sensory storytelling experience on the day.

What’s included in this opportunity:

3 x training and mentoring sessions with Ailie Finlay
1 x co-delivery of a sensory storytelling session at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
Fee and expenses (to be paid to mentee): £270

To apply, please submit your Storytelling CV along with a brief statement (max. 500 words) confirming that you are available on the 25^th October and explaining how this opportunity would support your creative practice and how you envision incorporating it into your future work to, [email protected]

Deadline: Wednesday 20^th August 12 noon

Applicants will be notified as soon as possible after Monday 25^th August

New show, Deiseil: Dancing in Time, from musician Amy Geddes and dancer Alison Carlyle is a powerful exploration of stepdance and Scotland’s percussive dance tradition.

Although stepdance has been gradually reintegrating back into Scottish culture over the last 30 years, it’s still a bit of a mystery to many. Someone might jump up for a few steps at a session, or appear on stage for a set or two… but what is this dance? Where did it come from, and why did it go?

The show is a piece of theatre which explores these questions using a collage of fiddle, feet, Gaelic song and spoken word. Presented in the round to evoke the atmosphere of an old-style ceilidh house, it takes you inside the unique relationship between dancer and musician in a journey through centuries of living tradition. Deiseil (pronounced like jay-shal) is Gaelic for ready but also has an older meaning of sunwise or clockwise, and the show reflects on how history echoes into the present, and what goes around comes around again.

Alison and Amy have created the show with renowned theatre director Gerry Mulgrew, as well as musicians who have contributed audio recordings which blend seamlessly with the live music and dance. The relationship between the rhythms of stepdance and the cadence of Gaelic language, poetry and song shines through in puirt a beul (or mouth music) from Mary Ann Kennedy and Allan MacDonald. The sound of the feet is the focus for an immersive performance, sometimes joyful, sometimes deeply moving, which draws you in to this thought-provoking part of our heritage.

You can catch the show during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at theSpace @ Venue 45, 8th – 16th August (not 10th), 5.10pm with touring throughout Scotland being planned for next year.

Tickets: www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/deiseil-dancing-in-time

About Ivor

Born in 1923, Ivor Cutler was a unique man from Govan and famed for songs/lyrics such as Women of the World and I Believe in Bugs. A poet, humourist, environmentalist, musician, teacher, singer/songwriter and artist, his humble humanity urges us to care about each other and Scotland’s natural environment. He invites special relationships with quirky animals and brings unexpected perspective to everyday situations and achieving a long lasting cult following.

Why do I connect with Ivor?

I’m really attracted by the nature of ‘profound playfulness’ at the core of Ivor’s songs and poems. I think we all need to reconnect with our inner child in this way and in a way playfulness is the same as creativity – its all about trying things out. I think Cutler’s charm also reveals a kind of humble stoicism that resonates loudly with themes of resilience, sustainability and wellbeing.

Growing up he was my first introduction to ‘traditional’ Scottish music. And one of my favourite songs of his is the very first single I properly released – I Worn My Elbows. I also sang I Worn My Elbows song for the final of the Young Traditional Musician of the Year alongside a term I coined (and hope catches on)…’elbowography’.

About the show: Ivory Cutlery

It is a 50-minute visual, musical storytelling performance, inspired by iconic Scottish artist Ivor Cutler. I’ll be performing in the mediums of singing, BSL signed song, movement, physical theatre, contemporary dance and Scottish step dance.

It’s a show for family and adult audiences, tempting adults to reconnect with their uninhibited wilder childhood imaginations. A Scottish celebration of being playfully present through the beauty of the mundane, it reflects Cutler’s art and brings contemporary spirit, tone and essence to support the sharing of his ‘traditional’ songs.

The Artist Process

Whilst missing out on British Sign Language until adulthood, I’m increasingly growing my ability to find my own voice personally and artistically. This project has allowed me to become more playful with BSL signed songs and with self-expression. Some of Ivor’s songs are abstract, and some are very literal and some are both, so there is a sense of freedom in deciding what approach to take for each song. I’ve also been enjoying exploring body percussion, step dance and contemporary dance woven into the signed songs. Switching from hands to feet – switching from language and storytelling with my hands to rhythmic body percussion. Sometimes it’s chaos and confusion but a bit of that suits Ivor’s style as well as reflecting D/deaf experience.

Who is this show for?

It’s important to note that this show is not just for d/Deaf community but for HoH and hearing people equally. It will be performed in English and SSE and BSL. There will be an interpreter and a performer. There will be some captions but not for some of the visual communication.

Dates for Fringe Performances

Venue: Deaf Action – 49 Albany Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3QY
Date: 08/08/25, 15/08/25 – 17/08/25
Time: 6:30m (Fri), 4:30pm (Fri), 4:30pm (Sat), 4:30pm (Sun)
Duration: 50 minutes
Room: Blackwood Bar

Venue: Summerhall – 1, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL
Date: 09/08/25
Time: 5:30pm (Sat)
Duration: 50 minutes
Room: Dissection Room

Booking info here and here

Where I would like to take the show next

This show is set to evolve into a different iteration by bringing in a fantastic box player I’ve been working with on Ivor’s material, as well as another physical performer for further ‘playful’ possibilities with a view to touring across Scotland.

Evie Waddell is a Gaelic and Scots singer, fiddler, and visual musical performer from Stirlingshire. Her proficiency in Gaelic come from her Gaelic-medium education, and she is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a BMus in Traditional Music. Her work draws influence from Jo Miller, Ivor Cutler, Martyn Bennett, Lisa O’Neill, and Rhiannon Giddens.

Evie’s performance style blends music with movement, including contemporary dance, Scottish traditional step dance, and British Sign Language (BSL). She performed with WHYTE in Theatre Gu Leòr’s production MAIM (2020) and went on to create and tour her own BSL-integrated show Fàilte Gu BSL (2022-23). She won the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections in 2023, was a semi-finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award 2024, and released the visual EP Cluich! in February 2024 following her debut EP Leviathan in December 2022. She is currently managed by The Bothy Society.

eviewaddell.co.uk | Instagram | Facebook

📷 Photos of Evie Waddell by Elly Lucas

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival, now in its 36th year, (22nd October to 1st November 2025) is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling – encompassing a wealth of cultures, traditions and styles. This year’s programme, inspired by the traditional folklore, myths, and legends of Nordic culture, includes storytelling events for adults and families, workshops, exhibitions, and discussion events online.

Under the theme ‘Lights of the North’, storytellers from Scotland will be joining storytellers from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Iceland for an 11 day celebration, thanks to continued support from Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Funding and the Scottish Government Festivals EXPO Fund.

Among the international storytellers taking part, are Hjörleifur Stefánsson who will present classic folk tales from Iceland; award-winning Swedish actor and storyteller Jerker Fahlström; nature writer and storyteller Georgiana Keable Jerstad and folktale performer Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen from Norway; storyteller and folk singer Anna-Maria Toivonen from Finland; and Suse Weisse from Germany, whose dark myths and fairytales include stories by authors such as Calvino and the Brothers Grimm.

Festival favourites returning from Scotland include Ruth Kirkpatrick, Mara Menzies, Marjolein Robertson, Daniel Serridge, and Niall Moorjani, with many more to be announced when the full programme launches in September.

The Festival takes place at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh and in venues across Scotland as part of the festival’s Go Local programme and its Story Ripple events. It is organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), and is a key platform for showcasing Scotland’s intangible cultural heritage, which includes traditional songs, dances, storytelling, customs, local languages and rituals of everyday life, passed down through the generations. This year, storytelling traditions of the Travelling community will be highlighted in the programme, with celebrated Traveller tradition bearers Jess Smith and Jimmy Williamson taking part, along with a celebratory event exploring Martyn Bennett’s use of Traveller stories and culture through his musical legacy.

As well as events for adults and families, the Festival includes performances from young emerging voices in association with FEST (Federation for European Storytelling); and networking events for those interested in storytelling skills and sources, community projects and creative collaboration.

Plus, new for 2025, the festival is partnering with the Scottish Wildlife Trust on its Words of the Wild nature writing competition for aspiring writers to tell their own story based on the theme ‘From Source to Sea’ about Scotland’s freshwater and marine habitat. The competition closes in July, with the winner being announced at this year’s festival.

Full details of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s programme will be announced on Wednesday 10 September at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, High Street, Edinburgh.

Scottish International Storytelling Festival Kicks Off Next Week

Registration Open for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland Conference this November

Lights of the North – Programme now on Sale

Announcing Trad Talk 2025: Innovation