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Adrian the Storyteller |
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This is good news and bad news, but at least this old dog has learnt
new tricks. As I wittered on about in the
chat section if the Empress
speaks I must act. So storytelling it is. (See more details of the work I have done for The ARC and the Jorvik
in the
Adrinskald section) I have made huge unexpected developments over this year. It may not
have been a good year over all, but creativity has taken new directions. I have of course always done the odd story - personal experiences I recall, er they are
called anecdotes actually, and naturally I have been touring for Persula as
part of their Storytelling tours (See Community Touring). There has always been an element of story in my poetry work too,
especially the themed dramas. Remembering them however has always been a different thing. Long-winded irrelevant paragraph: I have read a few things
lately on the way the brain works. Apparently people with perfect pitch often
have a difficulty in areas of language skills, perhaps that is why I am tone
deaf and extremely verbose. I read now in an article, well a book review
about the Neanderthal vocalisation debate, that we initially communicated
tonally. Few languages now have a tonal element, is Chinese the only one I wonder: No there are guttural
languages in Africa and women’s Chinese; the secret language. Anyway we
quickly separate out the two forms of communication and apparently that is
why song is easier to learn than poetry, because of the primitive tonal
element. So there, but. Being recommended as a storyteller, for instance for children, when
all there was in the portfolio was poetry can seem a bit tricky. That is the
case though UNTIL NOW. “Calm down Adrian.” Lots of lovely people in arts promotion do recommend me and often for
storytelling. My Egyptian blank verse drama is a half day long story/play so
is it poetry? Right that’s enough meandering. Through writing the Norse Sagas for the Jorvik Festival I have greatly
changed in my approach to writing and working. I have a wider view, that
includes STORY. Working in collaboration with wonderful mystical artist Lisa
Nicholson for the Jorvik Centre started to muddy the waters of my poetic soul
(in a fantastical way I might hurriedly add). Colin the Kobold took things
even further, plus having to adapt to ever changing circumstances. On a
longship, with an arts group, (being Santa), working with other vikings,
special needs of groups. The saga book went. It was pouring, we had the chariot inside the tent and limited scope
for activities and Neil (The Norsemun) had suggested the day before that I
would relate better to passing trade without a poem to stick to. Lisa built
me a throne, I plugged in the clip on and threw away the book. Three hours
later I stopped talking! Now that’s storytelling. Actually, I did a kind of running commentary on the activities around
me and the things the kids were doing, interlaced with myth and magic. Kind
of like live radio road shows. Got quite a crowd. So all has changed……... |