Sef Townsend
storyteller
MyStorytelling Events
2023
Marrakech International Storytelling Festival
12th -19th February
On the Road to Isfahan
A veritable caravan of tales from the fascinating lands of the Levant through to this fabled city; stories of liars and thieves, of magical transformations, of witty wives, of greed and honesty, all accompanied, by well-loved songs of the area. Lichfield Tues. 14th Sep, 19:30 – 21:30
KOREAN STORYTELLING with Sef Townsend
BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Popular Korean Stories, Songs and perhaps a dance or two The Chuseok Harvest Moon Festival
Chuseok Festival Activity Day
Saturday 18th September, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.15pm
Little Amal's 10th birthday celebration
I was honoured to host the 10th birthday party at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, for Little Amal, (the giant puppet who travelled 8,000km from the Syrian/Turkish border in support of refugees,) and for children from across London. Here little Tamarai presents Amal with a bracelet she had made for her.
photo by Yotam Ottolenghi
Looking back on 2020
"In from the Cold" at LunarSea Storytelling Brighton
The Southern Belle Pub, 3 Waterloo Street, BN3 1AQ Hove
Friday, 10 January 2020 from 19:30-22:00
Find our events on Facebook
In this darkest and coldest month of the Wolf Moon when the nights are long, and our instincts are to hibernate, gather round and hear a tale.
Sef will share stories learned from his travels around the world. From the snow and ice of the bitterest of Korean winters to the burning sun and scorching sands of the North African deserts, we will hear how the characters survive these hostile extremes.
"Tales of the Levant"
King's Head, 21 Bird Street, Lichfield, WS13 6PW
Monday 10th February 19.30-22.00
A caravan of tales which range from camels that cause trouble to snakes with personal fortunes; taking in knitting, cooking and and infantile incontinence, and arriving at the mischief of ghouls and the wisdom of Solomon. Accompanied by songs made famous by Sabah, the diva of the Middle East, and Fairuz and the darling of Lebanon.
More Tales of the Levant
Friday 6th March, 7.30
@ A Bit Crack Storytelling, The Cobalt Studio, 10~16 Boyd Street, Newcastle upon Tyne ,NE2 1AP
And in May The Hare Moon Festival in Cambridgeshire, and The Singapore International Storytelling Festival in June, with schools, and workshops for teachers and Interfaith leaders in between
from March 2020
COVID19 . . . . ALLCHANGE!
The last event with an actual audience present was 6th March, and since then all has
been done by zoom tellings, sharing with audiences both in the UK and around the world
As well as telling on zoom meetings for clubs in
Britain, Northern Ireland, Peru and Singapore ...
Digital Storytelling
I've also been sharing a few storytelling sets with
World Storytelling Café link here:
www.worldstorytellingcafe.com/sef-townsendAnd I have a new YouTube channel with songs, chants and join-in activities celebrating
Diversity through Culture here:
EVENTS in 2019
January:
by Anne Johnson and Sef Townsend
with illustrations by Belinda Evans,
was published during National Storytelling
Week in January
LAUNCHED! with events at
The Museum of London,
V&AMuseum of Childhood,
and Rye Books, East Dulwich.
February:
THE PONGO'S DREAM, Matlock
March:
THE PONGO'S DREAM, Stafford
The Bird in Hand, 1 Victoria Square
ST16 2AQ Stafford
Tuesday, 12th March at 7.30pm
April:
A Trip to Scotland . . .
To tell "WORLDS APART"
From his own research in Chile, Argentina and Korea Sef
brings stories from two completely different worlds
SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, Edinburgh
Thursday 11th April, 7pm
THE PONGO'S DREAM, Cambridge
at the Edge Cafe,
https://theedgecafecambridge.org
Friday 12th April, food from 6.30, telling starts at 7pm
May:
Folktales of Korea with Sef Townsend
참여형 공연: 한국전래동화
Listen to the lively tales to celebrate Korean Children’s Day and join the traditional circle dance of
Ganggangsullae, with storyteller Sef Townsend.
Saturday 4 May:Victoria & Albert Museum, 11.00; 13.00; 15.00
A Trip to Northern Ireland...
Thurs, 16th May, at 7.30pm Adult Telling, Belfast
Fri, 17th May: Schools Multilingual Stories, Stranmillis
Sat, 18th May: Adult Storytelling Workshop, Cushendall
THE PONGO'S DREAM in Central London
June:
The East Anglian Storytelling Festival
14th-16th June
Refugee Week
Stories of theMiddleEast
The Jameel Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum
August:
Colaboraciones Inter-Culturales
Sonia Carmona Tapia (Seville) and I (London) embark on our project developing the telling of stories of migration, assimilation, rejection, and expulsion going back 500 years into this never ending human experience.
Stage One 5th - 16th August, Huelva, Spain
September & October:
14th-15th September
St Leonards Showground
Magdalen Road
St Leonards on Sea
TN37 6EG
Continuing telling in London Schools with Everyday Magic.
Every year over 1,500 children aged 3 to 11 have their imaginations fired up with colourful and vivid storytelling at school.
For the last twelve years Everyday Magichas been delivered by an association of 16 storytellers, artists, visual artists and musicians who captivate, inspire and excite the imaginations of children with their special brand of magic.
November:
And a storytelling & workshop tour
of Colombia and Ecuador
in November of 2019.
December:
“Whose Story is it Anyway?”
Sarum College, Salisbury
Thursday 11thDecember, 10am-4pm
............................
Big Top Christmas Party organised by the Children’s Charity Variety
600 disabled and disadvantaged children come together for food, fun and great activities with join-in storytelling from me.
Monday 16th December, at Corams Field, London,
and looking back on 2018
January
February
March
with Iñigo Mikeleiz Berrade on button accordion.
. . . And also at
on Friday, 24th March, 8.00 pm
March
April
Telling an opening story (with Khaled Hakim on Daf frame at Muslim Awards for Excellence in Central London celebrating Excellent Service from Muslims to British Society
May:
THE PONGO'S DREAM
SURREY STORYTELLERS, Ewell KT17 2AS
The Pongo's Dream at Storyvibes
Proud to be launching a new spoken word event:
Tues 29th, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham B14 7SA
LONDON FOLK TALES for CHILDREN
Writing this for The History Press with Anne Johnson with illustrations by Belinda Evans, and which will be published during National Storytelling Week in January 2019.
UK based Bangladeshi Culture Festival
June:
June:
Bethnal green, Derbyshire St, London E2 6HJ
June: Great Day Out Victoria Park
with Bangladeshi storyteller-poet Shamim Azad &
Tales, Songs and join-in games from all traditions for all the family
Sat,4th , 11:00-5:00pm
Using stories, songs and games to bring together families
people meeting each other.
Birmingham 0121 582 0767
September:
75th Anniversary Year
in the woods in
natural treasure.
Saturday 8th September 2pm-5pm
STORIES at THE LANGUAGES FESTIVAL
Je suis un Londonien. আমিএকজনলন্ডনলোক
나는 런던 출신이다 Abu m Londoner 我是伦敦人
Jestem londynczykiem Tá mé ó Londain
And so this month I will be working in schools in the riverine East End, where through story we will be looking at how we and families our ancestors speak, culminating in the Museum of London Languages of London festival.
Stories from the darker side of Talmud
Wed 12th Sept, 7.30 The White Lion, 24 Middle St, Beeston NG9 1FX
on Sat. 3rd; Sun. 4th November 2018.
Storie in Tasca - Festival Internazionale di Narrazione
Secoli di storie e canzoni hanno tenuto insieme un popolo Ma di che parliamo? Delle storie umoristiche degli Shlemiels e degli Shlemozzel dello Shtetl dell’Europa dell’Est? I Kabayeros e i Kantigas di Sarajevo e Salonicco? Oppure dei Romanceros vagabondi dell’Ebraismo mediterraneo e orientale?
O storie dal lato oscure di Talmud dove ci sono demoni regine, fantasmi maliziosi o ospiti non invitati nel letto di infanzia. . ? Prendiamo un assaggio di queste comunità molto diverse, ma in qualche modo connesse, di un popolo antico attraverso le storie che sono sopravvissute nei secoli.
12-13-14 October
October & November:
Stories for the whole family Sat,27th October, Sat 17th & 24th November @ 11.0, 13.00 &15.00
Spiritual & Cultural Appreciation Day
Wednesday 28th November, 9.30-15.30
December:
Very happy to be sharing stories at this great event encouraging young writers of the Muslim community.
العقبة ووادي رم - الأردن
And looking back in 2017
Winter term January to March
Stories from the darker side of Talmud and ancient Jewish folklore - The demon queen, the malicious ghost
Wed 18th January
Lichfield Storytellers
Wed 1st February , 7.30 Duke of York, Lichfield
A full day of creative storytellingwith all classes telling stories from across the globe.
Continuing throughout March with Everyday Magic's 3-year storytelling programme: "We Are Londoners" in London schools.
Performance, Workshop & Research Tour
(This is in collaboration with Dream On productions, Buenos Aires).
40 WiNKS,Stepney, London E1
Family Storytelling together with Alia Alzougbi
Sat, 5th August, 11:00-16:00
V&A Museum & British Museum
Torriano Meeting House.
The Rabbit on The Moon and other traditional stories
Continuing our 3 year storytelling programme:
The Hair In The Milk told by Sef Townsend
Door open at 7.30 for 8.00pm start. Tickets £7.00.
November
See East Archive Trailer:
From the Street of Stories - from the Qissa Khwani
V&A South Asian
on the Temple Steps in the South Asia Gallery
Family stories and songs of the winter, the flowers that grow, and which are associated with the season of the cold.
Action Songs, Chants, Dances & Join-in-Activities
Sat. 10th September Victoria & Albert Museum, London
October -December:
Tour of Argentina
telling in schools in the Province and City of Buenos Aires, and working on my own Story Research in The Andes
This is in collaboration with Dream On Productions Bs As.
Robertsbridge, East Sussex
working with asylum detainees and with settled refugees in and around Oxford.
Oldham Library & Lifelong Learning Centre. www.oldham.gov.uk
The conference examines the teachings of contempt in each of the three Abrahamic religions, and by doing so, learn how we can combat these.
National Storytelling Week
& Disabilty with all classes from Year 1 to Year 6
January
August:
September:
Stories for Chuseok 추석: 한국 가족 대축제 V&A London
October:
I am delighted to be performing at the 2nd Edition of the festival following last year's successful premiere.
This year's theme is 'Ancestral Voices' and I shall be collaborating with Moroccan storyteller, Sara Kchirid,
telling ancient stories of the centuries old التعايش (Ata'ayush) or Coexistence of Jews and Muslims throughout Morocco.
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Other events this year so far include . . .
- My regular work in London Schools
- A 6 - month project using stories in work with 'Unaccompanied (child) asylum seekers' in Derbyshire
- Performances of my latest work in Nottingham and Northampton:
'The Glory and the Pity of it - Convivensiya - التعليش - Side by Side'
(Stories & songs of Al-Andalus - Safarad - medieval Spain)
(More information to follow)
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MyStorytelling Events
2022
January publication!.
So happy to announce that . . .
London's River Tales for Children
is now available in UK bookshops (they will promptly obtain it if not already on their shelves!). More details below where it can also be ordered directly from :https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/londons-river-tales-for-children/9780750995610/
Schools Storytelling Spring & Summer 2022
Continuing regular storytelling sessions, in London schools, with my lovely colleagues in 'Everyday Magic' throughout the Spring and Summer terms
More information on Everyday Magic here:
https://www.schoolandcollegelistings.com/XX/Unknown/534424163285516/Everyday-Magic
Marrakech, 12th-20th February 2022
The Marrakech International Storytelling Festival, hosted in the magical Red City, with a tradition of storytelling as old as the nearby Atlas Mountains.
Performances staged in a number of venues including cafes, museums and historic riads. More than forty of the world's best kown storytellers and poets telling in languages including English, Darija and Tamazight. Workshops, educational outreach, socialising and opportunities for all to learn, grow and tell.
Marrakech International Storytelling Festival
For Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, 2nd & 3rd June, telling tales of three very impressive queens: our own dear 70-year-Jubilee-Queen Elizabeth; then there's 'Good Queen Bess' also known as Queen Elizabeth 1; and not to forget the wild Irish Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley who, sailed up the Thames demanding to see Queen Elizabeth the First.
Surprisingly Queen Elizabeth agreed, and they met in the Royal Palace down river at Greenwich. All three of these queens share much in common in their connection to the River Thames right here in London by Hay's Galleria.
Accompanied with join-in activity with singing, chanting and a little something to take home, along with other tales of London and the always eventful life on its river throughout history. And all of this in front of the wonderful fantasy ship, 'The Navigators', unmissable, in the middle of the Hay's Galleria. https://londonbridgecity.co.uk/events/2022/june/summer-by-the-river-jubilee-river-tales-1
Schools
National celebrations
Civic events
Fun times
Summer Events
Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival
Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire (SA19 6RT)
Fri 2nd - Sun 4th July
Engaging stories for families which directly connect to the magnificent 'Epic Iran'exhibition. As well as folktales from this story-rich land there will be a telling of 'Zal and the Simurgh' from the great Iranian epic, 'Shanameh', folk song and join in activity.
Victoria & Albert Museum, Sat 7th & 14th August
