Scottish Storytelling Centre
The ambition of the Scottish Storytelling Centre is to put live storytelling back into the heart of communities and at the centre of all our children's emotional, imaginative and linguistic development. In celebrating the live art of storytelling - "eye to eye, mind to mind and heart to heart" - the Centre's programme combines theatre, literature, heritage, film and the visual arts, religion and spirituality, education and community development. Working with the Scottish Storytelling, the Centre has a local, a national and an international outlook, reinforcing Scotland's vigorous contribution to a worldwide revival of interest in storytelling and storytelling traditions.
Facilities
The Scottish Storytelling Centre has a free exhibition and orientation area where visitors can experience 'Scotland's Stories', as well as 100 seat auditorium, an exhibition on the historic interiors of John Knox House, a training and resources library and a Storytelling Garden. Marking the original site of the Netherbow Port, a stylish new bell tower has been constructed to house the City Bell of Edinburgh, and a magnificent stone relief, first erected in 1606, to celebrate King James' deliverance from Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot. The Edinburgh Bell was cast in Holland in 1621, and it has been restored and retuned to ensure that once again it can ring out over the Edinburgh Old Town on special occasions.
The George Mackay Brown Storytelling Library, named for the founding patron on the Storytelling Centre, is a resource for teachers, librarians, museum guides, nursery nurses - anyone looking to explore and develop the art and skills of storytelling.
The Netherbow Theatre is a new 100 seat auditorium continuing the original spirit of The Gateway Theatre (1946-1969) and the Netherbow Arts Centre (1972-2003). The new theatre has been designed to be flexible - literary events, training, conferences, workshops and more can all be hosted in this light timber-lined auditorium.
John Knox House is the historic Old Town mansion which may have been the final residence of John Knox, and has always been an integral part of the Royal Mile landscape. It houses a new permanent exhibition on the history, design and atmosphere of the John Knox house.
The Storytelling Court
The other major permanent exhibition at the Storytelling Centre is Scotland's Stories. Overlooking Scottish Book Trust’s secret garden at Sandeman House, Scotland's Stories features:
- Window on the World, a huge picture window inscribed with a poem by George MacKay Brown
- The Storytelling Wall: 36 compartments concealing scenes from some of Scotland's favourite stories, from Finn McCool and the Salmon to Wisdom to Tam O'Shanter; from Maisie in Morningside to Inspector Rebus.
- The Global Bothy
- In The Heart of the Book: an audio alcove showcasing the work of Edinburgh's storyteller, Robert Louis Stevenson
- Wait Till You Hear This!: The Storytelling Network
- Endpapers: Artwork and Exhibitions
Events Programme
The Storytelling Centre runs a number of regular events, plus one-off exhibitions, theatre performances and more. For instance, every day in July the free Storyteller of the Day features a different storyteller picking their favourite stories from Scotland's past. This July, the Storytelling Centre has organised three 'Summer Nights Guid Crack' events at the Waverley Bar on Friday 14th, 21st and 28th, where you can join in and share your own tales with guest storytellers, singers and musicians.
The Storytelling Centre's website lists all future events at http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/storytellers/event_search.asp
