Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director Donald Smith
The fine art of storytelling
Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director Donald Smith takes time from the telling to talk about the triumph of stories in Edinburgh.
What is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival?
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is inspired by the art of live storytelling. We believe, as the old tellers did, that a story should be told eye-to-eye, mind-to-mind and heart to heart. It’s such a pared down art form, really, because its about what people can do with their hands and their voice, their gestures and imagination, and it’s a process whereby the audience and the teller imagine this story, together. At the end of the day, storytelling is about a love of people – that has inspired everything we do, the making of this place, and our networks of storytellers across the world. The acme of all that – the absolute celebration in all its dimensions – is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
What can people expect from the Festival this year.
There are many different layers of experiences going on, different strands that people can access, and at the heart of it is the notion of Homelands. You can hear stories from a variety of cultural traditions – Scottish, Native American, Canadian, Australian, Appalachian, Caribbean, and New Zealander – where the focus is on people who are wonderful storytellers but whose stories are bigger than themselves. They’re about a whole cultural experience connected to ideas of journey, migration and emigration. This is complimented by themed talks with writers and cultural historians who will be speaking about their interests in these ideas. There are also screenings, museum events and storytelling workshops where people can come along and participate in developing their own skills and learn about storytelling traditions. The final strand is the family program, because its important to recognize that storytelling is for all ages and traditions, so we’re offering lots of family-based events.
What is the importance of storytelling?
Everyone would agree that humans are narrative beings – it’s the way that generations connect to each other, it’s a way of reinforcing memory and a way of connecting. What we’re about is pushing that the telling and sharing of the story is just as important as the story itself and pushing the importance of bringing people together to listen to each other’s stories. That’s part of the excitement and interest behind the Homelands idea of this year’s festival – it’s not just about the interactions of cultures, but this business of how we relate to the natural environment. So many of the great stories are about that – people go out to face the natural world and somehow, by doing that, they’re facing themselves.
What sort of a role does Edinburgh play as a backdrop to the Festival?
There are several aspects to that – the Storytelling Center here in the old heart in the city of Edinburgh – its like a hearth that we’re inviting people to come and be around, to share and to be a part of. That’s a very old Scots tradition – this idea of hospitality and welcome is a part of every aspect of Scottish culture, and our Capital city articulates and represents that. This is also a dramatic and extraordinary place – we’re built around this volcano, we look out on the sea and the land, and there’s all these layers of centuries of Scottish experience rooted here and expressed here within the relationship to the landscape and the historic buildings. This is one of the reasons to have the Storytelling Center and the Festival here – it’s a city of stories. I think it’s an enchanted place. Writers throughout time have been completely inspired to write great literature in this place, and I sense that what inspires them is that they belong to a greater storytelling tradition. The city makes you a part of the excitement of that.
How would one best immerse in the Festival?
Decide a pattern for your involvement; don’t just come to one event. Every evening there’s a gathering and sharing of stories here in the Center, inspired by whatever the main evening event is – different traditions, different storytellers – but in advance of the this you can squeeze in a free ‘meet the storyteller’ gathering. This is a chance to actually meet the individual storyteller directly and ask questions, hear stories about their connections to a particular theme. During the daytime, either at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m., you can also join the talks and workshops. Depending on your interests, there are a number of events to participate in and create your own highlights. I hope that being at the Festival is a shared collective experience, but also that everyone can plan their own route through it. We have a festival pass that enables people to plot that journey and makes it affordable. As to what’s going to catch your interest – sample the different strands and discover that for yourself.
How does the story play out in years to come?
It’s going to be an evolving expression of Scotland’s changing relationship with the wider world. It’s interesting, since we opened this new place in 2006, what we’ve seen is an evolving pattern whereby the Festival has opened up, celebrated and explored the relationships between Scottish storytelling and the storytelling traditions and cultures from different parts of the world. It’s interesting because it’s ongoing and continuing to develop. The renaissance of storytelling as a live human art and culture experience is spreading – it continues to be part of the bloodstream of an ongoing exchange between countries around the world.
What makes a good storyteller?
A great storyteller is made ultimately by their humanity. The thing about storytelling is not just the dramatic element, or communication style – it’s the personality. It’s the very difference between storytelling and acting. If I’m an actor, I’ve got a script, I assume a persona, or an improvisation routine, but I’ve ceased to be me. In storytelling, you always remain yourself. I’m not asking you to pretend, and I’m not pretending. It’s a personal art, above all and it’s about character. It’s not so much that you’ve traveled far or lived fast – in fact, some of the most amazing storytellers have lived slow, but savored every little bit of it. The most gripping storytellers have the authority of experience, of character, and what they’ve lived through. And that’s the gold dust, isn’t it?
>>CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE 2009 Storytelling Festival
