News
Contact Sophie:
Tel: 01332 840007
email:info@sophiesnell.co.uk
Ben telling "The Short Cut"
at the closing festival Club night,
Settle Storytelling Festival,
October 2011
"Laffborough" Comedy Cabaret,
Loughborough, Oct 2011
"Many, many thanks for a terrifically stimulating storytelling afternoon -
nothing but positive feedback!"
Paul Houghton, Staffordshire University, February 2012
Folk on the Farm Beginners Storytelling
Workshop, October 2011
"Your contribution to our son's
birthday party last summer was so lovely
and so many people still comment on it.
I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you!"
Amanda Edwards, December 2011
Sookie's kittens summer 2011
Hagrid - the cat with a big personality!
"In
Hatched, Matched and Despatched,
two consummate storytellers, Sophie Snell
and Kevin Walker, combined to produce an evening of sheer delight, with tales which provoked thought, humour and the occasional shudder. A range of cultures, traditions and sources was represented, giving a richness
and variety to the programme, and the performance was framed in such as way as
to keep the audience enthralled.
"I would recommend Hatched, Matched and Despatched unreservedly, a thoroughly
enjoyable reflection on life's journey, in
the company of two excellent tellers."
Dave Blake, audience member Yard of Tales, September 2011.
This is my page of news and titbits to keep you in touch with what I am up to. It is really helpful to have any comments and suggestions on the work that I do and of course I welcome any enquiries or commissions. So please email me at: robandsophie@hotmail.com or Tel 01332 840007.
February 2012
February already, and the UK is waiting with bated breath to see if it will actually snow this winter... But it is very beautiful, cold and bright - great weather for walking. I've been trying to get out a bit more this year imbetween various bits of work. Derbyshire is blessed with greats spots for walking, so I don't have to go far!
The last year has been very busy, which took me rather by surprise. I had a lovely school's project under the Creative Partnerships scheme (for the Mightly Creatives): "Excite to Write", aimed at inspiring Year 3/4's to write. I visited over a number of weeks, layering story over story, with parallel workshops, and the kids were just brilliant. It is so nice to go back to a school and work on something over a period of time, as you get to know everyone, students and staff, and this particular school was so welcoming. I was back in the Autumn to work with the other year groups too.
So, picking up from my last entry in May... As usual quite a bit of schools work over the year, taking me beyond my local counties to Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Birmingham, Oxfordshire... I seem to spend quite a lot of time in Oxfordshire / Gloucestershire, but it helps having family to stay with nearby and it is always nice to have an excuse to pop by!
In the summer, I was down in Devon, telling stories at Escot Park for the Beautiful Days festival. A wonderful setting and a great family atmosphere though I confess the real draw to the job was being able to take my family to see the Levellers - one of my husband's favourite bands! And the summer ended with a poignant telling of Hatched, Matched, Despatched with fellow storyteller Kevin Walker. Kevin had great success setting up a new club, Yard of Tales in Market Harborough, but in September returned to his ex-pat life in Spain. So this was his last event at the Yard before leaving. Having said that Kevin is back in the UK next summer and we have been invited to perform the show again then, but more of that later.
Other new venues included Nottingham Wildlife Trust, Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre, and Elford Hall Real Ale & Music Festival. Crich Tramway Museum is just up the road from me. I did a series of Woodland storywalks, past various sculptures perfect for inspiring stories and later in the year I was commissioned to write a story for the park too. One of the nicest aspects of this job is discovering new places and taking the family along too. Halloween at Crich was a real treat, all lit up and buzzing with trams overflowing with becostumed revellers.
There was a Halloween themed night to remember at The Hub, Centre for Art & Design in Sleaford; and for Fireside Ghost Tales at Erewash Musuem they were turning people away after tickets sold out. Seven Deadly Sins has made its appearance at various places too, including new club Tales at the Watermill (another sell-out), Folk on the Farm near Ashby de la Zouche and Chipping Campden Literature Festival in Gloucestershire.
I was back at the National Trust's Kedleston Hall a few times over the year, the Tree Festival in March, Easter, Halloween, Christmas... Halloween was sooo busy. I was by the fire in Caesar's Hall again and by now people know me, so the audience faces were familiar and more people came. I did two weekends at Christmas too and that was a real treat - this time they moved me into the Smoking Room where there is more sitting space and the room was packed with people each day!
Halloween also saw me back in Allestree Park for our usual family storywalk and this year I took an adult storywalk group around Quarndon village. We'd sussed out some really atmospheric hidden corners and there is a great story about a local butcher wreaking revenge on would-be muggers, a couple of hundred years ago! The night of Halloween itself I spent telling stories at the Wonky Table restaurant on Sadlergate in Derby. Another new departure this year, which involved a wicked combination of delicious food, chilling cocktails and haunting tales!
In October Ben (my eldest) and I went to Settle Storytelling Festival up in Yorkshire. Ben has always been keen on stories and followed me around various festivals when he was little. Now he is a little older, he has been dipping his toes in telling the odd tale (well jokes mainly!). Whether he ends up a "performer" or not, I know this will be really good experience to build up his confidence and presentation skills, so I am keen to encourage him! He went to Taffy Thomas' workshop, enjoyed various shows, and even stood up in front of quite a large audience to tell a story at the final club night - no mean feat for a 12 year old!
The festival has only been going 2 years, but leaping from strength to strength. The highlight for me was probably watching TUUP telling some amazing Indian / African tales to the mystical accompaniement of sitar player, Sheema Mukerjee. Between them they had the audience in the palm of their hands!
Sita Brand (the festival's organiser) has been running a series of interviews (for the festival blog) asking professional storytellers about their work. One of these is with myself, so you can see the full interview at http://settlestories.blogspot.com.
Another highlight in the autumn was a research trip to Wales. I've been working on some stories from the Mabinogion (early Welsh myths) and had been invited to visit a fellow storyteller and tour some of the sites mentioned in the stories. It really brings the stories alive to see the actual setting, and my host, Fiona Collins was a generous and highly informed guide.
On the way I stopped by for an afternoon at the MythStories Museum in Wem. This is a hidden gem of a place - a unique museum devoted to storytelling and related artefacts. I had been tasked with the donation of a screen - on behalf of Flying Donkeys (Derby's storytelling club), which has found the perfect new home in their hands. This place is well worth a visit if you are in Shropshire.
December finished with a flurry of storytelling for Derby Live! - in the old Guildhall market place - a hidden Derby gem. Over several weeks leading up to Christmas, I found myself regaling stories surrounded by twinkling penguins, snowmen, Santas and reindeer! It is such fun to share the excitement of Christmas with people - all ages!
This last year has seen me leading quite a few workshops and training sessions. Various CPD / twilight sessions for schools staff, workshops at the Cambridge Early Years Conference and Derby and Nottingham Universities, and a workshop for aspiring local tellers for Folk on the Farm. I have had a few enquiries for a follow-up on the latter (another one today), so hoping to do another traditonal storytelling workshop in the Spring - if you might be interested, do please get in touch.
I found myself on the local radio various times over the year too. There were return visits as part of the panel for BBC Radio Derby''s "Loud Mouths" (a panel of three discussing current issues). Then I was invited to feature on "First, Last and Everything" (chatting about my life and favourite music), and another time, up early to discuss traditional stories with a spiritual element, for the Sunday morning breakfast show. You always meet interesting people at a radio studio!
So here we are in early February. Already the year has kicked off with more schools work, and only yesterday a visit to Staffordshire University to work with their creative writing students. Bookings are looking quite varied for later in the year - more schools in February, some work for Derby Probation Trust and a return to Rampton Hospital for workshops with some of their patients. It will be a busy week or two around World Book Day (1st March) - and on March 7th, I will be telling Seven Deadly Sins in Norwich for storytelling club, Tales in the Undercroft at Jurnetts bar, Wensum Lodge - a wonderfully atmospheric mediaval setting - perfect for the Sins!
In May I return to Chipping Campden Literature Festival to work with the same two schools I visited on their behalf last year. And at the end of the month I will be at the Off the Tracks Festival, Castle Donington. June sees Seven Deadly Sins at Donnington Le Heath Manor House, and in August, Hatched Matched Despatched for Tales at the Watermill (Shepshed Watermill), with Kevin Walker. September I have been asked to do Spondon Village Festival, and - well that's probably enough for now!
The local storytelling scene is enjoying a bit of a boom in the East Midlands right now. Our very own Derby's Flying Donkeys has been growing its audiences - we have our open night Spread the Word! next week 8th Feb (and a great Spring/Summer programme, with tellers like Dave Tong and Christine Cooper). Folk on the Farm has embraced storytelling along with music and prose for "Kiss and Tell" on Valentine's Day. The clubs at Yard of Tales (Market Harborough) and Tales at the Watermill (near Loughborough) are thriving and there is another new club nearer Sheffield at Dronfield - the "Dragon's Breath" (such a lovely name!). It's so good to see these clubs thriving!
Oh and on March 8th, I am hosting Quarndon Live & Local again with an evening of Taiko - Japanese Drumming! Advanced sales have seen tickets flying out the door, and it should be a really special night!
I have a confession to make...! Yes I have acquired yet another kitten! Er... well two actually! Our Sookie (remember her from my last blog entry?) had a beautiful litter of four last summer. She was such a good mum too! Two each gorgeous little boys and girls - Tigger and Tom, Lizzie and Lottie. It was such a delight - and an education - to watch them all growing and interacting. Two of them went to my sister, the third to a wonderful home the other side of Derby, and Lottie we kept for ourselves!
Lottie has the extra soft, plush fur of her dad (a Ragdoll) and his super gentle temperament, so we couldn't resist - it was hard enough letting go of the other kittens!
And then in December my husband asked me what did I want for Christmas? So what did I say? Another cat! So arrived Hagrid - the most adorable cat of them all! So loving and sweet and such good company - he is sat on my desk as I type! He's a Burmilla (Burmese / Chinchilla cross-breed) - very bright, very vocal and very affectionate! So that must be our cat family complete? Famous last words!
Finally - just to say if you are into social networks, I have a page on Facebook where I am now posting upcoming events and chat - do click on "Like" if you like!
Sophie Snell Storyteller on Facebook
"Sophie was extremely professional throughout the entire project, and her manner, with the children and staff alike, was enchanting. We have already booked Sophie to come back in the Autumn Term to work with children across the whole primary age group and look forward to reaping the benefits of her visits."
Catherine Llewellyn & Jill Edmonds, teachers at South Wilford Primary School, Nottingham, July 2011
Kedleston Hall Edwardian Christmas
storytelling, December 2011