> WONDERLAND - LIVE STREAM

From Hampstead Theatre
10 April 2020

There’s 250 million years down there. A miner, he’s not just working a piece of rock, he’s working with the world…

As part of Hampstead Theatre at Home series and originally aired back in 2014 - Beth Steel’s Wonderland is a gritty, thought provoking piece of storytelling. Directed by Edward Hall, this epic and witty drama takes a look at the clashing ideologies during the UK’s Miners' Strike of 1984–85 and presents the full sweep of the turbulent events that transformed the country.

With the world in lockdown, it's never been more important to hunt down new ways to satisfy ones lust for all things cultural. Luckily, a selection of the planets best Theatres, Galleries and Cultural Institutions have literally thrown open their doors for virtual tours, live stream events and online exploration. Over the next few weeks, months - we look forward to enjoying virtual trips to exciting Theatrical events, walking around immersive VR exhibitions and discovering the hidden treasures of blockbuster art shows... all from the comfort of the laptop - can't wait!

10 out of 10

> THE ARK AND DOVE

Cowes Library, IoW
26 February 2020

Friday the 22nd of November 1633, the Ark and Dove set sail from Cowes to start their treacherous journey to Maryland. Local Storyteller, Michele O'brien, has celebrated this story by creating a beautiful piece of Theatrical Storytelling that breathes new life into this epic adventure!

A few weeks ago, while volunteering at the IW Story Festival, I had the pleasure of meeting the creative team behind this production. Michele O'brien and Colin Phillimore have worked closely with a passionate team from the Island to bring this forgotten story to life. The resulting piece is truly engaging, highly creative and extremely relevant for local School children today. It raises issues of migration, self identity and acceptance.

The Ark and Dove, is a tale about a servant woman called Mary Jennings who leaves the Isle of Wight in search of a better life. She sails west across treacherous ocean waters, landing in Maryland, America. While there, Mary meets Mansi of the Piscataway tribe. Together, they share stories, learn valuable lessons, and become firm friends. The project, which is accompanied by an education pack for use in schools, commemorates the story of individuals who left England in 1633 and met with peoples in what we now call the United States of America. The country was inhabited by many tribes of First Nation people, who represent a diverse collection of cultures and communities.

Estelle Baker from the IW Heritage Service and Elspeth Giddens from the IW Story Festival worked with Michele and Colin to engage local schools and to help the children reconnect with this important moment from the Islands Maritime history. Writer David Haworth, Director Lucy Phillips and IoW based puppet maker, Teresa Grimaldi, all helped this wonderful piece of Island themed Storytelling to set-sail. It promises to be a very positive and rewarding journey indeed... What a team!

10 out of 10

> IW STORY FESTIVAL

 Newport, IoW
21-22 February 2020

2020 - The first ever IW Story Festival. Stories are all around us; not just in books and poems and plays and songs, but also in the news and history and the places we live. For two days, children and families were inspired by stories, creativity and - by some pretty impressive Storytellers too. I went along to lend a hand - and to get lost in a wonderful world of Storytelling.

The aim of this fabulous new Festival is to:
CREATE; whether through stories and poems, junk modelling or other crafts; for families and young people to have fun together and discover new talents. To let authors, poets, actors, illustrators, spoken word artists and others INSPIRE us to create our own stories; to discover new worlds and new ideas. And finally, to help all IMAGINE the amazing things we can do and the amazing things we can be. All this, and so much more, brought to life through the wonderful world of Storytelling!

The festival organisers curated an impressive programme of Story based workshops, talks and activities. World class authors, illustrators and performers joined Storytellers from the Island to entertain and INSPIRE. It was fantastic to meet so many talented and passionate creatives... 

The lineup included: Korky Paul - Artist and world renowned illustrator. Nick Sharratt - Illustrator, author AND onetime official illustrator for World Book Day. Sarah McIntyre - Illustrator and writer with an eye-popping collection of glasses, hats and outfits. 

Sarah MacIntyre

World Book Day costumes. Permission given when pictures taken.

As a volunteer, I was ready to help out wherever I could. My love of visual Storytelling was sure to come in useful somewhere! On the first day, I really enjoyed helping out in the crafty sessions run by the amazing Teresa Grimaldi. In the morning, we inspired children to make creative costumes for World Book Day and in the afternoon, we got crafty with junk! Huge fun and it's surprising what you can CREATE from a pile of old fabric, some egg boxes and a collection of paper tubes! These 4, 45 minute sessions were FREE - it was so rewarding to see the children walking away with (and wearing) their own story based creations.

Getting crafty with junk! Permission given when pictures taken.

A small, but very dedicated group of IoW based Storytellers made this Festival happen! Such a creative and fun bunch. It was a joy to get to know them.

Elspeth Giddens - A lovely Lady who get's things done!
Debbie Webb - An Author, Illustrator and educator.
Jules Marriner - A Storyteller, Illustrator and writer.
Sue Bailey - A wonderful Storyteller.
Peta Rainford - A children's writer and illustrator.
Geoff Banks - A passionate supporter of all things creative.

10 out of 10