Alastair K Daniel
@akdaniel.bsky.social
Storyteller, consultant and independent scholar.
www.storytent.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/user/storytent/videos
www.storytent.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/user/storytent/videos
Yesterday, I led an online workshop on playful classroom storytelling. We discussed playfulness in relation to quirkiness, unpredictability, flexibility and sloppiness (engaging in storytelling that is not polished and is perhaps a bit chaotic).
#storytelling #play #pedagogy #learning #teaching
#storytelling #play #pedagogy #learning #teaching
November 17, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Yesterday, I led an online workshop on playful classroom storytelling. We discussed playfulness in relation to quirkiness, unpredictability, flexibility and sloppiness (engaging in storytelling that is not polished and is perhaps a bit chaotic).
#storytelling #play #pedagogy #learning #teaching
#storytelling #play #pedagogy #learning #teaching
Last night, Surrey Storytellers gathered for an ensemble evening with Tales of Magic and Mystery. We were taken deep into the forest and across fields of snow, and realised that we were shivering at more than the cold.
#storytelling #storytellers #MaldenManor #WorcesterPark
#storytelling #storytellers #MaldenManor #WorcesterPark
October 25, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Last night, Surrey Storytellers gathered for an ensemble evening with Tales of Magic and Mystery. We were taken deep into the forest and across fields of snow, and realised that we were shivering at more than the cold.
#storytelling #storytellers #MaldenManor #WorcesterPark
#storytelling #storytellers #MaldenManor #WorcesterPark
It's that time of year when we think of all things mysterious, sometimes spooky, sometimes frightening and sometimes just very strange. Surrey Storytellers will be both in-person and online this month, so come along and get your ticket on the door, or pre-book at:
surreystorytellers.co.uk
surreystorytellers.co.uk
October 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
It's that time of year when we think of all things mysterious, sometimes spooky, sometimes frightening and sometimes just very strange. Surrey Storytellers will be both in-person and online this month, so come along and get your ticket on the door, or pre-book at:
surreystorytellers.co.uk
surreystorytellers.co.uk
This year, The Society for Storytelling is launching a National Young Storytellers Week. As our contribution to the week, Surrey Storytellers is sponsoring a day of workshops for young people (aged 8-25) on 25 October. For further details, or sign-up, go to: surreystorytellers.co.uk/Young-Storyt...
September 29, 2025 at 8:10 AM
This year, The Society for Storytelling is launching a National Young Storytellers Week. As our contribution to the week, Surrey Storytellers is sponsoring a day of workshops for young people (aged 8-25) on 25 October. For further details, or sign-up, go to: surreystorytellers.co.uk/Young-Storyt...
After the summer break, Surrey Storytellers club night, Three Heads in Well, returned with an evening of stories from the floor & our featured teller Shane Ibbs, who ably demonstrated his responsive and relaxed storytelling style drawing us in to his tales. #storytelling #maldenmanor #worcesterpark
September 27, 2025 at 7:19 PM
After the summer break, Surrey Storytellers club night, Three Heads in Well, returned with an evening of stories from the floor & our featured teller Shane Ibbs, who ably demonstrated his responsive and relaxed storytelling style drawing us in to his tales. #storytelling #maldenmanor #worcesterpark
It was back to school with a bump this week. I spent Wedensday storytelling on the theme of commitment with children from nursery age to Year 2.
The day was a reminder that children as young as 3 can contribute to shaping tales, as Gussin Paley says: ‘Storytelling is the social art of language’.
The day was a reminder that children as young as 3 can contribute to shaping tales, as Gussin Paley says: ‘Storytelling is the social art of language’.
September 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
It was back to school with a bump this week. I spent Wedensday storytelling on the theme of commitment with children from nursery age to Year 2.
The day was a reminder that children as young as 3 can contribute to shaping tales, as Gussin Paley says: ‘Storytelling is the social art of language’.
The day was a reminder that children as young as 3 can contribute to shaping tales, as Gussin Paley says: ‘Storytelling is the social art of language’.
Yesterday, I provided storytelling training for folk who volunteer with a major UK nature charity. After identifying our skills as natural storytellers, we applied our (now) explicit knowledge to telling stories of place focusing initially on the human, and then on the non-human inhabitants.
August 15, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Yesterday, I provided storytelling training for folk who volunteer with a major UK nature charity. After identifying our skills as natural storytellers, we applied our (now) explicit knowledge to telling stories of place focusing initially on the human, and then on the non-human inhabitants.
Following stories from the floor, I brought ‘When the Gentlemen Go By' to Surrey Storytellers last night.
The whole room sang along with Kipling’s ‘Smuggler’s Song’ & then travelled across Romney Marsh to Aldington knoll, and from Dover Gaol to the haunted chalk pit of 'Smuggler's Leap'
The whole room sang along with Kipling’s ‘Smuggler’s Song’ & then travelled across Romney Marsh to Aldington knoll, and from Dover Gaol to the haunted chalk pit of 'Smuggler's Leap'
July 26, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Following stories from the floor, I brought ‘When the Gentlemen Go By' to Surrey Storytellers last night.
The whole room sang along with Kipling’s ‘Smuggler’s Song’ & then travelled across Romney Marsh to Aldington knoll, and from Dover Gaol to the haunted chalk pit of 'Smuggler's Leap'
The whole room sang along with Kipling’s ‘Smuggler’s Song’ & then travelled across Romney Marsh to Aldington knoll, and from Dover Gaol to the haunted chalk pit of 'Smuggler's Leap'
On Friday 25 July Surrey Storytellers welcomes Alastair K with 'When the Gentlemen Go By: Stories and Songs of South Coast Smuggling'. Tickets on the door/pre-book at:
surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person)
There are taster videos here
youtu.be/BFxRP89T1Po?...
surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person)
There are taster videos here
youtu.be/BFxRP89T1Po?...
July 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
On Friday 25 July Surrey Storytellers welcomes Alastair K with 'When the Gentlemen Go By: Stories and Songs of South Coast Smuggling'. Tickets on the door/pre-book at:
surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person)
There are taster videos here
youtu.be/BFxRP89T1Po?...
surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person)
There are taster videos here
youtu.be/BFxRP89T1Po?...
Yesterday, I was enjoyed being part of The National Centre for Family Learning’s Story Power conference. My contribution, Oral Storytelling as Playful Pedagogy, looked at the characteristics of play & how to nurture playful storytelling with and between children.
#storytelling #play #families #story
#storytelling #play #families #story
July 4, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Yesterday, I was enjoyed being part of The National Centre for Family Learning’s Story Power conference. My contribution, Oral Storytelling as Playful Pedagogy, looked at the characteristics of play & how to nurture playful storytelling with and between children.
#storytelling #play #families #story
#storytelling #play #families #story
Belinda McKenna and I have had a great evening representing Surrey Storytellers for one of Surbiton Inner Wheel's 'Try anything once' sessions. Despite the heat, the multi-generational group threw themselves into storytelling activities and entertained each other with the tales they devised.
July 2, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Belinda McKenna and I have had a great evening representing Surrey Storytellers for one of Surbiton Inner Wheel's 'Try anything once' sessions. Despite the heat, the multi-generational group threw themselves into storytelling activities and entertained each other with the tales they devised.
I am back home from the UKLA International Conference where I delivered an Expert Practice Session on 'Twisting Tales - challenging power, role and visibility in folk and fairy story' in which participants considered the nature, attributes & the lot in life of characters in well-known fairy tales.
June 30, 2025 at 8:17 AM
I am back home from the UKLA International Conference where I delivered an Expert Practice Session on 'Twisting Tales - challenging power, role and visibility in folk and fairy story' in which participants considered the nature, attributes & the lot in life of characters in well-known fairy tales.
What a lovely weekend at The East Anglian Storytelling Festival, meeting lots of old friends and making some new ones, listening to fabulous storytelling sets, getting in some stories myself, and eating far too much.
#storytelling #festival
#storytelling #festival
June 5, 2025 at 9:59 AM
What a lovely weekend at The East Anglian Storytelling Festival, meeting lots of old friends and making some new ones, listening to fabulous storytelling sets, getting in some stories myself, and eating far too much.
#storytelling #festival
#storytelling #festival
It was back to the classroom this morning for me working with Yr 6 children. I love Gregory Rogers' wordless text 'The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard' which was our inspiration for group process storytelling - developing ideas together through telling, rather than performing to an audience.
May 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
It was back to the classroom this morning for me working with Yr 6 children. I love Gregory Rogers' wordless text 'The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard' which was our inspiration for group process storytelling - developing ideas together through telling, rather than performing to an audience.
Yesterday I attended the UK Literacy Association ITE SIG conference on oracy & was delighted to be asked to give a short talk of the nature of educational storytelling: any chance to bang the drum for storytelling is always welcome. Thank you to the organisers and contributors for a fascinating day.
May 17, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Yesterday I attended the UK Literacy Association ITE SIG conference on oracy & was delighted to be asked to give a short talk of the nature of educational storytelling: any chance to bang the drum for storytelling is always welcome. Thank you to the organisers and contributors for a fascinating day.
Stories from the smuggling history of Kent and Sussex seem to be filling much of my waking hours at the moment, so it was a real pleasure to be able to walk the ground that both smugglers & the revenue men who pursued them had walked in previous centuries. Thank you Gary Thomas for the camera work.
May 12, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Stories from the smuggling history of Kent and Sussex seem to be filling much of my waking hours at the moment, so it was a real pleasure to be able to walk the ground that both smugglers & the revenue men who pursued them had walked in previous centuries. Thank you Gary Thomas for the camera work.
To mark #WorldBookNight, I was invited to talk at Kensington Central Library on Folk and Fairy Tales and the Oral Tradition. We started with the pull of narrative on the human mind, looked at the development of the fairy tale tradition, & considered common characteristics of traditional tales.
April 26, 2025 at 2:51 PM
To mark #WorldBookNight, I was invited to talk at Kensington Central Library on Folk and Fairy Tales and the Oral Tradition. We started with the pull of narrative on the human mind, looked at the development of the fairy tale tradition, & considered common characteristics of traditional tales.
If you are in Stoneleigh, or the environs, why not celebrate World Book Night at the library on Wednesday with Surrey Storytellers www.stoneleighlibrary.org.uk/what-s-on/co...
April 22, 2025 at 7:06 PM
If you are in Stoneleigh, or the environs, why not celebrate World Book Night at the library on Wednesday with Surrey Storytellers www.stoneleighlibrary.org.uk/what-s-on/co...
With a theme of New Beginnings, our April session sees Three Heads in a Well gives the floor over to an ensemble evening with our local tellers. We will be both in-person and online. Tickets on the door or at: surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person; £6 online)
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person; £6 online)
April 15, 2025 at 9:26 AM
With a theme of New Beginnings, our April session sees Three Heads in a Well gives the floor over to an ensemble evening with our local tellers. We will be both in-person and online. Tickets on the door or at: surreystorytellers.co.uk
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person; £6 online)
(£10 full price in-person; £7 concession in-person; £6 online)
Last night, a good crowd gathered for Surrey Storytellers.
Minnie Wilkinson told ‘Gutted’: a collection of Norfolk tales framed by stories of the travelling fish gutters. Minnie blended song & story, sometimes creating effects by looping her vocals to create a multi-voiced chorus.
#storytelling
Minnie Wilkinson told ‘Gutted’: a collection of Norfolk tales framed by stories of the travelling fish gutters. Minnie blended song & story, sometimes creating effects by looping her vocals to create a multi-voiced chorus.
#storytelling
March 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Last night, a good crowd gathered for Surrey Storytellers.
Minnie Wilkinson told ‘Gutted’: a collection of Norfolk tales framed by stories of the travelling fish gutters. Minnie blended song & story, sometimes creating effects by looping her vocals to create a multi-voiced chorus.
#storytelling
Minnie Wilkinson told ‘Gutted’: a collection of Norfolk tales framed by stories of the travelling fish gutters. Minnie blended song & story, sometimes creating effects by looping her vocals to create a multi-voiced chorus.
#storytelling
I love your approach to the forest. I have been doing my Dream for over 20 years and have performed it well over 100 times in that period (though only 1x or 2x a year since I went into HE 15 years ago). But it does rely on good knees (see photo) and they are certainly not getting younger.
March 27, 2025 at 8:38 AM
I love your approach to the forest. I have been doing my Dream for over 20 years and have performed it well over 100 times in that period (though only 1x or 2x a year since I went into HE 15 years ago). But it does rely on good knees (see photo) and they are certainly not getting younger.
Almost time to enter the forest in the company of the rude mechanicals and the fairy folk - and Year 5.
#shakespeare #storytelling #oracy #literacy
#shakespeare #storytelling #oracy #literacy
March 26, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Almost time to enter the forest in the company of the rude mechanicals and the fairy folk - and Year 5.
#shakespeare #storytelling #oracy #literacy
#shakespeare #storytelling #oracy #literacy
Yesterday was spent in a Mechelen primary school with Paul Contryn. I think the importance of this kind of outreach from Theatre DE MAAN can not be overstated, providing children with a bridge joining natural play to the conventions of theatre, audience perspective & the crafting of performance.
March 22, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Yesterday was spent in a Mechelen primary school with Paul Contryn. I think the importance of this kind of outreach from Theatre DE MAAN can not be overstated, providing children with a bridge joining natural play to the conventions of theatre, audience perspective & the crafting of performance.
I wonder if the noise of mental cogs grinding and sounds of dextrous hands manipulating cardboard are disturbing the neighbours in this quiet suburb of Mechelen....
#storytelling #puppetry
#storytelling #puppetry
March 19, 2025 at 11:17 AM
I wonder if the noise of mental cogs grinding and sounds of dextrous hands manipulating cardboard are disturbing the neighbours in this quiet suburb of Mechelen....
#storytelling #puppetry
#storytelling #puppetry
Back working at the story face in Belgium- thank you Michiel Stiers and Baudouin Roelants for organising this visit, help during the day and photos.
BTW I worked out that the Sir Simon puppet in the photo is 30 years old next year. I have been doing this for a looooooong time...
#storytelling
BTW I worked out that the Sir Simon puppet in the photo is 30 years old next year. I have been doing this for a looooooong time...
#storytelling
March 13, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Back working at the story face in Belgium- thank you Michiel Stiers and Baudouin Roelants for organising this visit, help during the day and photos.
BTW I worked out that the Sir Simon puppet in the photo is 30 years old next year. I have been doing this for a looooooong time...
#storytelling
BTW I worked out that the Sir Simon puppet in the photo is 30 years old next year. I have been doing this for a looooooong time...
#storytelling