National Storytelling Week was created 10 years ago to celebrate and promote storytelling and give this unique and ancient art form a platform in the UK It is held in the first week of February every year. This week was chosen because it is not too close to Christmas and coincides with Candlemas, which falls on the 2nd of February. Part of the rituals for this old church festival includes a blessing on the throat, a prime tool in the store of nearly all storytellers of every belief and culture. This national celebration of storytelling has successfully increased public awareness, and an increasing amount of events happening each year.

It is a wonderful celebration to mark in schools, but is still little known and somewhat overshadowed by World Book Day which follows shortly after in March. Storytelling and reading are closely connected, a love of hearing stories will naturally lead to a love of reading, and so World Book Day is a great time to bring live storytelling into schools. But why not celebrate the art of storytelling in and of itself this February by marking National Storytelling Week. If you would like a storyteller to visit your school we have a few dates still available, so contact me. There are also lots of events happening, for example the Crick Crack Club will be performing special story collections at the Unicorn Theatre. Schools groups are welcome and enjoy group discounts.

For anyone interested in planning a special event for next year, contact the Society for Storytelling who offer an information pack with ideas for putting on a special event during National Storytelling Week.