Storyteller Katrice Horsley has been named our next storytelling laureate, taking over from Taffy Thomas for the next two years. Her appointment coincides with the start of National Storytelling Week, which will runs from 28th January to 4th February. Both important events in the storytelling calendar will be launched with a special celebration in Birmingham. Places are free, if you would like to attend go to kindandgenerous productions.

It’s great to see a female storyteller take the baton of laureate. As a storyteller, Katrice is a dynamic mix of performer (creating new and exciting performance ready pieces), advocate (working as consultant for large organisations such as BBC and the British Council) and educator (Katrice offers training and consultancy in the traditional arts). Katrice’s website  says this of her new appointment;

“…she hopes the raise the profile of the importance of storytelling within the performance arts, within community development and within our own development as fully rounded human beings.”

Traditional storytelling, whilst clearly in a revival, is still an under represented art form and I really hope to see Katrice use her position to support it’s growth. I certainly wish her the very best of luck!