Category: Story Teller

Blazing a Trail

3/31/2016

I don't often get to be a bona fide trail blazer, but the lovely of organisers of the Manchester Children's Book Festival have allowed me to be just that. On Saturday 19th March they let me loose in Manchester Central Library for an afternoon of story, poetry, fun and song!

There was a Belle Vue Circus theme to the day so I donned my best top hat and 'tale' coat before we 'Squashed and Squeezed' into the story tent. Soon I was filling it with a real motley crew! We followed 'Ten Little Pirates' to sea and sailed through a tale of misadventure with 'Rotten Robin and the Crooked Cutlass' followed by a hearty rendition of 'Hooks, Parrots, Pegs and Legs!'

'Rotten Robin and the Crooked Cutlass' is my exclusive story for Children's Hospice, Derian House's, Dreams Campaign. A download a version, narrated by the multi-talented Ted Robbins, will soon be available to help the charity raise much needed funds. And while you are waiting for that you can always learn how to join in with 'Hooks, Parrots, Pegs and Legs' here!

As well as sailing with pirates we flew kites, looked into a magic bucket and managed to train a very naughty puppy called Rascal! When the children weren't joining in with the stories they were taking part in crafts, games and interactive poetry all linked to the Belle Vue theme.

Collaborative Poetry Creation

The Manchester Children's Book Festival, organised by MMU, is committed to celebrating and sharing the best that children's story and poetry can offer right here in our region, not just on our doorsteps, but often over the threshold too, in our schools and public spaces.

This Trail Blazing event was one of many planned in the upcoming months all leading to the festival itself in June. There will be a whole range of events going on, including the brilliant family fun day (see you there) many of which are FREE! So keep a close eye on their programme to see who or what is landing on your doorstep.

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Horse + Bamboo Puppet Festival

7/5/2015

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Setting up The Boo garden for its annual puppet festival.

I am lucky to live close to 'The Boo', home of the Horse + Bamboo Theatre and have been a regular attender of their puppet festival for years. So I was thrilled to be asked to take part this year and tell stories in their beautiful garden.The festival combines a mixture of free street performance alongside some of the most acclaimed puppetry from around the world in their theatre spaces. One thing was sure, it was the perfect opportunity to get my puppets out!

The sun always shines on the puppet festival and this year was no exception. We all soaked up its friendly rays surrounded by colour, music and theatre. There was something for everyone, fascinating tiny puppets presented by Hungary's Mikropodium in the yurt, surreal street theatre 'Brain Wave' and many shows for one audience member. Not to mention the brilliant Chinese Circus that I had the privilege to share the decking with.

I'll be honest, with so much going on all around I was a little worried about drawing a crowd. But as I always say, if one child wants to hear a story then I'll tell them one. Each session started with a small select group and ended with a crowd. The children were enthusiastic and interacted with me through the stories while their families joined in with audience participation, including the songs.

A Captive Audience!

In fact this was obviously an expert audience who could be anything I asked them to be, pirates, princess and monsters! They were very talented little monsters and had a great time joining in with performance poem 'Ready, Steady, Monsters Roar' by fellow funeverser Maureen Lynas, always always happy to join in with Wylie Ukulele in a sing-a-long.

Wylie Ukulele likes an audience to play to.

I had a wonderful time taking part in the festival this year, and even managed to nip back on the second day to be I the audience of 'Monkey!' written by Michael Rosen. So great thanks to The Boo for hosting me and another wonderful puppet festival. I hope the sun shines on us again next year, I'm sure it will!

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Manchester Children's Book Festival 2015

6/29/2015

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I get incredibly excited every time the Manchester Children's Book Festival comes around. We're not talking tingly tummy, slow to sleep excited here. Oh no. I mean arm flapping, feet tapping, hair shaking, legs quaking, song singing, sick bringing excited! I just can't wait to dive into all that story, booky goodness!

But this year I was even more excited than usual. "How?" and "Why?" you may ask.

Well for one, it's only been a year since the last one. MCBF has graduated from being a bi-annual event to an annual one.

And for two... this is the best bit... I was invited to tell stories as part of the Family Fun Day. All because the lovely people at MCBF Towers partnered up with the wonderful people of SCBWI* Ville to create even more story telling fun!

Family Fun Day in Geoffrey Manton Building's Atrium

So armed with my best hats and my trusty ukulele (name of Wylie in case you're interested) I entered the storytelling tent. In there I soon created a world of pirates, princesses and pets all with rather twisty tales to tell. And yes, there was song, lots and lots of sing-a-long songiness. So a big thanks to all the fantastic kids, mums, dads, grans, grandads, aunts uncles and second cousins twice removed next door neighbours that helped me out with those! It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without you.

Photos by Dom Conlon

The festival is continuing until 5th of July. You can keep up with all the fun at their blog or join in the writing relay.

Thanks very much MCBF Towers for having me, and I hope to see you again soon. Less than a year to wait I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!

*Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

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Telling Tales at The Wellington Literary Festival

11/9/2014

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On the first weekend of October I was lucky enough to be invited to take part in The Wellington Literary Festival Children's Day. I was pleased to agree and soon found out that actually I was the headline act!

I was thrilled when I arrived at the venue. A completely newly built library with the most wonderful children's area full of comfy cushions, hidey holes and a stage made from giant books.

Wellington Children's Library

Through the day, using a mixture of well know stories alongside my own tales and poems, I took my audience on a real adventure. We went down on the farm, aboard a pirate ship, to fairy tale castles and went in search of our perfect pets, often helped along by trusty ukulele Wylie.

Wylie ukulele is made from Bocote wood.

There was was a man called Sue, And he worked in a scruffy old zoo. He mainly ate slop Which he bought from a shop, Then he met a lady called Stu.

The afternoon was rounded off with a trip to the funeverse, a place that I usually in habit with 9 other nonsensical poets like myself. On this occasion myself an my audience entered the limerick laboratory where we mixed up our rhymes to see what brand new poetry concoctions we could create.

So thanks for having me Wellington library, I had amazing fun I hope you did too.

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Blazing a Trail

Horse + Bamboo Puppet Festival

Manchester Children's Book Festival 2015

Telling Tales at The Wellington Literary Festival

George Kirk

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