07.-09.07.2023 – ‚Beyond the Border‘ – a Storytelling Festival

My first storytelling festival. Indeed, my first festival ever. Eight tents have been put up for storytelling, music and workshops. So, the first thing I had to come to terms with was that I would miss more than I would watch.

‘Beyond the border’ is one of the biggest storytelling festivals in the UK

... and there are quite a few around! It attracts people from – well, not all over the world – but way beyond the borders of this country. So, appearing there are the more well-known storytellers.

The variety of styles and subjects is amazing

You get historical tellings, the fairy tales but also shows that would deal with present day subjects.

Of the many fantastic shows, I have seen, the program of Carl Gough has impressed me the most. I’ve ‘met’ Carl on LinkedIn and I knew he cared a lot about ecology. But how would you combine that with storytelling. Doesn’t sound very entertaining, does it? But wouldn’t it be just great if it DID work? So Carl’s show ‘Nexus’ was top of my list.

Carl did not tell a variety of wisdom stories telling us more or less indirectly of our rights and wrongs. Carl told us about the Everglades. About how they used to be, their importance, their destruction but also about how the have been saved again and again. Carl told us about how much one single person can achieve and about how little it sometimes takes. A tale full of light and hope – lively and entertaining.
So that’s how it works!

All in all: I’d do it again anytime! But next time I’ll take a toilet-tent … 😀