A Cornucopia of Tales and Tellers

29/03/2024

This week, Simona and Alan are joined by Elena Asciutti in Sicily, Italy, to talk about her life in storytelling. From talking part in Radio Cavolo and hosting a programme Diffusione Fiaba to FEAST Mentorships promoting storytelling and the love of stories.

Of course we are also treated to a tale at the end which we all loved hearing after a wonderful chat.

Enjoy!

This week, Simona and Alan are joined by Elena Asciutti in Sicily, Italy, to talk about her life in storytelling. From talking part in Radio Cavolo and hosting a programme Diffusione Fiaba to FEAST Mentorships promoting storytelling and the love of stories. Of course we are also treated to a tale at...

15/03/2024

Check out our new episode!! Earth and wind, here we come - enjoy!

This week we followed up on our water and fire stories with Earth and Wind, while throwing some cider into the mix as well for good measure! Give a listen to the Apple Tree and the Wind Whisperers... Enjoy! A Cornucopia of Tales and Tellers is a passion project brought to you by English teachers Ala...

01/03/2024

Silky Selkies and London's Burning! https://acornucopiaoftandt.podbean.com/e/silky-selkies-and-londons-burning/ In this two part episode we decided to use the four elements of the earth for a bit of storytelling fun - water, fire, earth and wind. So this week, we take one each and find a story to tell, before next week, completing the four. Today's episode has Alan telling us about a Selkie who isn't having a great time on the Antrim coast, while Simona tells us about the Fire of London. Enjoy!

In this two part episode we decided to use the four elements of the earth for a bit of storytelling fun - water, fire, earth and wind. So this week, we take one each and find a story to tell, before next week, completing the four. Today's episode has Alan telling us about a Selkie who isn't having a...

22/02/2024

Do take some time to listen to our latest episode! We hope you enjoy :)

Are they windows into our soul, are they haunted with all knowing beings, or do they show us images of what we want to see? This week Simona and Alan tell tales of mirrors, or looking glasses if you prefer to avoid nouns, tales of fortune... and otherwise. We hear about the fortunes and love of thre...

14/12/2023

Storytelling for Peace 🕯
سلام
शांति vrede 和平 ειρήνη peace สันติภาพ שָׁלוֹם мир Barış
A global storyround fundraising for MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians)
24 December is going to be incredible, especially if you come and tell a story or share some poetry with us at the World Storytelling Cafe. Your peace-loving hosts are David Heathfield and Simona Stambazzi. Let's come together to send a message of Peace around the World.
Just turn up in the Zoom room and stay for the whole event or join us for a while between 1.00pm and 4.00pm UK time and, when you arrive, tell us in the chat if you'd like to tell a Story for Peace in any language (2 - 8 mins). Go to www.worldstorytellingcafe.com , scroll down to Today's Story and click on the gold JOIN STORY button. The event is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube and remains available on the World Storytelling Cafe website and page and YouTube afterwards.
You can invite more friends young and old around the world who love sharing stories to join us live or enjoy the recording.
The theme is Peace and we are fundraising for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). You can donate any amount you choose before, during and after the event here www.map.org.uk/donate/donation-details/484 or by PayPal here https://www.paypal.com/GB/fundraiser/charity/4920746.
Stories and poems may be serious or light-hearted. All stories which are told and poems which are spoken are welcome whatever your age or experience and whatever languages you use - we are an inclusive diverse community.
We warmly appreciate whatever you wish to share, especially if it's your first time at the Cafe. With this event we want to send a message of Peace. Feel free to invite everybody you know to come and join us on Zoom to tell and/or listen.
Remember it's Christmas Eve in many parts of the world, a time when many people are thinking about a child born in Palestine, a time to ask for Peace.
The event is brought to you by the World Storytelling Cafe in Marrakech, Morocco.
Thank you for joining Storytelling for Peace.
Please share this post.🕯️

08/12/2023

Welcome to the second part of our episodes on the theme of fantastic, mythological, legendary and imaginary creatures! This time our focus is all on… Faeries!

Join us for an introduction to the world of faeries around the world and to learn how our perception of faeries has changed throughout the ages – listen to a wonderful story told by our own Alan Hall and for a couple of poems about faeries!

Enjoy!

A Cornucopia of Tales and Tellers is a passion project brought to you by English teachers Alan and Simona, who want to create a compilation - or cornucopia if you will - of stories from all around the world and by as many tellers from around the world as possible. So grab a cup of tea, chai, water or uisce beatha, relax and enjoy hearing tales that have been handed down generations, or even ones that were dreamt up yesterday! Music by Purple Planet.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you like what you hear, you can Buy Us A Coffee to help fund future episodes and the hosting of our podcasts.

24/11/2023

Fantastic creatures, mythological creatures, imaginary creatures… with not one, not two… but three stories from around the world, this podcast is all about them!

The first story is a tale from the African folklore about a scary ghoul, ‘The Seven Sisters, the Little Dog and the Monstrous Ghoul’ told by our dear friend David Heathfield - Storyteller. David learnt this story from a doctoral student from Libya he taught English to, Iman Alharsha - Iman and her sisters were told this story huddled together in the darkness by their aunt Aisha who raised them. Later Iman's family escaped Libya and gained refugee status in Germany. This story was accompanied by tears as Iman remembered Aisha. Simona's Stories then tells a story from India, ‘The bull that came from the sky’. The third story, ‘The sirens’, is a Greek myth told by none other than the wonderful Despina Ariou - Storyteller - Depicurian.

Enjoy!

https://acornucopiaoftandt.podbean.com/e/fantastic-creatures-and-where-to-find-them/

If you like what you hear, you can help us out by buying us a cup of tea to help fund and run future episodes!
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/acornucopij

Fantastic creatures, mythological creatures, imaginary creatures… with not one, not two… but three stories from around the world, this podcast is all about them! The first story is a tale from the African folklore about a scary ghoul, ‘The Seven Sisters, the Little Dog and the Monstrous Ghoul....

10/11/2023

Alan and Simona welcome their dear friend Despina Ariou back on the podcast to tell them all about the wonderful storytelling ventures she’s been up to this year!

From Morocco to Greece, from England to Ireland – Despina travelled and told stories at festivals, enchanting her audience with her mesmerising storytelling. Join us to learn about Moroccan belly dancers and musicians, storytelling and nuclear power debris, fairies, and much much more!

Enjoy!

https://acornucopiaoftandt.podbean.com/e/festivals-discoveries-and-happy-memories-with-despina-ariou/

If you like what you hear, you can Buy Us A Coffee to help fund future episodes and the hosting of our podcasts!
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/acornucopij

Alan and Simona welcome their dear friend Despina Ariou back on the podcast to tell them all about the wonderful storytelling ventures she’s been up to this year! From Morocco to Greece, from England to Ireland – Despina travelled and told stories at festivals, enchanting her audience with her m...

27/10/2023

We’re back! Oh, it’s good to be back!
After a summer break that lasted… well, a little bit more than expected, Alan and Simona get together to catch up, speak about the ‘Storytelling in Education – Global Online Conference’ that Simona co-organised with David Heathfield, and that Alan was a part of as a speaker, and to tell each other random stories that they’ve been working on!
Simona tells a Roman myth, the story of ‘Pico and Canente’, which will make you look at woodpeckers in a different way from now on. Alan tells the very true story of ‘The hitchhiker’, and all together we will be shouting ‘But what was in the box?’ for the rest of our lives!
Enjoy!

We’re back! Oh, it’s good to be back! After a summer break that lasted… well, a little bit more than expected, Alan and Simona get together to catch up, speak about the ‘Storytelling in Education – Global Online Conference’ that Simona co-organised with David Heathfield, and that Alan wa...

15/07/2023

Musings on Story Tools!
David and Despina join Alan and Simona for a discussion on the creation of stories, review three we told and how we can use tools to help us tell tales.

David and Despina join Alan and Simona for a discussion on a previous episode - we chat about the origins of tales, what we tell, what we use as sources, and tools for helping us create new stories. (Catch up if you haven't listened to it yet, this episode makes more sense if you listen to 'Catching...

30/06/2023

David and the Story Space

https://acornucopiaoftandt.podbean.com/e/david-and-the-story-space/

Give a listen to David's guest appearance on The Story Space where he tells four tales from around the world!

This week, David made a guest appearance on The Story Space. The Story Space might be the longest running storytelling club anywhere and I had the privilege to be featured as the guest storyteller on 13 June 2023! It's a wonderful, friendly group and everyone is made welcome. Information is in the l...

16/06/2023

Changes at Hand for Setanta and Oisin

https://acornucopiaoftandt.podbean.com/e/changes-at-hand-for-setanta-and-oisin/

This week we both happen across two Irish tales we think are worth telling. Our characters experience ...a little change by the end of their stories for better or worse. Setanta grows up and Oisin heads off somewhere.

Enjoy!

This week we both happen across two Irish tales we think are worth telling. Our characters experience ...a little change by the end of their stories for better or worse. Setanta grows up and Oisin heads off somewhere. Enjoy! A Cornucopia of Tales and Tellers is a passion project brought to you by En...