Tuesday Talk: Storytelling – The Social Art of Language

People have been telling stories for as long as there has been language and in this talk Alastair starts by asking what evolutionary drive led humans to use story to shape experience. From this beginning he takes his audience on a journey from ancient myths and legends all the way to contemporary approaches to oral storytelling via the storytelling revival in the 20th century. En route Alastair will draw on his experience as a performance storyteller to explore the connections between everyday tales that people tell during casual conversation and storytelling as an art form – as well as what makes the oral tradition distinct from the written word.

About the speaker:
Alastair K. Daniel is an artist educator performance storyteller and independent scholar working in the UK and abroad. He gives storytelling performances for adults and children teaches storytelling and its application in educational contexts and advises organisations on the strategic use of storytelling and narrative communication.

As a storyteller Alastair’s performances are characterised by an interactive and conversational style through which a continuing back-and-forth with his audience breaks down expectations around the roles of teller and listener.