This year, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) returns to Edinburgh for its 35th anniversary.
Whether in person or online from across the globe, storytellers and lovers of tales are invited to the ceilidh and welcomed to the world’s largest celebration of storytelling, anchored in Scotland, a nation of storytellers.
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Scottish Storytelling Festival celebrates 35 years
The world famous SISF returns to Edinburgh October 18-31. Taking place across the city, the festival is one of the most admired storytelling events in the world and the largest of its kind.
Since 1989, SISF has been building bridges between cultures, artists and audiences all over the world through the power of storytelling – connecting past, present and future.
You can be a part of it by attending any of the in-person events, workshops, performances and interactive sessions.
Anchored at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh but also taking place in regional venues, with affordable tickets, a podcast and a global lab workshop series available online, SISF is more accessible than ever.
This year, the festival features a diverse programme with an international focus, highlighting storytellers from Germany, India, Ireland, and across Scotland.
Bridges Between
Coinciding with marking 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, this year’s theme is ‘Bridges Between’. Last April 2024, SISF opened commissions for entries to be featured in this year’s festival and selected eight brilliant new works to be a part of the Bridges Between programme.
At a time where literal, figurative and societal walls continue to be constructed which separate countries and communities, this theme of connection couldn’t be more apt. SISF invites audiences and storytellers to look beyond these boundaries and to celebrate the last and the next 35 years of storytelling.
A world of stories within the Festival City
With so many incredible stories it’s hard to know where to start! Here are just a few of the events taking place during SISF 2024.
Open Hearth Sessions
Taking place throughout the festival, the Open Hearth sessions gather together storytellers and musicians for a relaxed evening of stories and music in the Netherbow Theatre.
As the darkness closes in and minds glow with pictures in the symbolic fire, this is a perfect way to end your day when attending SISF.
Featuring storytellers Peter Chand, Erin Farley and Beth Malcolm, to name a few.
8pm (1hr 30) | £12 (£10) £8 on October 18, 22, 27 and 31.
Bridges Between | Mending Nets
Palestinian poet and dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller Janis Mackay build a bridge of friendship between Scotland and Palestine, presenting the simple and radical belief that the act of telling stories from our lands – especially stories of loss, friendship and hope – can be instrumental in helping people attempt to retrieve an unravelled sense of identity.
6pm (1hr) | £12 (£10) £8 on October 18.
Spicy Tales from India
Guest storyteller Jeeva Raghunath brings an evening of stories exploring food and Indian woman power, featuring fish curry, chicken curry, gourd curry, superstition, rumour and punishment. Journey through the folk lands of India with music, rhythm and dance.
6pm (1hr) | £12 (£10 £8 on October 26.
Oot o the Book
Stories leap from the page to the tongue in celebration of 20 years of Edinburgh as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Drawing from books written by collectors of oral tradition, Ruth Kirkpatrick shares a prime selection of tales that have appealed to her Scottish storytelling heart. With musical accompaniment from accordion and whistle player Leo McCann.
5pm (1hr) | £12 (£10) £8 on October 22.
Tree of Memory: Honouring the Elders
Claire McNicol hosts a celebration of Irish and Scots storyteller Audrey Parks, with friends and family. Share a life well lived and honour your own elders at the Tree of Memory. Artwork by Katie Warner. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum.
4pm (1hr 15) | £5 on October 28.
Exhibition: Take Me To New Lands
& Then Take Me Home
A stunning collection of paintings by Orcadian artist and musician Sarah McFadyen, exploring the line between the worlds of fact and imagination, and between the land and the sea. A common thread runs through this work, moving beyond what is near and known, crossing over to the otherworld and then returning with new riches to enhance the cherished treasure and beauty of the place to which one returns. New work is displayed alongside previous pieces inspired by David Thomson’s The People of the Sea to continue a life-long exploration of this theme.
Scottish Storytelling Centre 10am – 9pm | Free. From October 5 – November 3.
Go Local
Not in Edinburgh but still wanting to be a part of the story? SISF will also be hosting a range of events across Scotland, in and around Angus, Argyll, Dumfries &
Galloway, Dundee, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, North East, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Stirling, and the Western Isles.
Be sure to check SISF’s Go Local Programme to find an event near you.
Kid-Friendly events
At SISF, there’s really something for everyone, so you can get the whole family involved. Here are just a few:
The Hairy Tale of Sam the Skull: Sam the Skull is a hilarious folk song by Harry Hagan, about a gallus Glasgow cat. In a frenetic oral cartoon, storyteller Alastair McIver relates Sam’s continuing adventures, visiting a number of Scottish children’s
folk songs along the way.
2pm (1hr) | £5 per child | 6+ on October 17.
Family Samhuinn: This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Samhuinn story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts. Join for a free morning of face painting and crafts (10.30am), followed by two ticketed sessions of storytelling and songs (12pm & 1.30pm).
10.30am (Free, drop-in) 12pm & 1.30pm (£5 per child) (1hr) | All Ages on October 20.
Botanics Storytelling Day: Stories of the Underwood: Magical things happen in the autumn, when leaves fall down, mushrooms pop up, and untold stories are waiting to be foraged. Join storytellers for an afternoon of fun and magic for all ages!
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Arboretum Place, EH3 5NZ 12pm (4hrs) | 20min sessions on October 27.
See the full programme of performances and venues and learn more about Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2024.
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