‘Pitter Patter: The Storyman’

“It [The Things We Leave Behind[ was the most powerful project that I have ever seen delivered in a school. I cried several times as I could recognize the huge impact it was having on the pupils …”
Vanessa Dear, Head of School at Field Lane Primary Rastrick

‘The Storyman – Stories of Migration and Journeying’ – is a cross community project devised and delivered by verd de gris in partnership with Square Chapel’s Creative Communities initiative.

This exciting and important new project will celebrate the art of storytelling and gesture to bring a greater understanding of the experience of migration and journeying … of cultural similarity and difference, to communities across Calderdale.

We will be working with 8 local primary schools during the Autumn Term 2015. Sessions will run for a morning or afternoon in each school. The project will be targeted at Year Groups 5 and 6.

We will also be working with Creative Arts students from Calderdale College working towards a performance event at Square Chapel in December.

The project will draw on the skills of ace storyteller Peter Findlay and dance artist Natalie Speake working together to creative a memorable participatory workshop / performance.

“Once upon a time a man caught a fish, it was small but it was enough to feed his family.
Once upon a time a man caught a big fish and his family had a slap-up dinner that night.
Once upon a time a poor man managed to catch a giant fish with big, black beady eyes. The fish was very
heavy, but he managed to carry it home and it fed his family for a week.

Once upon a time a poor beggar went fishing. Something began to pull on his line and after he had tugged and tugged for an hour he landed the biggest fish he had ever seen; it had big, black beady eyes, blue scales and a silver belly. He was just about to kill the fish when it opened its mouth and said, “I am a magic fish, if you save my life then I’ll grant you a wish …”

Stories take a grain of truth; an event; a person; a family secret and take it on a journey. As the tale travels from mouth to mouth or chest to chest it changes as each individual voice shapes and moulds memories, hopes, fears and dreams … Once upon a time …”

Peter Findlay (Storyteller)