photo by
George Laycock
Storyteller
I first began storytelling as a member of Magic Lantern,
and subsequently worked for several years as musician for
Taffy Thomas. Most of my stories are from the British
Isles, but some are from other traditions collected during
my travels to Africa, Newfoundland and South America. The
stories often have a musical element, and are ideal for
storytelling events at Festival and community venues.
I work extensively in Dorset schools, and I am available
for storytelling in schools all over the country.
My stories are sometimes spoken and sometimes sung, and a
typical performance will include songs accompanied on
concertina, melodeon and guitar, with plenty of opportunity
for audience participation. The stories are suitable for
KS1 and KS2 children. Performance times are arranged
through consultation with staff to fit in with timetable
requirements. I hold a current CRB check.
I enjoy collaborating with other artists including music
workshops with the New Scorpion Band, and shadow puppet
workshops with puppet maker Polly Beestone. Recently I
undertook The Sprat Jacket story collecting project and
worked with visual artist Lal Hitchcock for Dorset’s rural
touring scheme Artsreach, and created a Story map of
village tales for ArtCare in Salisbury District Hospital.
Collaborations and project work are invited.
I worked with
John Hodgson, Education Officer at the National Trust on
the Dragonquest project at Killerton House, Devon.
Dragonquest was eighteen month exploration of the use of
myth, legend and storytelling in environmental
education.
As storyteller in the CARA project at Damers First School,
Dorchester exploring the potential of storytelling as a
stimulus for literacy.
Two large projects at the Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis: one
based on the history of the Landslip on the Heritage coast
combining creative writing, artwork and the performance of
a play; and the other a songwriting project for students
culminating in a concert and CD recording.
At Stoborough
Church of England First School on two projects for English
Nature which resulted in performances on Stoborough Heath
by the children. I helped the children to devise two plays,
one about the history and archaeology of the heath, and the
second about the flora and fauna.
I work regularly for the Dorset Wildlife Trust at their
Wild About Dorset events.
Music
and storytelling projects with the Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra in Poole and Bournemouth
Schools.
Storytelling
and dialect poetry projects for the English department at
Shaftesbury School as a stimulus for new creative
writing.
Regular
storyteller for Dunbury school in
Dorset.
I am happy to
be involved with collaborative projects as well as solo
work.
'Tim
Laycock is a fine musician, an outstanding workshop leader
and a joy to work with. He is also the BSO Education
Department's first call when we they have to link the
orchestral repertoire and the English Folk Music Tradition
together on a project.
His knowledge of the Folk world is second to none, and he
often throws a whole new light on a theme or subject. An
example of this happened recently when working on a BSO
Education project linked to Bartok's 'Bluebeards Castle'.
School pupils explored this wonderful story through
Bartok's themes AND English Folk Music alongside BSO
musicians led by Tim'.
Andy Baker, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
