Stories for all appeal launch

This Appeal was launched by Sally Magnusson on January 24th at The Netherbow Arts Centre, Edinburgh which is now the home of the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

The Appeal's aims are:
To give every child in Scotland the experience of live storytelling
To encourage and train storytellers in every community
To create a national and international resource centre for Scottish storytelling
To enable old traditions and values to flourish in new ways

The Appeal will last for two years and aims to raise £600,000 to support local storytelling for all age groups across Scotland and to equip a new national training and resource centre to be built at The Netherbow. It's interesting to note that in future all age groups are to be included.

Dr Donald Smith, who is Honorary Treasurer of the Scottish Storytelling Forum, the charity that funds the Centre, announced that in addition to the funds to be raised in the Appeal, the Scottish Storytelling Centre and its national network are to receive an immediate funding boost over the next two years. The Centre has won an award of £100,000 from the Scottish Arts Council Lottery's "Children and Young People Scheme" for Storymakers, to encourage children as storytellers across Scotland. Eighteen local authorities have also agreed to participate in the Storymakers programme and have pledged a further £65,000 of support.

Following the Launch, there was an opportunity to view the Storytelling Centre's new website and drop-in information centre, and their existing and proposed new facilities. This event was attended by lots of storytellers who have already been trained at the Centre and who were all anxious to ply the uninitiated with stories!

Report by Sheila Constable.