From 1st to 3rd April, 2011, Adverse Camber has been invited to programme a Storytelling Weekend at mac in Birmingham.

The weekend explores the theme Listening for Landscape with four evocative performances of storytelling and music featuring Stacey Blythe, Lynne Denman, Michael Harvey, Nick Hennessey, Simon Heywood and Katrice Horsley plus an imaginative map-making activity inviting the public to participate.

Storytelling and map-making often go hand in hand. Hunting the Giant’s Daughter, “…a standard-bearer for Welsh language and material, a wonderful blend of music and the spoken word, and a tour de force by three fine artists” (Fiona Collins) is created and performed by Michael Harvey (storyteller), Lynne Denman (singer) and Stacey Blythe (musician/composer).  The show is based on Culhwch and Olwen, the oldest Arthurian legend ever found written down, originally in Welsh. The story maps the journey from youthful bravado towards battle-hardened experience, moving from Cornwall to Wales and over to Ireland and back. A furious hunt for a wild boar (the Twrch Trwyth) races through the landscapes of West and South Wales, over the Severn and into South West England, with rivers and mountains named by events which happen along the way. Hunting the Giant’s Daughter is on Sunday 3 April at 7pm in the Foyle.

Myths of Mercia is a new piece created by Katrice Horsley (storyteller) and Simon Heywood (storyteller/songwriter) which maps the landscape in and around the Birmingham area. A blend of real life experiences from the Clent Hills to Barr Beacon with legends and ballads, some medieval, others newly composed, the performance weaves around personal memories, shared stories and melodies to remember! Myths of Mercia launches the Storytelling Weekend, on Friday 1 April at 7.30pm in the Hex.

Throughout the weekend people passing through mac are invited to drop in at the Hub to contribute to an imaginative-map making, sharing stories of places which are particularly special to them. On Sunday, in Telling the Land, Michael, Lynne, Stacey, Nick and Simon will share a unique performance of storytelling and music, responding to the stories which have been shared. Telling the Land is on Sunday 3rd April at 4pm in the Foyle.

All this, plus on Saturday afternoon an unmissable free performance by Ffynnon “Spinetinglingly exquisite jazz-soaked Celtic folk music, combining the traditional and the innovative” (BBC Radio 2). The performance will include traditional and new music with the haunting, powerful voice of Lynne Denman and inventive music of Stacey Blythe. Ffynnon perform in the Bridges Café Bar on Saturday 2nd April from 2pm.

For more information including to book online visit www.macarts.co.uk and hope to see you there!