Keeping connected with stories through 2020 and into 2021
Whilst 2020 has been such a challenging year for many across the globe, we've found stories and storytelling to have kept people connected and brought moments of joy throughout the year.
Here’s a brief round-up on how 2020 has been for us as we send you warm wishes as one year ends and another begins.
We had plenty of plans up our sleeves for 2020 and although some of them have been delayed, we took stock and forged ahead to find new ways to bring stories if not to your local venue, then directly into your homes.
Looking back on our round up of 2019, we noted our excitement for the broadcast of our first live-streamed storytelling event at the Leeds Storytelling Takeover with Tim Ralphs' Fairy Tales in Cyberspace. Who would have known at this time last year, live-streamed events would become the norm?!
Storytellers in conversation...
In fact, we kicked off 2020 with a new digital adventure in January - an online mini film series of 'Storytellers in conversation'... Filmed on a sofa during the Leeds Storytelling Takeover, we shared short conversations between storytellers, prompted by probing questions from our audiences. The results were funny, quirky and full of insights, alongside some more serious moments. If you missed it first time around, you'll find the series playlist on YouTube, with conversations between Clare Murphy and Michael Harvey, Tim Ralphs and Ana Dusa and Xanthe Gresham Knight and Peter Chand.
In February, we were thrilled to secure funding from Youth Music to work with young people to create new music inspired by the Moon and the Moon Landing memories gathered for our Moon Stories project.
Delivered in partnership with Baby People and Derbyshire Virtual School, the plan was to create a series of performances for the autumn. And even though these performances haven't happened in the way first imagined, the team have found ingenious ways to continue to make new music. For a little flavour, you can hear Connor's Making Friends with an Alien here.
GAZING - our online summer series!
In July, we launched GAZING, a series of short storytelling and stargazing moments, pinging into your news feed and illuminating your summer nights right through to the live finale in September. We even had two online creative writing workshops inspired by the Sun and the Moon!
GAZING was intended to bring moments of joy to us all during this very difficult year, and make us feel more connected when many were forced to isolate. The series took us all on a journey exploring our ongoing relationship with the Night Sky, using stories from the past, stories from now and stories of the future, and inviting us to look a little differently at the planet we call our home.
Nearly all of the episodes of GAZING are still available to enjoy on YouTube, Facebook and on our website - so delve back in and binge-watch the whole series!
4 Tales to Save the World...
This new piece of storytelling and music, created and performed by Welsh singer-songwriter and storyteller, Gwilym Morus Baird, draws on specially commissioned tales from four of Wales' leading short story writers, imagining Wales after climate crisis. Our original plan for a live tour, and then four online events has been adapted over the Autumn and in the New Year we’ll have news of something quite special we’re preparing for Spring 2021!
In the meantime, here's an exclusive chance to listen to one of the songs Gwilym has been working on for 4 Tales to Save the World, this track has been written for Kate Hamer's, The Last Word. You can listen to this beautiful song here.
So, although it’s been a relatively quiet year without touring, behind the scenes we’ve been busy planning, making and sharing stories in new ways, and have loved continuing to make connections through storytelling this year in particular.
And so for now, all that's left to say is we wish you all a peaceful festive season and hope you find the time to listen to and tell some wonderful stories, both epic and everyday.
We can't wait to share more news and more stories with you in 2021!
The Adverse Camber Team