The Glens Storytelling Festival
By ELEANOR MCGILLIE 28 September, 2018
How do you fancy five days of storytelling and music for all of the family in the Glens of Antrim in the run up to Halloween? Well, our very own Irish storyteller Liz Weir will be joining special guests at The Glens Storytelling Festival so you can listen to spooky stories and great music in the heart of the glens.
The Glens Storytelling Festival is a fantastic festival for people of all ages and it will truly get you and yours into the spirit of Halloween.
This is a festival for all of the family and it is always a magical experience.
Organised by Antrim Glens Tourism, this community storytelling festival celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Glens of Antrim – an area steeped in heritage, culture, beauty and there are lots of real characters around.
The festival will include storytellers and musicians from within and outside of the local area and includes a programme of events, performances and sessions designed to appeal to children, young people and adults of all ages, cultural backgrounds and interests.
The event, which runs from October 24 to October 28, will showcase the magic of the glens through storytelling and music. The stories you will hear will be distinctly spooky as the theme of the festival is ghosts, fairies and banshees.
The festival director is the much loved Liz Weir who is an internationally respected storyteller who is based at Ballyeamon Barn near Cushendall. She tells stories to people of all ages and abilities and is currently the Storyteller in Residence Libraries NI – thanks to the Armstrong Storytelling Bursary
The festival will take place in a range of different locations including Cushendall, Cushendun, Glenariffe, Ballycastle , Rathlin Island, Carnlough, Glenarm and Ballygalley. In addition there will be walks, children’s craft sessions and storytelling workshops to enhance the skills of adults and children.
For those wanting to develop their own storytelling skills there will be a workshop and a story-swap where they can have a go themselves. Younger members of the family can enjoy ‘not so scary’ stories and there will be other special children’s activities such as quizzes, crafts and fancy dress..
Special guests include Colum Sands, Kate Corkery, Christine McMahon, Niall de Burca Gerry Donlan plus a host of local tellers and musicians
Enjoy and experience the true spirit of the Glens of Antrim at this unique festival where listeners of all ages will hear tales of ghosts, fairies and witches to send shivers up their spines.
Family fun events include;
- Which Witch Village Quiz
- Stories from the Landscape
- Storytelling Workshop
- Evening of Stories, Music and Craic
- An evening of Spooky Tales & Music
- Spook-tacular Happenings for 8-11’s
- Tales and Tunes – an evening of stories and music
- An evening with Spooky Tales & Music
- Late Night Scary Stories
- Not So Scary Stories
- Not So Scary Stories
- Scullion Hurls: Hurling with The Other Crowd
- Steenson’s: Tales of Gold & Silver
- Forest & Story Walk in partnership with Glenarm Walking Group
- Tea & Tales at Blackthorn & Willow
- Ghosts on the Coast: Tales at Manor House Rathlin
- Spooky crafts, stories, face painting and fancy dress
- Meeting the Other Crowd: Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland
- Ghost Story Swap – your chance to tell a tale
- Storytelling & Music Concert with Colum Sands
- Forest & Story Walk in partnership with Walk the Glens Group & Glens Red Squirrel Group
- A Feast of Fearful Tales (with soup and sandwiches)
- Witch at Sea
- Stories in Stone at Bonamargy
- Spooky Stories & Strange Songs
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