AMY DOUGLAS – BIOGRAPHY
Storyteller author community artist project leader reminiscence worker facilitator
CONTACT
Telephone: 01588 638497 Website: www.amydouglas.com Email: amythestoryteller@hotmail.com
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amy Douglas is a vibrant professional storyteller with a passion for traditional stories and riddles.
Over the past twenty years she has delved deep into the folklore of Britain, reveling in tales of the strange and macabre; memories of magic and otherworlds; proud recollections of folk history; stories to make you smile, sigh or shiver; stories that have been moulded by the land, weather and generations of tongues wagging.
Amy is experienced in community projects, performance, workshops and working with children, teenagers and adults in all environments using storytelling for education, or pure entertainment.
Her subtle wit, gentle humour and soft, strong voice breath life into her stories, opening doors to other times and possibilities, so that somehow, even when she is gone, a gleam of magic still lingers.
All art begins with a story. The desire to create, to let your soul shine and share the joy and pain of life with another soul begins with a word. No matter the ability or age anyone can enjoy sharing a story. Storytelling is a creative and accessible artform and is also an ideal medium to focus on team building, lead into creative poetry and prose, speaking and listening skills and presentation.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
● Full driving licence
● CRB checked: February 2011 – Shropshire; December 2009 – Telford and Wrekin; April 2009 – Birmingham City Council
● Public liability cover £10 million through Equity membership
● Founder member of Tales at the Edge and Festival at the Edge
● The first West Midlands Arts Storytelling Apprentice
A year studying with professional storytellers in Britain and America, 1993/1994
● Director of the Society for Storytelling, 1998-2000
Responsibilities including organizing the 1999 and 2000 Annual Gatherings
● Arts Award Advisor qualified to mentor young people for their bronze and silver arts awards as part of the National scheme to recognize young people’s involvement in the arts and give them an accredited qualification
PUBLICATIONS
Oral History:
‘Memories of Pontcysyllte’, Amy Douglas and Fiona Collins, Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2006, ISBN 0-7524-3770-4
‘Evesham Voices’, Genevieve Tudor and Amy Douglas, Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2000, ISBN 0-7524-2092-5
Traditional story:
‘English Folktales’: Dan Keding and Amy Douglas, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005, ISBN 1-59158-260-1
(Winner of the 2007 Storytelling World Award for best storytelling collection)
‘Shropshire Folktales’: Amy Douglas, The History Press, due to be published 2011
Fiction:
‘Story Safaris’: Amy Douglas and Fiona Collins, February 2011, book of active storywalks for Wrexham Country Parks
Recordings:
‘Stories of Shropshire’, Amy Douglas, Coughing Dog Music 2001, CDF 004
REFERENCES
Leonie Hart, DanceXchange : Birmingham Hippodrome, Thorp Street, Birmingham, B5 4TB, Tel: 0121 689 3170
Mandy James, Arts Co-ordinater: The Bridge School, Hadley Learning Community, Waterloo Road, Hadley, Telford,
TF1 5NU, Tel: 01952 387108
EXAMPLES OF RECENT PROJECTS AND PERFORMANCES
2010: Story Safaris’ devising and publishing a book of active storywalks for 3-8 year olds and their carers set in six of Wrexham’s country parks. Stories, actions and illustrations created in consultation with local primary schoolchildren
‘Laura’s Adventure’ a multi-sensory exploration of story with teenagers with special needs resulting in the teenagers performing their story and mentoring primary children in various arts activities
‘Young storyteller of the Year’ working with Fiona Collins mentoring students at Selly Park Technology College for Girls for the competition and preparing them for their Bronze Arts Award
‘Bryn Coch’ told Welsh stories to years 4 and 5 to celebrate National Storytelling Week and Welsh week in school
2009: ‘Ghosts, Ghouls and Gargoyles’ collaborated with DanceXchange on a ‘Find Your Talent’ dance project celebrating the history, folklore and people of Newport.
‘Letterbox Club’ created a story-based Questseekers’ Challenge for children in foster care in association with Telford Libraries
‘Travellers – Who are ye?!’ Told stories from and discussed issues surrounding Traveller Culture, Hartlebury Museum, Worcestershire
‘Young storyteller of the Year’ mentoring students from Burton Borough Secondary for the competition.
‘Find Your Talent’ worked with Dance Xchange, Telford and Wrekin Libraries, and High Ercall and Crudgington Primary Schools using Shropshire myths and legends to inspire a dance performance to be shared at Charlton Secondary School
‘Inspiring Arts Ideas for Teachers’ – workshop leader for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts conference for KS2 teachers in Liverpool
‘Young Storyteller of Wales’ – judge for the competition held at the Llangollen Arts Pavillion
2008: ‘Find Your Talent’ worked with Dance Xchange, Telford and Wrekin Libraries, and High Ercall and Crudgington Primary Schools using Shropshire myths and legends to inspire dance, creative writing and narration.
‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ worked with the army cadets, primary school children and WWII veterans in Bishops Castle to share memories of conflict and the home front
Haden Hill Old Hall’ worked with Year 6 students interpreting the Hall through stories of its residents as part of a project to connect communities with their heritage
‘Sensational Celebration’ told stories to KS2 students as part of the celebrations at the end of the first phase of Telford’s Culture Zone
‘The Young Storyteller of the Year’ worked with Ludlow Secondary School to prepare young storytellers for the national competition.
‘Step Forward in Storytelling’ leading day workshop on intermediate storytelling skills for adults
‘HP Fan Trips’ Artistic leader during a residential week at Ford Castle, Berwick on Tweed, celebrating the wealth of traditional folkore drawn upon by J. K. Rowling and interpreting the landscape through local lore, custom and story.
Festivals including: ‘Festival at the Edge’, ‘Whitby Folk Festival’, ‘Edinburgh Gypsy and Traveller Festival’
Finished maternity leave
2007: ‘The Twisting Field’, a collaboration of storytellers and musicians, blending song and narrative. Toured nationally at storytelling clubs, arts centres, literature festivals and through rural touring schemes
‘Footfalls’, collaborated with award-winning theatre company Pentabus leading reminiscence workshops feeding in to their mission to open a window onto the lives of all the people who lived in Nag’s Head Yard in Ludlow from the 1800s to the present day
‘Gifted and Talented’, storytelling workshop for gifted and talented students at Bishops Castle Community College
‘Craven Arms – Face It!’, bringing together KS2 students and elders of the diverse communities of Craven Arms to encourage intergenerational sharing with the aid of fantastic fruit faces!
Had a baby!
2006 ‘Beginner’s storytelling’ workshop leader, National Society for Storytelling AGM
‘Shropshire Story Tours’ – taking secondary school students into the Shropshire countryside to experience local stories in their settings
‘Pontcysyllte Memories’ – launched a book of reminiscences published by Tempus Publishing collected during ‘Voices around the Aqueduct’, a nine month reminiscence residency, celebrating the memories of people living around the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
‘The Welcome Wall’ – collaborated with visual artist Michelle O’Connor and 14 – 17 year old special needs students from The Bridge to design and create a nine metre square welcome wall for their new school
Festivals including: ‘Whitby Folk Festival’, North Yorkshire; Chinquapin Storytelling and Music Festival, Illinois, USA; ‘The Exchange Place’ at ‘The National Storytelling Festival’, Tennessee, USA
