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AMY DOUGLAS 

BIOGRAPHY

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Storyteller Community artist Project leader

Reminiscence worker Facilitator

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Over the past twenty years Amy has delved deep into the folklore of Britain, celebrating its richness, variety and close connection with the landscape. She tells stories that have been moulded by the land, weather and generations of tongues wagging. She works extensively in education, primarily with English and literacy, but much of her work is cross curricula. She revels in the creativity of collaboration with artists from different disciplines and loves to work outside, using physical space to support internal story structure. Amy’s workshops are about play, exploration and experimentation. She loves playing with language – riddles, rhymes, ballads and stories – using the oldest of stories to inspire new creativity.

 OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

● Full driving licence

● DBS checked December 2014, Shropshire County Council

● £10 million public liability cover through Equity membership

● Founder member of Tales at the Edge and Festival at the Edge

● 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

Teaching resource:

‘Pass It On’, Amy Douglas and Graham Langley, 2013

Fiction:

‘Story Safaris’: Amy Douglas and Fiona Collins, 2011

Traditional story

‘Shropshire Folktales’: Amy Douglas, The History Press, 2011, ISBN 978 07524 5155 8

(Received an Honours from the Storytelling World Awards 2014)

‘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)

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

Recordings:

‘Stories of Shropshire’: Amy Douglas, Coughing Dog Music 2001, CDF 004

Contributions to other books:

‘Humphrey Kynnaston’ The Anthology of English Folk Tales, The History Press, Nov 2016, ISBN 9780750970433

‘Wild Edric’ Shropshire Slow Travel Guide, Bradt, Feb 2016, ISBN 9781784770068

REFERENCES

Julie Warmington, Deputy Head: Ladywell Green Nursery and Infant School, Park Street, Newtown, SY16 1EG   

Tel: 01686 626303 email: jwarming@ladywell.powys.sch.uk

Graham Langley, Director: Traditional Arts Foundation, 19 Springfield Rd, Birmingham, B14 7DU

Tel 0121 2473856, email: graham@tradartsteam.co.uk

Andrew Barker, Headteacher: Bishops Castle Primary School, Oak Meadow, Bishops Castle, SY9 5PA

Tel: 01588 638522, email: admin@bishopscastle-pri.shropshire.sch.uk

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EXAMPLES OF RECENT PROJECTS AND PERFORMANCES

2019:     ‘ICOMOS’ Speaker at the conference on intangible heritage

‘Newtown Storytelling Club’ running a weekly club for 9-14 year olds at Newtown High School, Powys

‘Bag Books Storyteller’ continuing to work for this fantastic charity telling stories to people with learning difficulties

‘Creative Agent for Lead Creative Schools’ facilitating for Black Lane Primary School, Wrexham on their Year 2 project

‘The Smug Parents’ Handbook’ currently collaborating with Marion Leeeper on a book of stories, rhymes and related activities to give adults ideas for having fun with the small children in their lives

 

2018:     ‘Ladywell Green Nursery and Infant School Creative Practitioner’ an LCS project to improve attainment and enjoyment of literacy in KS1 reluctant writers

‘Shropshire Folk Tales for Children’ published this collection of stories aimed at 7-11 year olds with The History Press

‘Bag Books Storyteller’ continuing to work for this fantastic charity telling stories to people with learning difficulties

‘Creative Agent for Lead Creative Schools’ facilitating for Black Lane Primary School, Wrexham on their Year 2 project

 

2017:     ‘Bryn Collen Creative Practitioner’ working and playing with Y1/Y2 children to explore their enquiry question, ‘Can re-imagining an outdoor space engage pupils and improve literacy skills?’

‘Creative Agent for Lead Creative Schools’ working with Black Lane Primary School, Wrexham

‘Shropshire Folk Tales for Children’ Currently working on a new book commissioned by The History Press

‘Bag Books Storyteller’ appointed as Bag Books storyteller for North Wales and the West Midlands.  Bag Books are an amazing charity providing multi-sensory storytelling for people with learning difficulties http://www.bagbooks.org          

‘Beeline Storytelling Festival’ Featured storyteller at the University of Worcester’s storytelling festival for children.

‘Medgel – portrait of a witch’  a collaboration with visual artist, Anne Marie Lagram, responding to her work through      storytelling and leading events combining exhibited conceptual art, discussion, storytelling, song and poetry.

‘HP Fan Tours’ telling the folklore J.K. Rowling drew on for Harry Potter and having fun as a divination teacher!

‘BLAST!’ I run a winter series of storytelling concerts in Bishops Castle, ‘Beautiful Lies and Startling Truths’

2016: ‘Spirit of Place’ Delivered storytelling training to Castle Hosts at Powys Castle to help them develop and celebrate the deeply human story of the family during WWI and how Powys was given to the National Trust

‘Telling Tales‘ Ran adult community storytelling workshops in Montgomery leading up to a community performance at Montgomery Castle in association with TASC and the Gwanwyn Festival

‘Storytelling Garden’ Designed and built a place to create, tell and play with stories in Bishops Castle Primary School with KS1 students and visual artist, Michelle O’Connor.

‘Shropshire Folk Tales for Children’ Currently working on a new book commissioned by The History Press

‘Festival at the Edge’ Featured storyteller at the international storytelling festival

‘English Folk Tales’ had a story included in The History Press’ anthology

‘Severndale at Mary Webb’ Storytelling session and workshop for MLD KS3+4 students

‘Wild Edric – Hero under the Hill’ Touring this piece celebrating the landscape of South Shropshire and its mythic hero.

‘Christiana’s Journey’ A collaboration with Dr. Nicola Grove exploring women’s journeys and pilgrimmage through John Bunyan’s lesser known sequel, storytelling and reminiscences of the Camino de Santiago.

‘Young Storyteller of the Year Competition 2016’ judge for the national competition

2015: ‘The Lore of the Land’ Featured storyteller on BBC Radio 4 series, episode 1, stories of the Wrekin and giants (available on iplayer)http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b068tl6k

‘Wild Edric- Hero under the Hill’ developed a new storytelling and music show for adults with accordionist, Lucy Wells

‘BLAST!’ Launched a winter series of storytelling concerts in Bishops Castle, ‘Beautiful Lies and Startling Truths’

‘Stokesay Castle’ using storytelling, treasure trails and story-making to explore the heritage and site of Stokesay Castle with Y7 students

‘Oriel Davies Gallery’ Interpreting the ‘Flora’ exhibition through storytelling, creative writing, rhyme and song through a series of events for both adults and children.

‘Wellington Young Storytellers Club’ working (playing!) with teenagers, developing their stories/presentation skills.

‘World Book Day’ series of workshops in Shropshire schools using forest school spaces, traditional stories, trails and exploration to lead into creative writing and developing classroom books.

‘Watery Words’ Using storytelling and the landscape of Carding Mill Valley to inspire creativity and word rhythms, leading into poetry and creative writing with KS1 children and storyteller, Fiona Collins

2014: ‘Dragon’s Breath Storytelling Club’ evening performance of Shropshire stories at Dronfield’s storytelling club

‘Mary Webb Secondary School’ working with Y7 to develop storytelling skills and enrich their own written stories

‘National Poetry Day – Remembrance’ using reminiscence and story to lead into poetry writing with Y3/Y4 students

‘British Myths and Legends’ working with London Guided Tours to tell traditional stories to American students

‘Storytelling Inspire Day’ a celebratory day telling to KS1/KS2 children alongside teenage tellers from ‘Away with words’

‘Sineater Festival’ Family storytelling

‘Bristol Family Folk Day’ Introductory day of folk arts at Colston Hall

‘Young Storyteller of the Year 2014’ M.C. for this year’s national storytelling competition for 15-25 year olds

‘World Book Day’ told stories to 50 under-five year olds to celebrate. ‘Absolutely brill!’ said Welshpool Library

‘The Full English’ worked with the English Folk Dance and Song Society as part of their huge celebration of folk arts. Collaborated with folk musician, John Kirkpatrick and Y7, Queensbridge School, Birmingham to create a performance using ballads, story and dance.

2013 Maternity Leave

2012: Maternity Leave

‘Pass It On’ co–edited this resource with the Traditional Arts Foundation. ‘Pass It On’ is aimed at helping teachers and youth workers of all kinds to engage and educate young people in the art of storytelling.

‘Young Storyteller of the Year’ working with storyteller, Fiona Collins, and a group of Y11 students from Westcroft College, Wolverhampton developing storytelling skills in preparation for the Young Storyteller of the Year Competition.

2011: ‘Sundorne Infant School’ collaborated with visual artist Michelle O’Connor and roleplay expert, Kat Quatermas, on an intensive project with Y2 boys to inspire a love of writing and develop their writing skills. The boys were submerged in an interactive story through trails, challenges and secret messages. They created their own trails and narratives for the rest of the school, culminating in the unveiling of a flashing, beeping, clanking, enormous word machine incorporating pieces made by the whole school.

‘Bishops Castle Creative Partnerships Writer in Residence’ working alongside the staff to support literacy skills as the new IPC curriculum was introduced into school. We tailored activities and sessions to support the needs of each class. The aim was to enthuse children about literacy, creative writing and core skills, looking at literacy in new and exciting ways, using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning to make writing fun.

‘Shropshire Folktales’ launched my new book, a collection of thirty traditional stories from Shropshire

‘Harry Potter Fan Trips’ on board storyteller for week long Harry Potter based UK tours, celebrating the wealth of traditional stories and customs drawn upon by J. K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series and interpreting the landscape through folklore and mythology

‘Musical Migrations’ a celebration of birdsong along Offa’s Dyke and an exploration of how migration routes and bird species are changing. A series of community music and storytelling workshops culminating in promenade performances on Offa’s Dyke.

‘Bucknell Primary School’ collaborated with dancer Anna Belyavin to explore Greek myths and create new narratives based on Greek myth structure. We used outside spaces, drama and dance to physicalise story structure and bring narrative description to life. We explored the use of movement between spaces to help understand paragraphs, sentences and pacing.

‘Manchester Storytelling Club’ evening of Shropshire Folktales from the new book – tales of wily women and the Devil’s brew, places of solemn beauty, macabre murders and strange hauntings

2010: ‘Story Safaris’ devised and published a book of active storywalks to get 3-8 year olds and the carers moving

through narrative in six of Wrexham’s country parks, in consultation with children from local primary schools

‘Laura’s Adventure’ a multi-sensory exploration of story with teenagers with special needs resulting in the teenagers

performing their story to primary children and mentoring them in a variety of 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

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