This weekend I’ll not only be telling a couple of my favourite Caribbean folktales, but children will be able to record their own version of it with me. This will happen at the Southbank Centre as part of the Imagine Children’s Festival on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th February. It’s such a great idea and the first time I’ll be doing an audiobook with children.
Crafty trickster stories
I plan to tell the tale of how ‘Anansi Claimed the stories’ and ‘Anansi & the Talking Melon’. The first story is one of my favourites, first told to me by my Grandmother and then my mother when I was a young child. There are a few strong characters involved to rival the trickster Anansi and 3 challenges for him to complete which always keep the listener on his/her toes. There are a couple of well known versions in print, but as a storyteller my recipe lets me add a few twists and turns of my own, have children throw a few ideas into the mix, turn up the heat and enjoy what is created.
The second story, Anansi & the Talking Melon, is hilarious and although it’s for the younger end of listeners, I find a way of telling it which all ages love. There are lots of characters who are tricked, which builds on the suspense and amuses everyone listening. There’s also lots of repetition which means everyone can participate and join in the joke.
Imagine Children’s Festival
For the workshops this weekend, we’ll have lots of percussion instruments for children to create sound effects and I’ll give children a few parts to say so that they can hear their voices on the audio recording too. Hopefully it will be a beautiful souvenir of the day and a chance for me to share Caribbean folktales again.
If you’d like to come along on either Saturday 13th or Sunday 14th February, book your tickets on the Southbank Centre website.