Creation stories: Sowing the seeds
Join us for an enchanting evening of storytelling in Dean's Yard.
Storyteller Olivia Armstrong returns to Westminster Abbey to curate and host a new season of stories exploring creation across cultures and continents. Explore myths and legends of nature and the wild wonderful world around us, with a different exciting guest storyteller each week, and stories delving into the wonder of being alive.
Tuesday 6th August - Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Beasts
Zahra Afsah is a British Persian storyteller who crafts the stories she tells with passion and precision. She focusses on the direct influences of the oral traditions in the miniature Persian painting of the medieval era. Some of her most recent performances have been at the Anglican Storytelling Festival, Istanbul Masal International Storytelling Festival and Brighton Refugee Week.
Tuesday 13th August - The Year Of 72 Seasons
Masako Carey takes us for a sojourn through the seasons - all 72 of them...Renowned Japanese-born Storyteller Masako lives in the Glens of Antrim. She was a featured storyteller at Belfast Mela and the Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival and was awarded an Ethnic Minority Mentoring and Residential Grant by National Lottery Fund through Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Tuesday 20th August - Waves of Wonder
Join Wendy Shearer for a deep dive into rippling rivers and awesome oceans. Wendy is a professional storyteller, oral historian and author of African and Caribbean Folktales, Myths and Legends. She regularly works with libraries, schools and institutions across the arts, bringing stories to life from her African and Caribbean heritage.
Tuesday 27th August - Flora Fabulosa
Xanthe Gresham explores floral fables, and stories of sacred plants and herbs that heal. Xanthe is an acclaimed international performer, her storytelling residencies include Harvard University, The Smithsonian and Chelsea Physic Garden. She is also author of Goddesses and Heroines with Thames and Hudson and Herba Mythica, The Myths and Folktales of Sacred Healing Plants.
About Olivia Armstrong
Olivia is a professional storyteller, based in London and originally from Northern Ireland. She has an extensive repertoire of traditional folktales and historical stories, and is frequently commissioned to create site-specific original stories.
She has worked with many of the major names in the cultural sector – from the British Museum to Buckingham Palace.
Ticketing information
Tickets will be available through Eventbrite. We are asking for a minimum payment of £5 and will have a ‘pay what you can’ booking up to a maximum of £20, which is what the event is worth.
Additional information
You are welcome to attend Evensong at 5pm before the event.
The Storytent is located in Dean’s Yard.
Doors will open at 5.45pm. Stories will begin at 6pm.
There will be an interval between stories during which we will explore the Abbey Gardens.
This event is for adults and young people over the age of 16, please see our family pages for information and events to explore this theme as a family.
This event does not include entry to Westminster Abbey. We recommend looking at the Visit us pages to plan a visit during opening hours.
Creation
This event is part of the Creation Season. Join us this summer in College Garden to engage in events that explore our interconnectedness with the natural world.
