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Scottish Storytelling Centre

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a vibrant arts venue with a seasonal programme of live storytelling and theatre, music, workshops and festivals.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

About Scottish Storytelling Centre

43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR
01315569579
Scottish Storytelling Centre Website
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The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a vibrant arts venue centrally located on Edinburgh’s High Street celebrating the live art of storytelling for all ages and interests. The Centre hosts a year-round programme of storytelling, music, theatre, dance and more, with plenty to offer locals and visitors alike. An ever-changing roster of workshops and exhibitions beg repeat visits throughout the year, as does the bustling Haggis Box Café, situated within the Centre’s welcoming Storytelling Court.

Each October the Storytelling Centre is the hub for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, internationally recognised as a leader in its field and one of the 11 Edinburgh Festivals. It also curates a vibrant programme for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each August. The Centre also manages the adjacent John Knox House Museum which dates back to 1470, making it one of the oldest original medieval buildings still standing on the Royal Mile. The house is now set up as a museum where visitors can learn about the house itself and some of the residents, including the turbulent times of John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots during the Reformation.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a great meeting place, where a warm welcome is extended to families and visitors, and where creative minds can explore cultures and traditions (old and new) in Scotland today.

Upcoming Events at Scottish Storytelling Centre

Spring Sessions with Tom Oakes & Friends

Selected dates between 20th March 2024 - 17th April 2024

Join renowned traditional musician Tom Oakes for a series of informal lunchtime music sessions in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court!

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Exhibition: Word of Mouth

22nd March 2024 - 20th April 2024

Word of Mouth (WOM), at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, is an exhibition of new artworks and writing exploring our relationship to food, cooking and kitchens.

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Fixed Assets Album Launch with Seán Gray

29th March 2024

Ayrshire guitarist and singer Seán Gray is launching his debut album 'Fixed Assets' at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 29th March!

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Burgh Blatherers’ Storytelling Ceilidh: Cast Ne’er a Clout

3rd April 2024

Join Edinburgh's own Burgh Blatherers for the second of a regular open-floor storytelling night taking place throughout the year!

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In Shackleton’s Orbit

10th April 2024

Join Lindsey Gibb and Nicola Wright for a whirlwind tour of the life beyond the ice of the legendary polar explorer Ernest Shackleton at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 10th April.

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An Evening of Stories with Mara Menzies

10th April 2024

Join us at the Storytelling Centre on Wednesday 10th April for a relaxed evening of stories and friendship with storyteller Mara Menzies!

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Queer Folks’ Tales

11th April 2024

Queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future at the Scottish Storytelling Centre!

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From Arthur’s Seat Pre-Launch Reading

12th April 2024

From Arthur’s Seat balances grief, sensuality and humour; it is a journey along the edges of human experience. Travel with us.

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Easy Sundays: The Norm Does Breakfast Club - A Word of Mouth Workshop

14th April 2024

The Norm Project takes a curious and playful approach to exploring societal norms, investigating how routine can be abstracted and contrasted to create something new.

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Easy Sundays: Turntable

14th April 2024

Turntable is a pop-up music installation, which invites you to select and play a record from our collection and share the story of your choice in a one-to-one chat.

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Stories of Whisky & Wine - A Journey to Chile

17th April 2024

Inspired by La Viajera ('The Traveller'), a painting by Chilean artist Camilo Mori, follow the journey of four ghosts through time and space as they embark on an uncertain and evocative journey.

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Loud Poets Central Slam Heat

19th April 2024

After the massive success of the inaugural Loud Poets Slam Series in 2023, I Am Loud Productions are back to do it all over again on Friday 19th April!

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Page2Stage

23rd April 2024

Page2Stage is back at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, with another exciting line up of new writing on 23rd April!

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Pomegranates Festival

25th April 2024 - 30th April 2024

The Scottish Storytelling Centre welcomes the return of Pomegranates, the annual springtime festival sowing the seeds of international traditional dance!

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Elegies

27th April 2024

Elegies is the first dance adaptation of Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica by legendary Scottish poet and songwriter Hamish Henderson.

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FISHING: An Exhibition by Stephanïe Vandëm

3rd May 2024 - 15th June 2024

FISHING is a modern exploration of contemporary identities and heritage from artist Stephanïe Vandëm at the Scottish Storytelling Centre from 3rd May!

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FISHING: In Airt & Sang with Tripple - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

3rd May 2024

Join us on 3rd May at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in celebration to launch FISHING, our May exhibition with an early evening session of songs from harmony singers Tripple.

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FISHING: Meet the Artist - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

4th May 2024

A chance to hear from artist Stephanïe Vandëm, whose exhibition FISHING is showing at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of Tradfest!

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Rickle O Stanes - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

4th May 2024

Through powerful and playful storytelling and traditional song, Shona Cowie, Neil Sutcliffe and dramaturg Liam Hurley explore the layers of history on which we stand today!

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Journey to the Isles - Part of Tradfest 2024

5th May 2024

A mesmerising glimpse into the landscapes, folktales and songs that inspired one of Scotland's great early collectors of traditional arts.

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Mini Mummers Parade Prep - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

5th May 2024

Join us at Scottish Storytelling Centre on 5th May for a fun morning of mask decoration, crafting and face painting ahead of the May Day Parade!

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Family Beltane - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

5th May 2024

This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Beltane story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts.

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Book Launch: Yum by Susi Briggs - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

6th May 2024

Join Susi Briggs for stories in the cosy Storytelling Court to celebrate the launch of her new book Yum, illustrated by Charlotte Brayley and published by Foggie Toddle Books.

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Cafe Ceilidh - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

7th May 2024

Come along to a free afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories in the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 7nd May!

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Mochyn Myrddin: Merlin’s Pig - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

7th May 2024

Welsh storyteller Milly Jackdaw presents a fusion of traditional storytelling, physical theatre, music and ceremony in this solo performance based on the life of Myrddin.

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Called Back: The Poems of Emily Dickinson - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

8th May 2024

This event opens a window on the life and work of Emily Dickinson and the passions and preoccupations which she poured into her writing.

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Hearth Fire Sessions - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

9th May 2024

Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of Tradfest.

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LAU NAU and Pekko Käppi - Part of Tradfest 2024

10th May 2024

Join us at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for a very special evening of music from two of Finland’s most visionary musicians!

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Storytelling for Musicians with Svend-Erik Engh - Part of Tradfest 2024

11th May 2024

This workshop with Svend-Erik Engh is for musicians who want to be better storytellers on stage!

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A Jaunt Round Auld Reekie - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

11th May 2024

Join mad auld Auntie Bee and her long-suffering niece Bonnie McRee on a tour of Auld Reekie, past and present, real and imagined, without leaving the cosy Storytelling Court!

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Fire from the Woods - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

11th May 2024

By reimagining old tales from Lithuania and around the world, storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė and musician Gaynor Barradell explore the silence between generations.

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Edinburgh Tradfest: Easy Sundays: Family Ceilidh

12th May 2024

Come with family and friends to dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Ceilidh Band at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 12th May!

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The First Wave and the Last - Part of Edinburgh Tradfest 2024

12th May 2024

Berwickshire Coastal Arts bring you a reflection of what it means to live, and want to live, in a coastal community.

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The Yellow Canary

28th May 2024 - 30th May 2024

The Yellow Canary is based on a true story and is a leap into the imagination of a young boy as he attempts to escape the horrors of war, exploring love, loss, and what it means to flee your home.

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43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR

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