‘Storytelling: Constancy and Evolution: lectures on the development of the storytelling art’

1 ‘The Distant Past’ This lecture looks at definitions and functions of storytelling in society and explore some of the terms associated with storytelling. It also considers the roots of theatre in storytelling and early examples of narrative-based performance. In addition it explores the following themes: storytelling and popular theatre traditions; storytelling and Elizabethan theatre; the literary tradition of storytelling and the rise of the fairy tale. 2 ‘The Recent Past’ This lecture explores the more recent emergence of professional storytelling as a contemporary artform, considering questions such as when, why and how did contemporary professional storytelling emerge, what are its key characteristics, what forms does it take and what is its relationship with notions of tradition? 3 ‘The Present’ This lecture examines the state of current storytelling practice in the UK, considering the diversity of practices and how the practice has developed in recent years. It also masp out the opportunities and challenges that face storytelling at the present time. 4 ‘The Future’ This lecture picks up those opportunities and challenges in more detail and explores ways in which they may be met. It asks the fundamental question, “What is the role of storytelling in the 21st century and how has it changed?”