Spontaneous Storytelling – The Quest

with Danyah Miller, Arthur Dyer

Sharing stories is one of the most precious gifts we can offer our family and friends, creating memories that last a lifetime.

Let’s journey together through earthy landscapes and dream worlds, foraging for story seeds. We’ll draw inspiration from the natural world, play cheeky social games and engage with spontaneous storytelling exercises…as we embark on our quest to find the stories yet unheard, but longing to be told. We’ll explore how to develop them further, all within a safe and nurturing environment.

During this interactive and experiential workshop we’ll work with three pillars of Spontaneous Storytelling to enable us to prepare for and make up spontaneous tales without the aid of a pre-existing story or book. During our quest to co-create stories, we’ll be stretching our imaginations, improving our memories and developing our five senses.

You’ll leave feeling curious, capable and confident to share your first spontaneous stories easily and effortlessly.

Most suitable for those who love story and want to make-up their own tales, writers, educators, health practitioners, parents and grandparents.

No previous experience is required, all you need is an open heart and mind and a willingness to explore and play.

Guided by Danyah Miller and Arthur Dyer

Arthur Dyer

Having trained with The International School of Storytelling in 2008, Arthur has since applied and developed these skills in educational, care and community settings, as well as performing at clubs and festivals. He has been running successful courses on the Art of Storytelling for over ten years and loves to collaborate with other storytellers and Puppeteers.

In 2014, Arthur trained with WildWise in Environmental and Outdoor education, evolving certain hard skills such as Bushcraft and Firecraft, while deepening his relationship with nature through immersion, song, poetry and fireside storytelling. He went on to work as a mentor and storyteller with various Outdoor Learning providers.

Arthur has since completed a 4-year training in Bothmer movement, play and spatial dynamics and is currently works as a Steiner School Games and Movement teacher.

Alongside this, he has been working with the 13th century legend of Parzival as a mirroring tool to help young people explore their own choices and challenges as they go out into the world. Within the tale is the notion of striving-Parzival is on a quest to fulfil his destiny and must face inner and outer trials on the way. Arthur is interested in applying this idea of questing to the world of spontaneous storytelling, seeking inspiration from various sources on the journey in order to discover and develop the stories asking to be told.

Danyah Miller

‘If I can’t be a teacher I want to be a Danyah…..’ 7 year old child to her mother

Danyah Miller is an international solo performer, writer and story trainer. She is passionate about oral stories and storytelling and their power to change lives.

Danyah’s aim is to bring stories and storytelling to every family and community, everywhere.

‘I’ve been inspired to hear the child who doesn’t speak share his first story; the one who disrupts the class focus and find a place for herself. I’ve witnessed restless and wild children sit in silent awe; a disparate class of thirty come together as a family and youths and young adults rise to the challenges of reading and writing, exceeding all expectations.’

She studied drama, dance and English at Bretton Hall College, and later improvisation, mime and physical theatre at Lecoq, Paris.

Danyah’s adapted // written and starred in five theatrical solo storytelling shows, three are award winning including ‘I Believe in Unicorns’, by Michael Morpurgo, which has enjoyed three West End seasons. She adapted and recorded Hodgson Burnett’s ‘The Secret Garden’ as part of a unique ‘Story-in-a-Box experience. For two years Danyah was the regular storyteller on BBC3CR.

Danyah regularly delivers online and in-person storytelling training across a wide range of settings and was a workshop leader at The International School of Storytelling for over 10 years.

Her book ‘Seven Secrets of Spontaneous Storytelling’ is written for adults who want to share stories with children. It is published by Hawthorn Press and is now available HERE