The study group is a ringside experience in wielding the swift blade of story to sharpen your own instincts as a storyteller.

Join Simon and fellow scholars as he works his way live through a tale. It’ll be like Twitch for students of oral storytelling. Throw in ideas and ask questions. Your input will be actively sought, and you’ll see how the story takes shape with it.  We’ll dive into mythic or story issues raised and there’ll be time to ask questions related to your own storytelling project or journey as a storyteller.

Expect to come away with ideas you can apply to your own storytelling or creative practice. We’ll look at how we can get closer the people in the story so they’re more real, getting our arms around the plot, awareness of archetypes and how they can enhance the story. We can talk about these things in theory, but they only really come alive when actively in touch with the bones, rhythms and punctuation of the story itself. We’ll also see how place and the world of the story lights it up and we’ll explore the context of the folk tale or myth itself: where did it come from, who was it important for, what can it tell us about our lives today?

Conversation will inevitably spill into big life questions: what our great task in this life-maze is, getting up off the ground when life knocks us off our feet and living authentically with so many urges and influence(r)s acting on us. All this we’ll find in the stories and our conversation together.

The study group is for anyone proactively looking to expand their skills and depth of insight into what it takes to be a storyteller. We’re working at the carving bench of orally transmitted folk tale and myth but skills and insights shared can apply storytellers in any field: writers, designers, speakers, poets, activists and communicators of any kind. We are a broad church, and there’s a pew available for you.

This first session went so well this has now become a dedicated meet up of storytelling swordplay – carving a new world one story at a time.

“I absolutely loved storytelling swordplay! I found the process of creation very inspiring and also everybody‘s thoughts and ideas were opening up so much more levels of the story.” Verena

Your first visit to storytelling swordplay is free. After that, the contribution is  €9. Payment details will be sent when you sign up

To sign up send an email to simon@storyourself.com.
Your first visit to storytelling swordplay is free. After that, the contribution is  €9. Payment details will be sent when you sign up

“There are few people who understand the craft of storytelling & live it in their day-to-day work. Simon is one of them & because of this his stories speak to all of us.” Paul Hughes, Paul Hughes Live

“There’s no storyteller like Simon! So much to learn from these events – about the stories, about how to tell them well, about the world and about your self.” – Tanja Ahlin, Anthropologist and Science Tech Scholar

A note from Simon

For over a decade, storytelling has been the beating heart of my life and work. I’ve applied storytelling insights and skills in business, education, leadership development and non-profit communications. However, my deepest love and inspiration – has been for folk tales and myths that have formed European culture and held it together for thousands of years.

I want to share my experience in diving into these wells of mystery – and making sense of them for modern life – so that you’ll become a better storyteller.