The Storytelling Festival 2022

The project is aimed at both local people and visitors to the islands.  The project benefits the people of Orkney directly, enabling them to participate in the storytelling and workshops, enjoying our own local storytellers and visiting professional performers. Visitors to the islands enjoy out-of-season activities that involve local traditions and culture. A collaborative story-telling event hosted at Stromness library for local teenagers was one of the fully-subscribed events (this was a donations only event, not paid tickets) - there was a waiting list in case spaces opened up.

Increasingly the festival attracts guest storytellers from around the world as well as visitors from across the UK and further afield. The Festival not only showcases Orkney culture to a new audience, it also works to keep Orcadian stories and the tradition of storytelling alive in our local communities. This helps to ensure that an intrinsic element of Orcadian heritage and its cultural traditions remains vibrant and strong.

The Trust works with local businesses and uses local facilities to host events. As the Storytelling Festival takes place in venues across Orkney outside the peak tourist season, it increases economic stability and sustainability within the community, bringing new income to the local economies outwith the traditional tourist season.