Wow!
What a fun two years that was! I found it a tad hard to keep Story Storks going. It's not big enough to have qualified for any of the emergency fund money. I applied for an arts grant from the arts council but was judged on how projects already in progress faired against their strategies rather than my being a financially independent arts organisation - my application was unsuccessful, as it's quite hard to change strategy part way through a project. I could have claimed up to 80% of my profits, but Story Storks is a not-for-profit organisation. Damn me and my community spirit.
But you lot were fabulous. The support I received when I took Story Storks online was just phenomenal. I honestly sat and sobbed at the end of the first few sessions because the generosity of you and your children was just amazing. You were the light in my darkest days.
I've also had support from Creative Youth, who commissioned me to perform during the Fuse Festival this year (formerly known as IYAF). They put me on the main stage in Kingston's marketplace. I honestly think that's a role I was born for!! I and a microphone are a fun combo!
And my gorgeous friends at the Rose Theatre came knocking and asked me to be a part of the Roundabout Theatre run, the pop-up theatre in the middle of Kingston. I performed my first-ever one-woman theatre show in what is a gorgeous little theatre and loved it. There will definitely be more of them.
Fast forward to today, and Story Storks is still going and starting to rebuild. To keep food on the table I had to retrain as a teacher. Believe it or not, I'm teaching Chemistry part-time to teenagers and loving it! But that means with the other part of my working week I get to PUT ON A SHOW!!!!
Just before the pandemic, I was asked to be the Christmas show at The Exchange in Twickenham. It was something of a break for my little company, and I was thrilled to have been asked. Sadly, a pandemic ensued and it all went wrong. I had thought that dream was over.
But this year, they asked me again! Obviously, I cried! And then said YES!!!!!
So Story Storks is back, and we'd love to see you at Christmas, to reunite with old friends, and introduce you to a rather special new one. This year we'll be performing our super special version of Dick Whittington, documenting his REAL journey from Gloucestershire to London which took him nowhere near Highgate Hill. Instead, he sailed in on the Thames. And whilst the real Dick Whittington didn't stop at Twickenham, in our version of the show he's going to get off the boat and find out why the Cabbage Patch pub is named the Cabbage Patch. I promise the answer is very child friendly!
Hope to see you there!
Story Storks & Co. are an Early Years Theatre Company on a mission to help and inspire every Early Years child to become a reader for pleasure. We do this with a blend of interactive storytelling and theatre, designed to fire children's imaginations whilst getting them ready for reading.
