photo by George Laycock
Storyteller
I first began storytelling as a member of Magic Lantern, and subsequently worked for several years as musician for Taffy Thomas. Most of my stories are from the British Isles, but some are from other traditions collected during my travels to Africa, Newfoundland and South America. The stories often have a musical element, and are ideal for storytelling events at Festival and community venues.
I work extensively in Dorset schools, and I am available for storytelling in schools all over the country.
My stories are sometimes spoken and sometimes sung, and a typical performance will include songs accompanied on concertina, melodeon and guitar, with plenty of opportunity for audience participation. The stories are suitable for KS1 and KS2 children. Performance times are arranged through consultation with staff to fit in with timetable requirements. I hold a current CRB check.
I enjoy collaborating with other artists including music workshops with the New Scorpion Band, and shadow puppet workshops with puppet maker Polly Beestone. Recently I undertook The Sprat Jacket story collecting project and worked with visual artist Lal Hitchcock for Dorset’s rural touring scheme Artsreach, and created a Story map of village tales for ArtCare in Salisbury District Hospital. Collaborations and project work are invited.
I worked with John Hodgson, Education Officer at the National Trust on the Dragonquest project at Killerton House, Devon. Dragonquest was eighteen month exploration of the use of myth, legend and storytelling in environmental education.
As storyteller in the CARA project at Damers First School, Dorchester exploring the potential of storytelling as a stimulus for literacy.
Two large projects at the Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis: one based on the history of the Landslip on the Heritage coast combining creative writing, artwork and the performance of a play; and the other a songwriting project for students culminating in a concert and CD recording.
At Stoborough Church of England First School on two projects for English Nature which resulted in performances on Stoborough Heath by the children. I helped the children to devise two plays, one about the history and archaeology of the heath, and the second about the flora and fauna.
I work regularly for the Dorset Wildlife Trust at their Wild About Dorset events.
Music and storytelling projects with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Poole and Bournemouth Schools.
Storytelling and dialect poetry projects for the English department at Shaftesbury School as a stimulus for new creative writing.
Regular storyteller for Dunbury school in Dorset.
I am happy to be involved with collaborative projects as well as solo work.
'Tim Laycock is a fine musician, an outstanding workshop leader and a joy to work with. He is also the BSO Education Department's first call when we they have to link the orchestral repertoire and the English Folk Music Tradition together on a project.
His knowledge of the Folk world is second to none, and he often throws a whole new light on a theme or subject. An example of this happened recently when working on a BSO Education project linked to Bartok's 'Bluebeards Castle'. School pupils explored this wonderful story through Bartok's themes AND English Folk Music alongside BSO musicians led by Tim'.
Andy Baker, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
