The Grampian Association of Storytellers

Welcome to the web page of the Grampian Association of Storytellers – or GAS for short!  

We are currently doing a mix of in person meetings and Zoom. 

We have returned to our Frist Friday Flings. 

In person are held at  Peterculter Heritage Centre.

Our Zoom links are posted in our calendar of event page and also on our Facebook page.

Check out our calendar of events page to see what we are up to.  

GAS are a group of storytellers based in the North East of Scotland who organise storytelling get-togethers, events and workshops, provide professional storytellers for events and who provide a focal point for storytelling in the North East.

Our Aims:

• GAS organises and runs storytelling sessions and workshops which are entertaining, a fun way to socialise and a great way to enhance your storytelling skills
• GAS runs a mentoring scheme through which experienced storytellers can support and develop the skills of emerging storytellers.
• GAS encourages and promotes the craft of oral storytelling and its traditions of the North-east of Scotland.
• GAS runs a register of professional storytellers available to hire for your event. 

Monthly Storytelling Sessions AKA as our Frist Friday Flings

Whether you are new to storytelling, or an old hand, we’d love you to join us for an evening of friendly and relaxed storytelling. Songs, poems, riddles and jokes are all part of the oral tradition – but of course there would be no stories without listeners, so come along and join us – whatever your experience. 

We meet up to tell stories once a month (with a wee break over summer).  Although most sessions will be held in Aberdeen, we are eager to meet in Aberdeenshire every three months – so if you would like a session near you, please email us!  During the Covid Pandemic we have been meeting on Zoom and may continue to do this for future winter sessions. See our Facebook page for our upcoming events. 

As well as our regular storytelling sessions, GAS hold and are present at many other storytelling events in the North East of Scotland. 

To find out when our next event is, please go to our Facebook page which is updated regularly by GAS members.

A little more about GAS

The  Grampian Association of Storytellers were set up in 2001 by three local quines, Grace Banks, Maggie Fraser and Jackie Ross. GAS then grew to provide a friendly encouraging place for new storytellers, workshops for the new and the more experienced teller, ballad classes, family events, mentoring and a supportive network of like-minded fowk!

    

We are very fortunate that we have the support of the Scottish Storytelling Centre and other local storytelling groups in Scotland.

Until 2009, our Honorary President and a great friend was Stanley Roberston. Over the years, Stanley taught us a lot more than just his stories and ballads and it was a great privilege to call him one of our own.  He was a master storyteller, ballad singer and piper who learned his skills from his traveller parents and grandparents as well as from other family tradition bearers.  GAS will endeavour to keep his stories and songs alive.  Only months before his death, Stanley was invested by Aberdeen University with the honorary degree “Master of the University” in recognition of his achievements.

In 2016, GAS Sponsored a storytelling trophy honouring Stanley at the Aberdeen TMSA’s annual competitions day.   (Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland).  It was made for us by local artist and glass worker Shelagh Swanson.  It shows the great oak tree Auld Craobhie/Cruvie, a story which Stanley set on the Auld Road at Lumphanan.

A second trophy was sponsored for the Juniors!  The photos below show Shelagh’s trophy, Maggie Fraser, judge of the Juniors storytelling competition and 6 of the pupils from Kaimhill Primary in Aberdeen who told wonderful stories in 2018, and the competitors and judge of the Adults storytelling competition in 2017.

Web page last updated 16 February 2021