When you hear the name Medusa, what springs to mind?
Most of us are familiar with the image of a monster with snakes for hair and a gaze that turns men to stone. But how did Medusa come to be? And what of the hero who slayed her?
Stories of old ask us to hold multiplicity, yet you'd be surprised how many modern parallels can be drawn.
Prepare to be transported by a moving storytelling performance by Lily Asch that draws from classical Greek and Roman mythology, feminist theory, art history and contemporary discourses to paint the complex and evocative picture of this famous figure. Musical accompaniment by Dimitris Kounatiadis.
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Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Join Palestinian poet and dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller Janis Mackay as they build a bridge of friendship between Scotland and Palestine.
READ MOREThe Festival’s famous Open Hearth returns to the Netherbow Theatre for a relaxed traditional session of stories and music, hosted by Donald Smith.
READ MOREStoryteller Ailie Finlay and artist Kate Leiper invite you to a special sensory story version of the old tale with games, actions and some simple sensory crafts.
READ MOREJoin auld Auntie Bee and her long-suffering niece Bonnie McRee on a mad-cap tour of Auld Reekie, past and present, real and imagined, without leaving the Storytelling Court.
READ MOREEnjoy an evening of tales by storytellers Sef Townsend and Inés Álvarez Villa, enriched by the music of flamenco guitarist Danielo Olivera and Moroccan musician Omar Afif.
READ MOREWhose tears soak the cloth on our backs? This is the story of a global textile industry and two nations bound by more than meets the eye.
READ MOREThis event is a kaleidoscope of story, myth, magic and an adult ADHD diagnosis, explored through a playful and provocative tale of a woman untangling a lifetime of stories.
READ MORECombining the mythical with the modern, Emery Hunter and Bobby Bradley explore how we navigate each other’s identities in moments of vulnerability.
READ MOREScottish storyteller James MacDonald Reid and Scottish-Korean musician Ryan Williams present a classic Gaelic folk tale, blending tradition with innovation.
READ MOREEnjoy the fresh voices of new and emerging tellers, featuring storytellers Mary Baxter, Selina Graham, Emma Milton and David Pullar and hosted by Janis Mackay.
READ MOREAs the darkness closes in and minds glow with pictures in the symbolic fire, Open Hearth, featuring Shona Cowie, Martin MacIntyre and Fin Moore, is the perfect way to end your day!
READ MORERuth Kirkpatrick shares a prime selection of tales that have appealed to her Scottish storytelling heart, with musical accompaniment from accordion and whistle player Leo McCann.
READ MORETales of friendship, mischief, rebellion and truth-seeking come to life as Alice Fernbank shares her dad’s memoirs and adventures beyond the iron curtain.
READ MOREIn this relaxed session, storyteller Nuala Hayes and musician Aoife Granville share stories and music inspired by Irish people and places they know and love.
READ MOREÒran Mhòir is a multi-media performance by storyteller Eileen Budd and experimental folk duo Burd Ellen exploring the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone.
READ MOREStoryteller Nuala Hayes and musician Aoife Granville celebrate the life of Storyteller, seanchaí and author Peig Sayers, with live animated visuals from artist Rita Duffy.
READ MOREKirsty Law unpacks the tales within a myth, and explores them using folk song and oral storytelling.
READ MOREMeet the incomparable storyteller of the Great Blasket Island and the Dingle peninsula through the work of Éilís NÍ Dhuibhne, folklorist and author, and storyteller Nuala Hayes!
READ MOREThrough powerful and playful storytelling and traditional song, Shona Cowie and Neil Sutcliffe explore the layers of history on which we stand today.
READ MOREDrop in to meet Robert Fell, author of 'Traveller Storytelling in Scotland: Folklore, Ideology and Cultural Identity', an exciting new book about traditional storytelling in Scotland.
READ MOREThe most powerful freedom story of Scottish oral tradition is recreated at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 25th October.
READ MOREJoin David Francis and Hamish Napier as they explore the rich culture of Scotland’s Strathspey region in story and music!
READ MOREJourney through the folk lands of India with music, rhythm and dance with guest storyteller Jeeva Raghunath!
READ MORESlaver Nation: This event opens up archive material to reveal first-hand experiences and attitudes that bring home a vital part of Scotland’s national story.
READ MOREThe year is 1857 and strapped to a cannon, a young Indian rebel finds themselves answering to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur. Are they a hero or a villain?
READ MOREJoin in the mystery and magic of Thomas the Rhymer’s story with singing and playing, but who can spot the magic treasures?
READ MOREThe Unexpected Journey is a profoundly beautiful and moving film which tells the stories of three teenage boys, who after falling ill, discover they have cancer.
READ MOREJoin Marion Kenny, Jeeva Raghunath and Daniel Serridge for a relaxed evening of stories and music in the Netherbow Theatre.
READ MOREJoin Hebridean storyteller and writer Ian Stephen as he presents his new book at Scottish Storytelling Centre on 27th October!
READ MOREScottish musician Mairi Campbell and Scottish-Indian storyteller Gauri Raje tell the stories of three women in the Mahabharata, the world’s longest epic about a fratricidal war in India.
READ MORESeeds of Hope is a concert of live music, poetry, prose and imagery chronicling the lives of refugees who have settled and flourished in Scotland.
READ MOREShare a life well lived and honour your own elders at the Tree of Memory, weaved and created by Katie Warner. Supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum. All welcome!
READ MOREIn this storytelling show, featuring popular music from four decades of Berlin's history, artists and storytellers share their experiences since reunification and the fall of Wall.
READ MOREThe Alan Bruford Lecture will be given by Professor Ronald Black on Oral Narrative and Propaganda.
READ MORERespected by ancient cultures yet cast as archetypal villain in European fairy tales, wolves were hunted to extinction in Scotland and beyond.
READ MOREThis coming-of-age story is conveyed through spoken word, music and movement in the spirit of the Griot storytelling traditions from West Africa.
READ MOREJoin us for this hybrid performance at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, presented in film and on stage is hosted by Horst Edler.
READ MOREAn original story inspired by the Icelandic sagas, about a young Norwegian woman fleeing Norway in 980 AD and journeying to Iceland to find her freedom.
READ MOREHosted by Ruth Kirkpatrick, join Siannie Moodie, Marjolein Robertson and John Tantalonfor a relaxed evening of stories and music in the Netherbow Theatre!
READ MOREThis solo performance reflects on Mrs Alice Thornton's life and experiences across the span of the seventeenth century as she finds herself the subject of a most dreadful scandal!
READ MOREThis year’s Hamish Henderson Memorial Lecture at the Scottish Storytelling Centre explores cultural activism and is presented by Stan Reeves on 9th November.
READ MOREJoin friends from the Scots Music Group for an afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories!
READ MOREJoana Formosinho and artists Baum and Leahy invite you into a meditative encounter with the wild landscapes inside your gut at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 12th November!
READ MOREThree men find banter, bird boxes and biscuits in a fictional men's shed, which celebrates companionship, camaraderie... and custard creams.
READ MOREJoin us in the wee hours in The Comedy Attic in Edinburgh, where every weekend we deliver nights packed full of unadulterated comedy mayhem!
READ MOREActor, writer and tour guide Alex Staniforth invents a horror story every night. You decide what the characters do, find and sometimes - yes sometimes - even love!
READ MOREScotland's silliest surgeon, Dr. Bonk, is back with his hit SELL-OUT SHOW 'Dr Bonk's Macarbaret', an evening of drag, burlesque, music, comedy, and medical mayhem!
READ MOREMarvel as resident duo Stu & Garry weave comedy magic from your suggestions in our long-running improvised show.
READ MOREAre you brave enough to attend an unsettling night of magic and ghosts in the Banshee Labyrinth - Scotland's Most Haunted Pub - built into the legendary South Bridge Vaults.
READ MOREGet ready for a haunting so fabulous you'll die from excitement! The Spooktacular 'Haunted Haus' is back to terrorize Banshee Labyrinth!
READ MORECome along to Love Wednesdays, Scotland's BIGGEST Wednesday night, hosted in the award winning WhyNot Nightclub!
READ MORECome and join the Cyrenians for their delicious Syrian food cooked with love by their award winning chef Noura!
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