Talk:Settle Stories
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[edit]Conflict of interest: I am a staff member at Settle Stories. This page as not been updated in eight years, and I would appreciate it if an independent editor could help edit this please. Thanks!
Settle Stories is a registered arts charity and company limited by guarantee, founded in 2010 by performance storyteller and theatre director Sita Brand, following the inaugural Settle Storytelling Festival. Based in Settle, North Yorkshire, the charity uses the art of storytelling to connect communities, support wellbeing, preserve oral heritage, and inspire young people. It became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2022.
Charity no. 1141649 | Company no. 07515653
Website: www.settlestories.org.uk
BACKGROUND AND FOUNDING
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Settle Stories grew out of the first Settle Storytelling Festival, held in 2010 in Settle, a small market town in the Yorkshire Dales. The festival was conceived by Sita Brand — a performance storyteller, theatre director, writer, and producer — alongside a team of volunteers. Over 500 people attended, with local children taking part in schools-based workshops.
The organisation was formally incorporated as a registered charity following the festival's success. Its stated aims are:
- To increase access to traditional and modern forms of storytelling
- To improve the storytelling skills of participants
- To increase the availability, accessibility, and diversity of stories
and storytelling
- To use storytelling to support wellbeing and community cohesion
Funding has been drawn from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Craven District Council, Settle Town Council, trusts and foundations, and individual supporters.
HISTORY
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2010–2012: Beginnings
The first Settle Storytelling Festival launched in 2010, drawing professional storytellers, musicians, and artists. The following year, the festival attracted national press coverage, with founder Sita Brand profiled in The Guardian.
In 2012, Settle Stories established the W. R. Mitchell Archive, a collection safeguarding the oral histories of the Yorkshire Dales. The organisation moved into its first office at Settle Town Hall and appointed its first member of staff.
2013–2015: Growing programmes
Settle Stories launched free storytelling resources for schools and families via its website and expanded the festival programme. In 2014, it introduced its first year-round schools programme and began exploring digital storytelling. By 2015, the charity's work had expanded to include science and arts events — from stargazing evenings to creative mindfulness retreats — extending storytelling activity across the wider Craven district.
2016–2018: The Joinery, the Listening Gallery, and FEAST
The sixth Settle Storytelling Festival in 2016 encompassed 50 events, including new projects supporting adults with learning disabilities. In 2017, Settle Stories moved into The Joinery, a permanent creative venue on Duke Street, Settle, used for workshops, performances, and film screenings. That year also saw a major Heritage Lottery Fund-supported project celebrating Craven dialect poet Tom Twistleton, and a community Festival of Happiness.
In 2018, Settle Stories opened what it describes as the world's first Listening Gallery — a decommissioned BT heritage telephone box transformed into a 24/7 public story space. The 2018 festival featured over 70 events and generated an estimated £152,000 for the local economy. That year also saw the launch of FEAST, an artist networking programme, and a large-scale youth heritage projectncelebrating photographer Tom Faulkner.
2019–2020: International collaboration and digital pivot
In 2019, Indian artist Shanthamani Muddaiah collaborated with 30 local elders on Life in Our Hands, an installation celebrating the stories of working hands. The project drew audiences who rarely engage with the arts. Settle Stories also celebrated World Storytelling Day with artists from all seven continents.
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival was transformed into the Yorkshire Festival of Story — the world's largest free online storytelling festival at that time. It hosted more than 80 events and tripled its audience, reaching people across the globe including those unable to attend in person due to ill health or disability.
2021–2022: Digital expansion and national recognition
Supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Settle Stories took its schools programme fully online. By July 2021, it had reached over 45,000 children. The charity launched a membership scheme and transformed The Joinery into a professional livestreaming studio. An online learning platform, Storyversity, was developed for storytellers and educators.
In 2022, Settle Stories launched Stories for Schools, a subscription digital library of video stories aligned to the national curriculum. The hybrid Yorkshire Festival of Story that year featured acclaimed authors including Ben Okri OBE, Joanne Harris OBE, and Amanda Owen. Settle Stories became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2022.
2023–2025: Wellbeing, awards, and international reach
In 2023, Settle Stories was awarded the Craven District Council Legacy Award and grew its staff team. The following year, the charity developed The Storyful Way, a six-week programme for schools weaving storytelling, mindfulness, and creativity to support children's emotional wellbeing.
In 2025, Settle Stories collaborated with Msitu Wa Ndoto in Kenya, live-streaming storytelling events from a cave complex to connect audiences in the United Kingdom and East Africa through shared culture and creative exchange.
PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES
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Yorkshire Festival of Story
Originally the Settle Storytelling Festival, the event was renamed the Yorkshire Festival of Story to reflect its broadened reach. Since 2020 it has been delivered in hybrid form, combining in-person events in Settle with free online programming. Past participants have included internationally recognised authors and storytellers. The final festival was held in 2025.
Stories for Schools
Launched in 2022, Stories for Schools is a digital library of over 200 video resources for primary schools, aligned to the curriculum. It is offered on a subscription basis and includes a free taster. The programme also offers live storyteller school visits, CPD and training for teachers, and a children's story competition.
The Storyful Way
Developed in 2024, The Storyful Way is a structured six-week programme for primary schools that combines oral storytelling, mindfulness practice, and creative activities to support children's emotional health and wellbeing.
Training
Settle Stories offers training for teachers, artists, and families, including in-person professional development workshops and online courses. It also operates Your Art Is Your Business, a programme supporting artists in developing sustainable creative practices.
The Joinery
The Joinery is Settle Stories' creative home on Dawson's Court, Settle. It is used for live storytelling events, workshops, film screenings, and community gatherings. It is also available for hire and equipped for professional podcast recording, video production, and live-streaming.
The Listening Gallery
Opened in 2018, the Listening Gallery is a converted former BT telephone box providing free, round-the-clock public access to audio stories. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.
THE W. R. MITCHELL ARCHIVE
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The W. R. Mitchell Archive is a collection of oral history recordings, photographs, and other materials gathered over sixty years by journalist and author W. R. Mitchell (1928–2015). Mitchell joined The Dalesman magazine in 1948 and served as its editor from 1968 to 1988. From the 1980s, he recorded the memories of local people across Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Lancashire, capturing everyday experiences in their own words and dialects. In 1996 he was awarded the MBE and made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Bradford.
By 2010, Mitchell had amassed over 300 audio cassette tapes alongside photographs and video footage. In January 2012, Settle Stories received a £50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant to digitise a selection of the recordings and make them available online. The archive is still available to be accessed upon request.
FUNDING AND GOVERNANCE
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Settle Stories is a registered charity (no. 1141649) and company limited by guarantee (no. 07515653). It is funded by Arts Council England (as a National Portfolio Organisation since 2022), the National Lottery Heritage Fund, local authorities, trusts and foundations, commercial sponsors, membership subscriptions, and individual donations. ~2026-33119-04 (talk) 11:02, 4 June 2026 (UTC)