The Scriptorium: Rumplestiltskin - Workshop

“Rumplestiltskin” is the third in a series of creative writing workshops inspired by Grimm Fairy tales. This strange, alchemical trickster tale contains ideas of ugliness, beauty, bargains we strike, promises we make, the conquering of the impossible, what we will sacrifice for our desires, and the immense power we have when we can name something or someone.

Deep in the bones of these ancient stories lies ancient wisdom, deep magic, the wonder of being alive and the mystery of death too.  Fairy tales occupy a magical landscape where animals talk, trees walk, and both danger and opportunity beckon. They provide refuge for our mythical imaginations.

In this workshop, author and storyteller Bernadette Russell (co-founder of White Rabbit) invites attendees to explore a classic Grimm fairytale, as they listen to a retelling and then learn to craft their own fairytales through timed guided prompts. This session explores the fairytale of Rumplestiltskin.

This workshop is for anyone interested in fairytales, and is open to both seasoned writers and those with little or no writing experience. There will be no sharing of the work, so attendees are free to explore and experiment with their ideas safely.

Bernadette Russell is co-director of arts organisation White Rabbit. A published author, theatre maker and storyteller, she hosted the award-winning storytelling salon 'Are You Sitting Comfortably?' for ten years in London and Brighton. She is currently storyteller at Butser Ancient Farm, and has told stories at the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall. She is an alumni of the School of Myth and studies folklore at the Woodland Bard School. She has taught creative writing and storytelling for over twenty years.

Photo Credit: @Ellie Kurtz