Jan Blake

Last updated

Jan Blake is a British storyteller, consultant and coach specialising in myths and folk tales from the Caribbean, West Africa, North Africa and beyond. She has been performing to children, adolescents and adults since 1986 and has an international reputation for dynamic storytelling. [1]

Contents

Life and career

Blake was born in Manchester to Jamaican parents. As a young woman, she listened to recordings of the Jamaican poet and folklorist Louise Bennett-Coverley, also known as Miss Lou, who was famous for performing her work in Jamaican Patois. [2] Blake started telling stories in 1986, mainly for financial reasons. The stories she chooses to tell have gradually become more profound. She has also developed her role and now weaves facial expression, gestures, jokes, songs, changes in pitch and volume, and interaction with the audience into her performances. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Blake has been Storyteller-in-Residence for the Hay Literary Festival. In 2012, as part of the World Shakespeare Festival, she was the curator for Shakespeare's Stories. [7] [1]

She has performed at many national and international storytelling and literature conferences [8] and festivals such as the Hay Festival, [9] the Viljandi International Folk Music Festival in Estonia, [10] TEDxWarsaw [11] and TEDx Manchester. [12] [13]

Blake works with major arts organisations such as the National Theatre, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Geographical Society, Natural History Museum, UNHCR, British Council, British Museum, Royal Opera House, British Library, and the Crick Crack Club. [14] [1] She runs workshops, courses and master classes for those wishing to improve their storytelling skills as well as for teachers working with school students within the national curriculum. [15] She is a regular contributor to BBC radio. [16] [17]

In 2023, Blake toured a show with West African born musicians, Kouame Sereba and Raymond Sereba. [18]

Blake has set up her own company and storytelling school called the Akua Storytelling Project. [19] [20]

In 2024 she became the patron/matron of The International Association for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) for whom she had given plenary speeches in previous years. [21] [22]

Awards

In 2011, Blake was the first non-German to be awarded the Thüringen Maerchen Prize, for a life devoted to the art of storytelling. [23]

In 2013, her performance of The Old Woman, the Buffalo, and the Lion of Manding with West African born musicians, Kouame Sereba and Raymond Sereba, won her a British Award for Storytelling Excellence (BASE). [23] [18]

Publications

In 1998, Blake published Give Me My Yam! a picture book for young children. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storytelling</span> Social and cultural sharing of stories

Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters and narrative point of view. The term "storytelling" can refer specifically to oral storytelling but also broadly to techniques used in other media to unfold or disclose the narrative of a story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peggy Pettitt</span> American dramatist

Peggy Pettitt is an American actress, dancer, teacher, playwright, and storyteller. Pettitt is best known for her role as Billie Jean in the 1972 family–drama film Black Girl, starring alongside Brock Peters and Claudia McNeil. Pettitt is a native of St. Louis, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gcina Mhlophe</span> South African playwright, author mime and poet (born 1958)

Mhlophe, known as Gcina Mhlophe, is a South African storyteller, writer, playwright, and actress. In 2016, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women. She tells her stories in four of South Africa's languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa, and also helps to motivate children to read.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Offutt Irwin</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1957)

Andy Offutt Irwin is an American storyteller, singer-songwriter, and humorist. Born and raised in Covington, Georgia, a small town outside of Atlanta, Irwin began his career in 1984 with an improvisational comedy troupe at Walt Disney World. After five years he shifted to performing as a singer-songwriter, touring the Southeast. In the mid-1990s, Irwin branched into performances for children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Storytelling Day</span> Annual holiday observed on March 20

World Storytelling Day is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the March equinox, on March 20. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night. Participants tell each other about their events in order to share stories and inspiration, to learn from each other and create international contacts.

Connie Regan-Blake is an American storyteller, author, and workshop facilitator. Regan-Blake is well-known for her role as part of The Folktellers storytelling duo. She was a founding member of the National Storytelling Network or NSN. Regan-Blake served as the Artistic Director from 1975 until 1983. She was awarded the Circle of Excellence in 1996 by the National Storytelling Network after being recognized by her peers as a master storyteller. She has appeared onstage as a featured performer or emcee at every National Storytelling Festival since its inception in 1973.

Elizabeth Ellis is an American storyteller and author known for her live performances of traditional tales, literature, Texas and Appalachian history and folklore, and personal memoir. She was awarded the Circle of Excellence in 1997 by the National Storytelling Network after being recognized by her peers as a master storyteller. She is a regular performer at the National Storytelling Festival. She was selected as a "Listener's Choice" at the 30th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival and a Storyteller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. She was the first recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award from the Tejas Storytelling Association.

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day at the end of each summer in Lehi, Utah. The festival draws a combined attendance of about 26,000 people each year, making it one of the largest storytelling festival in the United States. The festival typically lasts two days and invites professional storytellers from throughout the United States. In addition to daytime performances on Friday and Saturday, there are typically themed public performances in the evenings, such as Look Who's Talking, Bedtime Stories, My Favorite Stories, and Laughing' Night.

Fran Stallings is an American storyteller for people of all ages. She has performed at numerous national and international storytelling festivals, in schools and libraries, and on the radio. She performs primarily folktales from around the world. She has authored several audio recordings and books of stories and songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral storytelling</span> Tradition between the storyteller and their audience

Oral storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition between the storyteller and their audience. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close, often seated together in a circular fashion. The intimacy and connection are deepened by the flexibility of oral storytelling which allows the tale to be molded according to the needs of the audience and the location or environment of the telling. Listeners also experience the urgency of a creative process taking place in their presence and they experience the empowerment of being a part of that creative process. Storytelling creates a personal bond with the teller and the audience.

The Crick Crack Club is a UK-based performance storytelling promoter, founded in 1987. It programs and tours public performances in theatres and art centers nationally, trains and mentors storytellers, undertakes research and advises on the use of oral storytelling in museums and educational settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Black</span> American professional storyteller

Judith Black is an American professional storyteller, who has toured internationally, telling stories to a wide ranging audience in the United States, Europe, and the Near East. She has produced thirteen CDs, and won a variety of awards, such as the coveted Oracle Award. Her work has been featured in venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Montreal Comedy Festival, and has been featured seven times at the National Storytelling Festival. In addition she has produced a variety of seminars and workshops for storytellers. She has been commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Public Radio, religious institutions, and non-profit organisations to create original stories that strengthen their respective missions.

Margaret Wolfson is an American branding executive, entrepreneur, and writer. The founder and chief creative officer of River and Wolf, a New York-based branding and brand naming agency, Wolfson began her career as a storyteller and performance artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kerins</span>

Michael Joseph Kerins, is a Scottish-origined British writer and storyteller. Kerins was born in Glasgow in 1952. He has received a variety of awards for his works inside and outside of his area.

Liz Weir is a Northern Irish children's writer and storyteller. She is currently Storyteller in Residence in Belfast and has written 27 stories. She is involved in a number of storytelling organisations including The Early Years Organisation, where she talks to children about racism, anti-bullying and respect for the elderly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson</span> Ghanaian social entrepreneur

Elizabeth Akua Nyarko Patterson is a Ghanaian social entrepreneur and the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Girls Education Initiative of Ghana (GEIG).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Liberman</span> French storyteller

Judith Malika Liberman is a French storyteller, writer and teacher currently living in Turkey. When she was 14, she learned storytelling in a French commune and has gone on to reintroduce the telling of Anatolian fairy tales in Turkey.

Linda Goss, sometimes known professionally as Mama Linda, is an American storyteller and performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions.

Sandra Agard Hon. FRSL is a British storyteller, writer, literary consultant and cultural historian. She is a published author of short stories and poetry, and for more than 40 years has performed her work, including plays, within the UK as well as internationally. She has worked in libraries as a literature development officer, as well as in art galleries and with community groups in many other settings. In 2022, she was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and was the recipient of the RSL's Benson Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Cox</span> Librarian and storyteller (born 1929 or 1930)

Rita Marjorie Cox is a storyteller, community leader and retired librarian based in Toronto, Ontario. As the head of the Parkdale branch of the Toronto Public Library, she pioneered services that promoted multiculturalism and literacy. She was awarded the Order of Canada for storytelling, and her legacy extends to her role as a leader in Caribbean and Black communities. A library collection, park, and school are named after Cox in Toronto.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jan Blake - Literature". literature.britishcouncil.org. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  2. ↑ "Jan Blake". The Nest Collective. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  3. ↑ "The Children's Bookshow | Jan Blake". thechildrensbookshow.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  4. ↑ "The Origins of Life and Death – Rich Mix". Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  5. ↑ Jan Blake: Storytelling & Inhabiting All the Places Within Yourself, archived from the original on 2024-01-18, retrieved 2024-01-18
  6. ↑ "The Roots and stitching ourselves back together Stories with Jan Blake". Sustainable Life - Bæredygtig livsstil. 2022-04-19. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  7. ↑ "#31 | Into The Belly of the Dragon - Jan Blake (Storyteller)". The Mythic Masculine. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  8. ↑ International Storytelling Conference (2012) What is a storyteller? - Jan Blake, archived from the original on 2024-01-18, retrieved 2024-01-18
  9. ↑ "Jan Blake". Hay Festival. 2017-10-28. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  10. ↑ "Previous Artists". Oxford Storytelling Festival. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  11. ↑ A story, a story! Let it come, let it go!: Jan Blake at TEDxWarsaw, archived from the original on 2024-01-18, retrieved 2024-01-18
  12. ↑ "Jan Blake". Beyond the Border (in Welsh). Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  13. ↑ The Fisherman: A Tale of Passion, Loss, and Hope | Jan Blake | TEDxManchester, archived from the original on 2024-01-18, retrieved 2024-01-18
  14. ↑ "Home". Crick Crack Club. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  15. ↑ "Africa Dreaming: African Myth in the Heart of Snowdonia". Africa Dreaming: African Myth in the Heart of Snowdonia. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  16. ↑ "Jan Blake-Settle Stories". Settle Stories. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Man Crow | Caribbean Stories". www.torch.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  18. 1 2 "Hatched: Jan Blake". Black History Month 2023. 2008-02-14. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  19. ↑ Blake, Jan. "The Akua Storytelling Project". Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  20. ↑ admin. "Home". Akua Storytelling. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  21. ↑ "Announcement of IATEFL's new Patron | iatefl.org". www.iatefl.org. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  22. ↑ "Plenary by Jan Blake". TeachingEnglish. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  23. 1 2 "Cece's Speakeasy: Storytellers : Apples and Snakes". applesandsnakes.org/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  24. ↑ Blake, Jan; Melnyczuk, Peter, eds. (1998). Give me my yam!. Reading together (5. [printing] ed.). London: Walker. ISBN   978-0-7445-4885-3.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.