Pat Ryan

Type of Artist:

Storytelling performances

Workshops on:
• how to tell stories, developing children/adults as tellers
• using storytelling to develop creative writing,
• using storytelling to explore literature (Shakespeare, etc.)
• using storytelling to explore visual art or history topics

Training:
workshops on storytelling for teachers, teaching assistants, librarians, library staff, coaches, scout leaders, youth leaders, teenagers/young adults (accredited courses on storytelling being developed)

Consultancies and research on storytelling/story time practices

Details

Performances, all ages, under 5s, KS1, KS2, secondary school, adult

Workshops, Year 1 through Adult

4 storytelling performances a day OR

2 performances and 1 workshop OR

All day workshops/training sessions (for secondary school students and adults)

45-60 minute storytelling performances

60-90 minute sessions for workshops

4-6 hours including breaks for training days

All over the UK and Ireland provided expenses are met, but at present, would prefer one-day sessions or workshops in London and the Southeast of England

I have contacts and regularly in many international, state, and European schools in Europe. (Over the last 10 years or more I've worked every year in Italy, Belgium, France, and Ireland, and pretty much every 2 - 3 years in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Poland, and occasionally in Norway, Sweden and Austria.

I work every year in the USA, in public and private schools and international schools, mostly in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, New York, New Jersey, and Washington DC. I occasionally work in San Diego and in Winnipeg, Canada.

Over the last 30 years I've also had occasions to work in international schools in Hong Kong and Singapore, and in state and independent schools in Australia. In addition to storytelling performance work and workshops on creative writing and / or storytelling (or using storytelling to explore topic work such as Shakespeare, WWI, etc.) in schools, I also train teachers, classroom assistants, secondary school students, KS2 students, sports people (footballers, rugby players, GAA players), sports coaches, nursery school teachers and workers, child minders, foster parents, librarians, library assistants and other professionals working with children to tell stories and read aloud stories as part of their work. And I regularly provide key-note address at conferences, seminars and symposiums as well as academic and professional papers on both plenary and parallel panels. I'm also doing consultancy on children's books to train library assistants in Oldham Libraries and, and am in the process of developing a similar consultancy programme for Galway Libraries. The training, consultancy and talks happen both in the UK and throughout Europe and North America.

Train, bus, taxi, plane (I drive but don’t own a car)

Please email us for details

Yes—I have Public Liability Insurance through my membership of Equity

Pat Ryan website

Shakespeare’s Storybook Barefoot Books (2 formats, both paperback—small format for £7.99 retail, large format with CD of me narrating the stories, word-for-word reading to support literacy hour, £9.99)

“Patrick Ryan, a long time favourite, is very much a main man of the British storytelling scene.’ Sidmouth Folk Festival

‘Patrick was excellent, our children thoroughly enjoyed his stories. It was particularly useful as some of these children had been in hospital and stuck in their beds for many weeks, so Patrick was a real treat.’ 
Play Specialist, Guys’ & St. Thomas’ Hospital Trust

“The children are stil buzzing with your stories and riddles so I’m sure the English Department will feel the benefit of your visit for a long time to come.”
Director of Studies, Arnold Lodge School

‘Thank you very much for a lovely day during our Spring Festival. I’m sure I enjoyed it as much as the children and I have already been using some of your stories with other groups.’ Young People’s Librarian, Medway Libraries ‘Patrick was well received and his visit led on to many interesting activities in classes. The initial response from children was that he was not what they had expected. They were very surprised that he was able to tell such complex stories from memory without using anything to help him remember. They were also surprised at how much they enjoyed themselves listening to him tell his stories. At the end of the sessions there was lots of conversation about how to make up stories.’
Head Teacher, Lawn County Primary School, Northfleet, Kent

About Shakespeare’s Storybook: 
A wonderful book for kids & adults. Fascinating to learn the stories that inspired Shakespeare. We read them with the kids and the compare them to Shakespeare stories (condensed and written for kids of course). Our 5 & 6-year olds (so far) seem to be enjoying Shakespeare! Maybe they won't hate it when they get to high school.

"There was once a rich merchant who had two sons. These brothers were as different as the crow and the peacock, or as the moon and the sun, or as hot and cold. - from 'A Bargain Is A Bargain' 'Children need music! This anthology introduces them to opera in an unforgettable way' - Placido Domingo

'Many of Shakespeare's plays were based on folk and fairy tales. Patrick Ryan, a professional storyteller, explores seven of Shakespeare's plays... These tales are beautifully told and the folk tales have been painstakingly researched.' --Education Otherwise

'This is a book to read from cover to cover, to dip into, and return to time and again.' --Children's Books in Ireland •    'Patrick Ryan, a professional storyteller and teacher, retells folk-tales which may have inspired the playwright. He precedes each folk-tale with an explanatory introduction, putting them into historical and geographical context in a relaxed, accessible narrative. The perspective is an interesting one, for those coming new to the plays, and those familiar with them. James Mayhew's busy, intense illustrations transform the anthology into a lovely gift.' 

The Scotsman