Society for Storytelling

Directors

All the Directors of the Society for Storytelling are Volunteers, generously donating many hours of their time to ensure the Society meets the needs of members and provides information and advice to non-members.

Chair: Martin Manasse from Newcastle

Telephone Martin: 07791 513014
From 2004 to 2006 Martin served on the Board as Treasurer. Since then he has worked tirelessly as Chair, focusing the Society on developing into a nationally and internationally recognized organization.
In 1961 Martin started in repertory theatre, followed by 7 years as a Stage Manager for Sadler’s Wells Opera (now English National Opera), 3 years as Production Manager for London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), 6 years as Director of the Theatre at Rosehill in Cumbria and 9 years as Chief Executive of Northern Sinfonia in Newcastle.
Martin is passionate about storytelling and its power to transform lives.

Secretary and Special Interest Groups: David England from the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, Berkshire
Please put ENGWEB in the subject line.
Telephone David: 01628 639313
David joined the Board in 2005. He discovered storytelling, or rather storytelling discovered him, in 1997, when he read an article in Caduceus magazine (this story is on his website). At the time he was training to be a psychotherapist, and in 1998 he wrote his MA thesis on the relationship between traditional stories and psychotherapy; how the issues which clients experience are often mirrored in the trials suffered by the heroes and heroines of these ancient and deeply insightful tales.

He now works professionally as a psychotherapist and storyteller. He loves to engage with his audience and particularly enjoys telling stories to parents and children. He also does a mean bawdy tales gig for adult audiences.

Treasurer, Administrator and Newsletter editor: Tina Bilbé from Berkshire

Telephone Tina:0118 935 1381
Tina joined the Board in 1994 and has worked on or with the Board ever since. She has a wealth of background information and puts that knowledge to good use when answering questions from people contacting the Society.
As in any art-form there are conflicts: what is good storytelling practice, what defines a professional storyteller, and of course what should the SfS be doing to promote storytelling. Tina tries to steer the middle ground between conflicting interests and opinions.
Tina’s background is in libraries and she currently works as the school librarian in a girls’ secondary school.

Website Manager: Alan Woollard from Cornwall

Telephone Alan: 01840 211268
Alan joined the Board during 2006 particularly to work on the plans for the Gathering 2008. He quickly became involved in planning this new website and is the link between the Board and the people designing and maintaining the site.
His background is in the project management and vocational training with a client range from early teens to over sixties. He joined the Learning and Skills Council for a few years working as a Contracts Manager and is currently working part-time with a national union. Alan has always used stories and storytelling skills to enhance the effectiveness of his work and over the last three years has started to work as a professional storyteller in the South West.

Networking: Ingrid Barton from Yorkshire

Ingrid was co-opted onto the Board in the summer of 2005 taking on the challenge of organising the 2007 conference and Gathering in Yorkshire. At the end of a successful event Ingrid then undertook the even more challenging task of finding and enthusing members willing to act as Local Network Organisers to encourage storytelling at a grass roots level.
Born in Australia and having travelled between Britain and Australia three times by boat with her actor parents by the time she was twelve Ingrid’s life had been full of the unexpected. She studied and taught for twelve years at a Buddhist College, trained as a shaman and as a psychotherapist. She started telling stories at school with her friends and has never stopped. As one of her sons is mentally handicapped she has a particular affinity with telling to Special Needs children.

Education Officer: Rona Barbour from Cheshire

Telephone Rona: 07817681719
Rona’s work as a Professional Storyteller covers many areas, but she specialises in working with excluded children in referral units.
Joining the Board in 2004 Rona is working on putting together an Education Project to highlight the benefits of storytelling in schools.