Society for Storytelling

Storyteller Directory: Ben Fairlight

< Previous storyteller Next storyteller >

Name: Ben Fairlight

Location: East Sussex

County: East Sussex

Telephone: 01424 812761 / 07714 256903

Email: ben@songstory.co.uk

Website: http://www.songstory.co.uk

Ben is a trained and experienced storyteller, musician, poet, teacher, therapist and workshop leader - in short, a Troubadour.

“He might also be called a minstrel, a bard, a trouv’re - but whatever you call him, he bounces back with a quip and somehow embraces your heckling into the story.” Jamie Morgan, musician & founder of RhythmSynergy

He has frequently performed, taught and led workshops in many countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Greece, Thailand and New Zealand.

Ben is a member of Equity (the Performing Arts union) and SoundSense (the Community Music organisation).

Public Liability Insurance is for ‘10million, through First Act Insurance.

Most recent Enhanced CRB checks, dated 19.06.07 (for SoundSense), and dated Oct 07 (for The Wishing Tree Programme).

Then & Now

Being the middle son of a Shropshire building contractor father and dance teacher mother, Ben grew up as a musician and naturally worked his school holidays on local farms and small industries. Then engaged as a trainee electrical engineer in the Research & Development laboratory of the legendary AGA cookers, Telford, he flew the nest to train in the piano industry and became the European piano technician for Steinway & Sons, Hamburg, in Germany. Having later lived in Denmark, working as Head Technician for Mattson & McGehee, Ben moved through a health crisis, began training in the Healing professions, then returned to England to re-connect with his roots as a musician and performer.

He speaks fluent German and Danish, passable French, and dabbles in Spanish, Greek and Japanese - as well as enjoying creative dialects in all human speech.

Ben has also led courses for Skyros, in Greece & Thailand, worked with Play Therapy and Autogenic Therapy in schools and with The Wishing Tree Trust on their supported well-being family holidays. He has also worked with Special Needs adults, and with teaching Performing Arts.

A supervisor and former lecturer (1998-2006) for the British Autogenic Society, Ben is currently training (part-time) in Bothmer Gymnastics, with Bothmer Movement International. He has practised Tai Chi & Qi Gong since 1984.

• Has special needs experience
• Performs indoors
• Performs outdoors
• Performs to adults
• Performs to audiences over 100 in number
• Performs to pre-school age children
• Performs to primary age children
• Performs to secondary age children
• Performs to senior citizens
• Runs workshops for adults
• Runs workshops for children
• Travels anywhere in the U.K.
• Works in other art forms