Elephant Tales
Monthly Storytelling for adults (16+)
Elephant & Castle, London
Formerly Storytelling Co-Operative
Next Elephant Tales - Sunday 5th May
Theme: Gods & Mortals
(drop us a line if tickets are ‘sold out’ - we may still have space).
Email in advance if you’d like to tell a 10 minute story.
Our storytellers
What are Elephant Tales?
We are a friendly, welcoming storytelling group in South East London. We are a mix of storytellers & story listeners, all connected by the love of a good tale and the ancient art of oral storytelling. Everyone is welcome to tell a story, or simply to listen to the wonderful tales being told.
What Happens?
It's like an open mic. Without the mic. But with lots of friendliness & support! Each month a selection of storytellers tell short stories around a pre-selected theme. The stories may be combinations of folk tales, fairy tales, myth, fictional tales and autobiographical stories. Stories are usually told from the heart, though reading from notes is OK too.
When? Where?
We meet on the 1st Sunday of each month, 3-5pm, in Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton Steet, London SE17 3AE. Look for the green door! The centre is an approx 10 min walk from Elephant & Castle tube station and the area is well served with buses.
Our storytellers are a combination of professionals, seasoned non-professionals and people telling their very first story - all levels of storytelling experience are welcome @ Elephant Tales! If you’d like to tell a story, please read our Storytellers Guidance - scroll down to ‘Questions’.
Once upon a time
In 2022 to be precise, one of this city’s leading storytellers, Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime, launched London’s Storytelling Co-Operative. Vanessa’s dream was to create an inclusive, welcoming, friendly and supportive storytelling space, where neither income nor level of experience would be a barrier. To this end, she organised a very successful crowdfunding campaign which fully funded the running of the Co-Operative for 18 months.
Vanessa stood back from running the Co-Operative in December 2023, and a new team stepped forward.
Meet the Herd
The Storytelling Co-Operative changed its name to Elephant Tales in January 2024, reflecting the area where we are based (London's vibrant Elephant & Castle) and a love of wonderful tales which bring us together.
Elephant Tales is currently under the stewardship of storytellers Aaron Oliver, Mary Honeybone, Jenny Doe & Emma Charlton who are committed to continuing Vanessa's ethos of inclusion, friendliness & support.
More about us...
Aaron: website & Instagram / Mary: Instagram / Emma: webpage & Instagram / Jenny: happily living an Insta-free life
Questions?
Hopefully you’ll find the answer here, if not drop us a line.
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We’d love you to tell a story!
Please read this in full before telling your first Elephant Tales story. Thank you.
We aim to be a welcoming, supportive and inclusive storytelling space, whether you’re a seasoned professional or telling your very first story. We are a diverse group and central to our ethos is that everyone who joins us should expect to feel safe and comfortable to tell a story, or to simply listen. We do not ‘vet’ or check stories in advance, nor do we ever plan to, but we do have some requests. We ask all our storytellers to…
1. Be kind! To yourself, to each other, to the audience, to the team and to your story.
2. Book your storytelling spot in advance - we have a limited number of telling slots, so booking in advance is essential (email / Instagram DM).
3. Keep your story to a maximum of 10 minutes. This is important, to ensure there is time for all booked tellers to tell their stories.
4. Please consider the origin and setting of your story. Cultural appropriation is a tricky issue which the storytelling world is grappling with - these considerations apply to stories from all areas of the UK, as well as from further afield.
We feel it is important that we can tell stories which we love, so long as our tellings are as respectful as possible to the origins and to people of the nationality, heritage, ancestry (and more) of the story.
Appropriate ways of approaching this are not fixed, but in general avoiding cultural (or other) stereotypes is recommended, as well as making it clear where your story originates from. Ultimately, please be sensitive with your story content. And enjoy telling your story!
5. Consider giving a content warning if anything in your story might be upsetting for other people to hear.
This can also be tricky to navigate. We are a group for adults (so content warnings are not relevant for most stories) and we welcome all kinds of stories, but we also like to give our listeners the opportunity to quietly excuse themselves from listening to any content which may be personally distressing for them. In particular, consider any violent, abusive or potentially distressing incidents. This may be more applicable to autobiographical (or biographical) stories, but may apply to some traditional stories too.
Thank you for reading and for your understanding. You are very welcome to talk to any of the Elephant Tales team about the above. Just drop us a line - we’re very friendly and very interested in feedback.
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Our usual venue is The Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton Street, London SE17 3AE. Look for the green door.
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No, but it is helpful if you can book on EventBrite, so that we have an idea of numbers in advance. We update EventBrite each month - access also from our Insta bio.
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There is no charge for Elephant Tales. Donations, from those that can afford it, are welcomed to help cover our running costs - our suggested donation is £3.
It is important to us that no one is put off joining us, so if you cannot afford to donate please do not worry - you are still very welcome!
Donations ideally by card.
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Our usual venue, Pullens Centre, is on the ground floor. The toilets are upstairs, however the Electric Elephant Cafe has a downstairs toilet, available before the stories begin (note that the cafe usually closes before we finish on Sundays).
Occasionally, we use an upstairs room in the Electric Elephant cafe instead of the community room. When this happens we will give advance notice.
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Our wonderful neighbour the Electric Elephant Cafe sells a wide range of hot and cold food, alongside teas, coffees and a fine range of delicious home-made cakes. Come early and grab a cuppa and cake to bring with you to the stories!
London Storytelling Events - May 2024
This is the bit where we big-up other amazing storytelling events happening here in London this month. Our founder Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime has made this easy for us - check out her list of London’s Top Ten Adults Storytelling Events. And yes, we’re on it!
Tuesday 7th - Sunday 13 th May: Common a Story Walk with Bernadette Russell
7pm each day plus 1pm on Sat and Sun @ Sydenham Wells Park, SE26 6LA
All about the enclosures acts of the 1600s and the people who fought to protect the land and their rights. Created by storyteller Bernadette Russell and theatre company Teatro Vivo. Featuring a mix of real life characters and folklore including: an army of ghost trees, an animal choir, witches, commoners, a vicar, a poet, landowners and rabble rousers! The show will be outside and will takeyou on a gentle walk of 1.2k. Info & Book.
Wednesday 8th May: Space for Storytelling
6.30-8.30 @ The Bridge Room (downstairs in the crypt) St John’s Waterloo, 73 Waterloo Road London, SE1 8TY
Free workshop this month is ‘Business and Marketing for Storytellers’, led by Vanessa Woolf. Free. Info & Book
Wednesday 8th May: Storynight at Torriano
7.30pm @ 99 Torriano Avenue, NW5 2RX. Nearest tube: Tufnell Park
Storytelling by Xanthe Gresham, hosted by Nell Phoenix. £10/8 on the door cash or card. Future dates: each Second Wednesday of the month.
Wednesday 8th May: The Moth Storyslam: Snooping
7.15pm @ Rich Mix 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA
Exciting, themed true story slam at Rich Mix. Put your name in the hat to have the chance to tell a five minute story. Book.
Sunday 12th May: The Tantric Ten by Seema Anand
2.30@The British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
Crick Crack Club present a mashing up performance, lecture and storytelling, Dr Seema Anand, journeys through cremation grounds, yogic practices, and death rituals, to decode the mysteries of the most fierce and most feared of Hindu goddesses - the Mahavidyas. Expect life, death, creation, destruction and sacrifice, all in search of cosmic truth. Info & Book.
Tuesday 14th May: Stowtellers
7.30 - 9.30pm @ The Welcome Centre, St Mary’s Church, E17 9RJ
Walthamstow’s storytelling club. We will be having a story-round so bring your stories. Take the opportunity to practise the story you always wanted to tell. Remember, there is no obligation to tell a story. Admission £7 (£6)
Friday 17th May: 1647: The Poorest Hee by Sarah Rundle
7:30pm @ Woodfield Pavilion, Tooting Common, 16a Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AP
A sparkling and comprehensive romp through the history of the English civil war. There may be Roundheads, Cavaliers, Levellers, Ranters and Quakers.Christmas may be banned. 5% of the population may perish…A story with political relevance told with the sharp wit of a brilliant storyteller. Info & Book
Friday 17 th May: Witches in the Woods with Vanessa Woolf and George Hoyle
7.45pm@Secret Location, NW3
Join Vanessa and George in the dusky woods for storytelling and music all about witches. Dress very warmly, wear waterproof shoes, bring a candle in a jar and something to sit on. We might encounter gIant squirrels, tree-beings, and stolen penises. £11. Info & Book
Saturday 18th May: The Nightingale and Other Birds
7:30pm @ The Carshalton Water Tower, Pound St, Carshalton SM5 3PN
Join storyteller Andy Copps and cellist Liz Andrews for an evening of stories and music inspired by our feathered friends. This event falls on the eve of the 100-year anniversary of when Beatrice Harrison was recorded live on BBC Radio, playing her cello in her garden while the Nightingale sang in her tree. Liz will tell that story and Andy will tell 2 versions of The Nightingale by Duncan Williamson and the classic by Hans Christian Andersen. Info & Book
Thursday 23rd May: Stories at Southey
7pm Upstairs @ Southey Taproom, Penge
Grown up storytelling on the theme of love, longing and loss. Email becky@beanstalkarts.co.uk if you would like to tell a story. £8.50/£6 concessions. Info & Book
Sunday 26th May: Mythic Saunas
6pm-9pm @ Sweheat Sauna, E16 1AH. Stories told by Oliver Wallace in a sauna followed by tea and chat. Tickets £35. Info & Book
Friday 31st May: Queer Tales for Queer Folks
6.30 – 9pm @ Sweheat Sauna,1 Dock Road E16 1AH
Join Ariel Goodbody in the sauna for an evening of sweat, relaxation and co-created storytelling. Taking inspiration from our own lives, we will weave together uplifting, hilarious and heartbreaking stories that queer traditional narratives. The evening will consist of four 15-minute storytelling sessions in the sauna, broken up by dips in the plunge pool and ending with an opportunity to drink tea, chat and reflect. Price £24.99. Contact: @arielgoodbody (Instagram) or arielgoodbody@gmail.com . Info & book.
June Stories - Advance Notice!
Wednesday 5th June: Tales at the Tavern
7.15pm @ London Hospital Tavern E1.
This free, monthly, friendly- and sometimes glamorous- open mic night is for new storytellers, seasoned professionals & everyone in between. Hosted by Niall Moorjani – follow them on Insta / DM for details (@niallmoorjani). Free. Note the date has changed to the FIRST Wednesday of each month.
Thursday 6th June: Tongues in Trees
First Thursday of every month. 6.30 - 8.30pm @ Rangers Kindergarten site, Bethnal Green Gardens, Cornwall Ave, E1 0HW
Tongues in Trees is a free, monthly community storytelling fire circle for adults, hosted by Richard Skrein and Adam Njenga. Share the stories of our ancestors, or just listen... all are welcome! Info: @richardskreinoutdoors (Instagram) or Info
Finally, The Society for Storytellers promote traditional storytelling in the UK & organise National Storytelling Week (every January/February). Pippa Reid, their London rep, collates and promotes storytelling events in London, answers questions and promotes story events. Thanks Pippa! (pippasong@hotmail.com)
Final Words
The Elephant Tales team would like to thank Pullens TRA, The Electric Elephant Cafe and, of course, Vanessa Woolf.
This webpage is hosted on Emma Charlton’s therapy & storytelling website. We to plan have a dedicated, unique website in the future, at which point the URL will change…
Photography thanks to Vanessa Woolf & the Elephant Tales team
Contact us!
Email: elephant.tales.london@gmail.com
Please note that, as a collective of volunteers, it may take a few days to reply to messages. Thank you for your patience.
Instagram: @elephant.tales.london - follow us for regular updates