Storytelling
“If you don’t know the trees you can get lost in the forest.
If you don’t know the stories you can get lost in life.”
In the beginning we listened to stories around the ancestral fire to help us make sense of the world. They connected us with ourselves, with our clan and with the great mysteries of life and death. Stories can still help guide us through the forest.
Performance Storytelling
My journey as a professional storyteller started in 2004, since then I have travelled far and wide telling stories to publics of all ages. I’ve performed at national and international festivals, and in libraries, educational institutions, and cultural centers throughout Spain and beyond. I’ve told stories under star-filled skies in the desert, in caves in sacred mountains and in ancient, magical forests.
Scottish stories and Celtic legends form a big part of my repertoire, especially those that deepen our connection to the intricate web of life. In my story bag there are also tales from different cultures around the world, that can transport us across time and space and remind us of our shared humanity; despite our differences, we share the same basic needs and dreams.
You can find out more about my story journey in the About Me section.
Applied Storytelling in Education
Jennifer has performed in hundreds of educational centres throughout Spain and other countries. She works with all ages from infant, primary and secondary students, to adults in further education and in official language schools.
She may invite us to embark on a magical trip to faraway lands with her Tales from Around the World, which are perfect for promoting tolerance for diversity, a better cross-cultural understanding and the importance of cooperation within the educational community.
Or we may travel to the magical, mystical land of her birth and enjoy Scottish myths, legends and culture. Celtic hospitality tells of “When a visitor arrives there is food in the eating place, drink in the drinking place and stories and music in the listening place”. Here in the listening place we hear secrets from this mysterious, green land.
Working Creatively with Fairy Tales
In my “Working Creatively with Fairy Tales” workshops, which I facilitate online and in person, we enter into the magical world of ancient stories, myths and fairy tales.
As we journey with the characters, we connect with how the story resonates with each of us on an inner level and explore this through different techniques such as art therapy, roleplay and psychodrama.
One of my favourite workshops is “Vasalisa and Her Doll”. Vasalisa is able to go into the deep forest and get fire from Baba Yaga with the help of her legacy doll from her mother. We make our own spirit legacy dolls during the workshop.
I offer regular online workshops for therapists and counsellors to work with at a personal and professional level at Onlinevents.
Eco Storytelling
Jennifer is committed to using her stories, art and creativity to help bring awareness to the environmental crisis that we are facing and to try and slow down climate change. The rhythms of nature are very present in her work, for example through her “The Celtic Story Wheel of the Year” and the “Cycles of the Moon” workshop series.
Jennifer is an Earth Story Teller Activist for the Earth Stories collection project.
She also does interactive “Eco Tales Eco Art” workshops. In “The Voice of Trees” workshop we travel back in time with an Estonian story to discover why trees stopped talking to humans. We explore ways to transform the end of the story by creating wish sticks to try and restore the balance and show the trees how much we care.
The Art of Storytelling
Workshops: I offer a space to explore the tools and skills of the narrator so that you can learn how to tell short stories with confidence and fluidity. Step by step we develop our narrative skills, explore different types of stories, legends and myths and start to build our personal repertoire. This can be done in person or online.
Workshops for Educators: Stories are our oldest educational tools, in ancient times stories were used to explain the enigmas of the universe. I first came across storytelling when I was teaching English as a Foreign Language to Asian students in Australia. I was amazed at how stories provided a clear context for language learning and for practising different language skills. Stories also seemed to help students connect with each other, with their teachers and foster a sense of belonging within the wider educational community. Since then I have been offering a wide range of courses especially designed for language teachers who hear the call to use stories in the classroom or are interested in using stories to talk about sensitive subjects like death.
Storytelling with other Arts
Storytelling and Music: Two traditional art forms merge from one family: My son Pablo Aguado, an up-and-coming young musician, accompanies me with different instruments from around the world. He is the guitarist in Quercus Dúo. You can hear him play his beautiful Balfolk music in this short video clip.
We are both Biology graduates and we inspire to bring tales from Mother Earth to life through our art, a storytelling and musical treat all in one. We have stories for all ages.
Storytelling and Dance: Through dance and expressive movement we enter into ancient myths and tales. As we embody the stories, we experience what it is like to walk in the footsteps of the different characters and elements and learn from their experiences.
I am an active member of AEDA (Spanish Professional Storyteller’s Association) and The Earth Stories Collection.