Suffolk Mind celebrates Suffolk Day with Suffolk Storytelling

Suffolk Mind is joining celebrations across the county on Suffolk Day, by hosting a free storytelling event in Ipswich.

The charity is hoping to enchant children and adults with stories of magical creatures, sword fighting princesses and the Suffolk version of Rumpelstiltskin. There will also be a special guest in the form of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, who will star in Elmer’s Big Parade Trail across Ipswich in the summer of 2019.

Suffolk Mind is asking people to bring their own picnic, blankets and chairs to set up camp in the award winning Quay Place on Thursday 21st June to hear exciting Suffolk tales from two storytellers.

Ezra Hewing, Head of Mental Health Education at Suffolk Mind, is one of our storytellers who will be telling the tale of Jessica the Spinner and her dangerous journey to finally finding happiness. Ezra has told stories in schools around Suffolk and at the Cambridge Folk Festival. He has spent many years studying stories and their power to bring about therapeutic and psychological change.

Justine de Mierre is a second, who became a professional storyteller in 2008. She will be displaying her trademark “Extreme Storytelling” skills to create a brand new Suffolk tale instantly from audience suggestions – so get your brains fired up and ready, this is storytelling at high speed.

The Suffolk Storytelling Family event begins at 4.15pm, finishing at 6.45pm. Adults and children will enjoy an evening of storytelling, activities and breathing exercises to promote a good night’s sleep.

Ezra Hewing said: “Sharing stories together meets our need for community and can relax us before going off to sleep. But stories also have the power to enrich children’s minds, giving them the patterns for creative problem solving and building resilience for later life.”