Communities & Schools

“I have a wide repertoire of storytelling, walks and activities for schools and family groups of all ages, in the classroom and outdoors.”

Storytelling With Schools & Family Groups

 I can tailor my storytelling sessions to the audience, the season, the conditions and the venue. Stories are versatile and they can speak to many different subjects. They can be used in an interactive story walk, a craft session or a book talk. 

My recent work includes creation of four new Dartmoor folk tales with primary schools on Dartmoor as part of Chasing Crockern; storytelling at East Shallowford Farm, Dartmoor, for urban children experiencing the countryside for the first time; the major project A Voice to Tell Our Story with Beaford, University of South Wales and ten primary schools in north Devon, linking curriculum topics, literacy and imagination (see Projects for details); storytelling as part of the Story Raids project with Dominic Kelly; the Hidden Histories project with Beaford Arts and Devon Wildlife Trust on community trails; and a creative arts and drama project using Russian fairy tale, with Courage Copse Creatives and Forches Cross Primary School.

Lisa Schneidau outdoors with a group of children sitting on the grass. The children are engaging in an outdoor activity, with some looking at a notebook or paper and others resting or listening. The background shows dense green foliage and plants.
Close-up of purple wildflowers with green grass and stems in sunlight.

Festivals & Events

I tell stories for all ages at public and private events, and I can tailor storytelling sessions to meet your requirements.

I have told stories at WOMAD, Beyond the Border, Festival at the Edge, the Oxford Storytelling Festival, Sidmouth Folk Festival, East Anglian Storytelling Festival, SEED festival, the Westcountry Storytelling Festival, Devon County Show and Respect festival; stories for Three Acres and a Cow, Dartmoor National Park, RSPB, Devon Wildlife Trust, Dartington, Sharpham, Dartmoor’s Daughter and Totnes Transition; work with the Red Alachigh, of which I am a founder member; and plenty more.

Group of people gathered outdoors in front of residential buildings during dusk. Some are dressed in costumes, including a woman in a witch costume with orange decorations and a hat, and another woman with a leafy wreath on her head. Others are dressed casually, some smiling and watching the scene.
A ground covering of fallen brown leaves, green ivy, and small green plants in a natural outdoor setting.

Story Clubs

I help to run two informal story clubs in Devon: Dartmoor Storytellers, based in Chagford, and South Devon Storytellers, based in Totnes. Both groups are an opportunity for anyone to try their hand at storytelling, with a combination of longer performance story and short 10-minute story sharing. We’re a friendly bunch and it’s a great place to gain confidence in storytelling, and get feedback. Or: just come along to listen to stories!

  • Meets on the second Wednesday of every month, 8pm at the Chagford Inn, Chagford  TQ13 8AW. We and also hold occasional performance storytelling nights in Chagford and around the moor. You can find out more on the group’s Facebook page here.

  • Meets on the fourth Wednesday evening of every month, 7.30pm at the Moor Imagination Centre, Buckfastleigh TQ11 0AB. You can find out more on the group’s Facebook page here.

A group of people seated at tables in a cozy pub with festive holiday decorations, including red and gold ornaments hanging from the ceiling and framed gold wall art, during a storytelling session.