Settle down for a right good tale

The largest storytelling festival in the North of England will bring an extravaganza of stories from around the world and outer space to Settle from today.

The Settle Storytelling Festival (October 10 to 12) is now in its fifth year.

It will see more than 40 events with 50 artists from over five continents.

From digital story trials to stories enjoyed with a homemade cake and a cuppa, the festival is guaranteed to ignite the imagination.

Highlights include:

Jack Tales: Jerry Harmon is a Grammy nominated storyteller who lives deep in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.

His great - great - great grandfather Council Harmon is the original teller of the ‘Jack Tales.’

Everybody’s heard of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ but Jerry has more amazing tales of Jack to entertain audiences with.

Holy Moly & the Crackers: With their folky, waltz-y fun (they call it circus folk), this punky, fiddle flying, Cajun dancing group will captivate hearts with their rousing hoe downs.

Voyage: From the imagined Seascape in Homer’s Odyssey to Journeys from the Scottish isles. Music, traditional songs, poetry and stunning digital images make this a superbly crafted storytelling experience.

Hunt the storyteller: Hiding in gold hats all over town the storytellers are waiting to swap their stories for magic beans (ok, Jelly Beans, but don’t tell the kids that.)

Mission to Mars: Two of the three UK applicants of the ‘Mars One Mission’ - the first human settlement on Mars - will be astonishing audiences with why they want to leave earth and never return.

Lifeboat: The Institute of Crazy Dancing’s ‘Lifeboat’ is a participatory installation. The ship’s crew invite the public to jump in a hammock and enjoy the journey as they turn slowly round.

A place to meet people, to talk, and to think. One of twelve free events.

Digital Story Trail: A chance to uncover a story of long lost friends and local landmarks using a smart phone or tablet. As the clues download and the videos’ play, the story will unfold.

Tea and Tales: A festival favourite. A chance to indulge with a homemade cake and a cuppa. Brazilian storyteller Ana Maria Lines invites audiences into her performance ‘Barbeques Husbands.’

Telephone booking: 01729 825 718 (10am to 2pm Monday to Friday.)

Events are priced individually. Family tickets and under 16 tickets available.