Events
WATCH: Sally Pomme Clayton and Sophie Herxheimer talk about The Mighty Goddess at Watkins Bookshop
The Bog King’s Daughter – created for The Hans Christian Andersen Story Centre, New York.
The Little Mermaid – created for the Hans Christian Andersen Story Centre, New York
Storytelling Synchronicity – storytellers Katy Cawkwell, Pomme Clayton, Hugh Lupton, Emily Hennessy, Rebecca Smart share stories about strange events that have happened as they have told stories. Hosted by Katy Cawkwell with Literature Works. Watch the film and add your own story.
READ: The Flower of Story
LISTEN:
CURRENT EVENTS:
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Friday 20 February 7.30 pm
Front Room, 13 Central Walk, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1FF
Sly, subversive, spectacular, these goddess myths are X rated and for adults only! Follow the goddess: Creator; Virgin; Lover; Warrior; Mother; Crone as Sally Pomme Clayton entwines myths and memories, spells and songs, comedy and ceremony. Meet: the Mother Goddess who fathered a child; the sisters who rule the worlds above and below; the maiden who creates the universe, and the fiery virgin who is the Phallic Mother! Enter the pine forest and receive a message from the goddess’s oracle! These feisty, feminist stories expand on Pomme’s latest book ‘The Mighty Goddess – world myths’ illustrated by Sophie Herxheimer, and the book will be on sale. Join the goddess for electrifying, soulful storytelling.
TICKETS
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Sunday 8 March, 8.00pm
Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common North Side, London, SW4 0QW
Tickets
Thursday 26 March, 7.30pm
The Story Museum, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP
Tickets
The Court of Love – A retreat for storytellers on love
Tues 1st to Sun 6th September 2026
Cae Mabon retreat Centre
Majnun says in the love story of ‘Layla and Majnun’: ‘Make my love a hundred times greater than it is today! Let me love for love’s sake!’ Welcome to our ‘Court of Love’!
Legend has it Eleanor of Aquitaine encountered the Sufis in Jerusalem on the First Crusade, and inspired by this invented ‘courtly love’. Her court in Poitiers becoming a ‘Court of Love’ with troubadours and storytellers creating love songs, poems and stories about romance. In this retreat we will explore the broad sweep of love stories. We will look at myths and fairytales such as ‘Isis and Osiris’, ‘Eros and Psyche’, ‘Tristan and Iseult’ and many more. We will journey from human love stories to the wild passion of gods and goddesses, reaching towards the metaphors that depict the mystical search for the beloved. We will explore love in many forms: songs; prayers; poetry; food; fairytales; rituals; magic and myth. Eleanor of Aquitaine was the grandmother of Siwan, the wife of Llewelyn the Great. Siwan was queen of Gwynedd at the time the four branches of the Mabinogi were first set on the page. No Court of Love could be complete without exploring the stories of Rhiannon, Branwen and Blodeuwedd! You will be guided by renowned storytellers Hugh Lupton, Sally Pomme Clayton and Eric Maddern. This is not a ‘how to tell stories’ course but a mutual exploration, a time out of time, where we can come together to dig into traditional fairytales and myths and be renewed. Some storytelling experience is essential. Email: connect@caemabon.co.uk for more details and price.
SELECTED PAST EVENTS:
24 Story Seeds – creative storytelling workshop
Saturday 6 December 10.00am – 4.00pm
Summerhill Bowling Club, Winchester Terrace, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 6EH
In this creative and practical workshop Pomme will explore some of the tools of the storyteller. She will draw on her idea that there are 24 story seeds just waiting for the storyteller to discover that range from genre to gestures, voice to memory, structure to meaning. Using: writing; telling; improvisation; visualisation; movement; drawing; sound; discussion and sharing we will help some of these seeds grow. This workshop can be done by beginners or experienced storytellers alike, each working to their own level of experience. Tickets.
Death and the Warrior Maiden
Friday 5 December, 7.30pm
The Chillingham Arms, 89-91 Chillingham Rd, Heaton, Newcastle NE6 5XL
A young man is running away from Death, and a warrior woman fights on horseback, in disguise. Discover rare story gems from the Silk Road. Meet the wildest warrior woman of all, descended from Black Sea Amazons and find the place where Death does not exist. These are stories of crazed desire, wild beasts, and a woman warrior who fights to the death. And discover the only thing that will stop death – the power of stories themselves. These passionate, hilarious and unknown stories are funny, fresh, and full of contemporary relevance. The epic of Dede Korkut is known throughout Central Asia and was written down during 14th Century, but it is still travelling the Silk Road! Tickets
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Thursday 4 December 7.30 pm
Alphabetti Theatre, St James’ Blvd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4HP
Sly, subversive, spectacular, these goddess myths are X rated and for adults only! Follow the goddess: Creator; Virgin; Lover; Warrior; Mother; Crone as Sally Pomme Clayton entwines myths and memories, spells and songs, comedy and ceremony. These feisty, feminist stories expand on Pomme’s latest book ‘The Mighty Goddess – world myths’ illustrated by Sophie Herxheimer, and the book will be on sale. Join the goddess for electrifying, soulful storytelling.
TICKETS
Expeditie Ameland Storytelling Adventure
Storytelling performances and workshops
Thursday 13 November – Sunday 16 November 2025
Ameland Island, Netherlands.
Full programme here
IN THE BEGINNING – Telling Creation Myth
9 – 14 September
Cae Mabon With Hugh Lupton, Sally Pomme Clayton and Eric Maddern
Residential, includes food and accommodation £595 This course is now SOLD OUT
The oldest stories are about how the the world began: how the sun, moon and stars, the animals, plants and landscape, and the very first people came into being. On this retreat we will live with the creation myths and see how they can re-energise our lives. We will look at some of the shapes and patterns they take. We will also explore the act of creation and creativity itself. We will examine some of these ancient stories, looking at their eternal patterns. Through writing and walking, imagining and speaking, drawing and observing, resting, moving and sharing we will take inspiration from these images of creation and become creators ourselves. The course is not a storytelling course, but a time outside time for the mutual exploration of the form and content of creation myths. please contact connect@caemabon.co.uk
The Mighty Goddess
Sunday April 27 2025
Ashburton Arts Centre
The Mighty Goddess
Saturday April 12 2025, 7.30pm
Stealing Thunder StoryNights
Brigsteer Village Hall
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Friday 21 February 7.30 pm
Watchet Literature Festival – Words in Watchet
Backyard Theatre, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0AZ
Balkan Fairytale Party – Sally Pomme Clayton and The Magic Violin Trio
Sunday December 8 202 4 18.00 – 20.15
The Three Snake Leaves – Ben Haggarty Hugh Lupton, Sally Pomme Clayton, Sheema Mukherjee.
“A wonderful, intricate performance, based on tales from the Brothers Grimm, about the possibilities of redemption.” The Independent
Kings Place Saturday Jan 25 2025, 7.30pm
Cambridge Junction Wednesday Jan 29 2025, 7.30pm
Cranbourne Earth House, 13 July 2024, 19.30pm
The Cube, Bristol, Thurs 14 November 2024, 20.00pm
Front Room, Weston-Super-Mare, Sat 16 November 2024, 19.30pm
The Story Museum, Oxford, Thurs 21 November 2024, 19.30pm
Barnfield Theatre, Exeter, Friday 22 November 2024, 19.45pm
“I was spell-bound – I don’t use the word lightly.” The Times
West Norwood Cemetery
The archaeology of a story – a masterclass with Sally Pomme Clayton
Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October 2024, 10.30 – 16.30pm
The Community Room, West Norwood Picture House and Library, London SE279JU
Find full details here.
This creative, practical masterclass workshop is for storytellers with some experience. Over the weekend, Pomme will take the group through a series of creative approaches and processes she uses to work on a story and make it her own. Pomme has distilled her long practise as a performance storyteller into ’24 Story Seeds’ – elements that range from genre to rhythm, structure to sound, dialogue to character. We will explore some of these potentials, using: writing; telling; improvisation; visualisation; movement; drawing; sound; discussion and sharing. You will break your story open, dig around in it, discover some of its treasures and work on many small parts of it.
Harvest of words – a creative writing and walking workshop
Sunday 20 October 2024 11.00am – 12.30
West Norwood Cemetery
A creative writing walk through the autumnal gradual and beauty of West Norwood Cemetery. Pomme will suggest creative prompts to help you notice the surroundings and harvest words as we go – collecting images, histories, impressions, memories, words, fragments of stories.
Tales of Wonder – family fairytales
Saturday 12, Sunday 13 October 2024
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Story Shack, free sessions just drop in for a short fairytale, sessions between 10am and 2.40pm
The events are free. More info
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Saturday October 5 2024 20.00 – 21.00pm
The Boston Tea Party, 45-49 Clarence St, Cheltenham GL50 3JS
The cat who played the violin – Sally Pomme Clayton with The Magic Violin
Sat July 20 2024 11.00am – 11.45am Free performance for families.
The Mighty Goddess – stories, spells, songs
Tue, 9 Apr 2024 19:15
Hillcrest Community Centre, Bay Vue Road, Newhaven, BN9 9LH
The Magician’s Apprentice
Wed 20 Mar 2024 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Our Lady of the Assumption Church Hall, NG9 1AE
The Magician’s Apprentice
Friday 24 November, 2023 19.30 – 21.30
Front Room, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1FF
I am so thrilled to be taking this show back to its place of origin! This show begins with a true story. I was nine years old and went to Weston-Super-Mare pier and became a magician’s apprentice! The magic went horribly wrong and I have been searching for real magic ever since. Join the fairytale quest for real magic. Tickets £10.00
The Mighty Goddess
Sunday 19 November 2023 14.30 -16.30
The Crick Crack Club Epic Sundays, The British Museum, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG
The Mighty Goddess
Wednesday 8 November 2023 19:30 – 21.30
Capstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University, 17 Shaw St, Liverpool L6 1HP
The Mighty Goddess
Friday October 27 2023, 19.00.pm Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Imagine Festival
Saturday October 28 17.00 Societaetstheater, Dresden, Imagine Festival
Meet the awe-inspiring goddess in electrifying, soulful storytelling. Info and tickets.
Death and the Maiden
Wednesday 11 October 2023 18.30 – 20.00
St Johns Church, Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8TY
Stories and masterclass – part of Vanessa Woolf and London Dreamtime’s new ‘Space for Storytelling’ project.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Monday 9 October 2023 20:30 -21:30
The Hive, Cheltenham
The Mighty Goddess is coming to Cheltenham Literature Festival as part of an event exploring the wisdom in myth and folklore. Tickets £11.00
The Magician’s Apprentice
Thursday 5 October 2023 19.30 – 21.30
The Story Museum, 42 Pembroke St, Oxford OX1 1BP
Pomme opens the magician’s suitcase and finds smoke, mirrors, the King of the Jinns and the greatest female magician of all!
The Magician’s Apprentice
Friday 28 July 2023 Talliston House & Gardens, Great Dunmow, Essex
A secret gig, in a very special place!
The Mighty Goddess with Sally Pomme Clayton and Sophie Herxheimer
Thursday 13 July 2023, 17.30
Watkins Bookshop
Beyond the Border
Friday 7 July – Sunday 9 July 2023 Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire (SA19 6RT)
The Mighty Goddess and The Bog King’s Daughter
The Mighty Goddess – with Sally Pomme Clayton and Sophie Herxheimer
Sunday 2 July 2023 6 – 9 pm
Avant Garden Gig, Brockwell Barn, Brockwell Park
Spells poems and papercuts from The Mighty Goddess.
East Anglian Storytelling Festival
Friday 12 – Sunday 14 May 2023
Food Museum, Stowmarket.
The Mighty Goddess for adults and The Bog King’s daughter for families!
All Good Bookshop
Friday 19 May 2023 7.30pm, 35 Turnpike Lane, London N8 0EP
Book launch for The Mighty Goddess with Sophie Herxheimer, stories and spells, poems, papercutting.
West Norwood Cemetery
Saturday 20 May 2023 part of ChoooseSE27 day
Persephone – a story walk.
West Horsley Place
One Thousand and One Nights with Olivia Armstrong and Sally Pomme Clayton
Take a tour through this incredible house with two storytellers and hear tales of ghosts, magic and the other world. 20 and 21 April 2023 Performance last an hour repeated at 5pm, 6.30, 8.00pm tickets here.
The White Bear King
Story – Sally Pomme Clayton / Songs – Helen Chadwick
Saturday 17 December 18.30
Exeter Custom House, Exeter, EX2 4AN
The Magician’s Apprentice
Thursday 20 October 7.00pm – 9.10pm (including an interval)
The Bloomsbury Festival at The Museum of Comedy,
The Undercroft, St Georges Church,
Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2SR
In this perfect tiny theatre, with red velvet curtain explore the secret world of the magician. Tickets
Flowing Words – Outdoor riverside creative writing workshop.
Sunday 26 September, 11.00am- 12.30pm Wapping
Waterside Gardens, 104-106 Wapping High St, London E1W 2PR
For adults and children aged 12 upwards (children must come with an adult.) With the Thames Festival Trust. A creative writing journey using: observation; walking; the senses; memories; histories; dreams; imagination, to give voice to the River Thames and its stories. The workshop is also about helping you get into a creative flow, which allows thoughts and images to arise, so you can make your own river of words.
Once Upon A Time – How Fairytales Travel
Tuesday 18 May 2021, 11.00 – 12.00, Online
Hosted by Brent Library – Reading Friends
A performance/talk/workshop all rolled into one hour! Discover why fairytales are living literature. Sally Pomme will tell you some stories, introduce you to the idea of the oral tradition and talk about how versions of similar stories can be found across the world, and how, and perhaps why, the human imagination creates and re-creates these ancient stories. The session will end with a small creative wriitng exercises where you can explore your own memories of fairytales and what they might mean to you. Free but booking needed.
The Phoenix of Persia
Edinburgh Book Festival
August 12 10.30 am
Stories of the Simorgh, including the story from Sally Pomme’s latest book ‘The Phoenix of Persia’, and a snippet of The Conference of the Birds. The illustrator Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif will be doing special live drawing during the performance!
Mother Danube
June 7 2019, 19.30
Cutty Sark Theatre, Ground Level, Lower Hold, Greenwich.
Sally Pomme Clayton and musician Emma Clare take a magical journey across Europe evoking the River Danube. A mythical meander along the Danube listening to stories, songs and music celebrating the vibrant, histories, cultures and heritage of the river. With Olivia Armstrong evoking tales of the River Thames and the history of the Cutty Sark itself, this evening celebrates Mother River, Father River.
The Phoenix of Persia – Book Launch with Tiny Owl
May 30 2019. 14.00
The British Library
Celebrate the launch of stunning new picture book The Phoenix of Persia with a spellbinding family storytelling event from author Sally Pomme Clayton.
