- Over 3,000 performances and workshops in schools and libraries, plus appearances at various public venues, festivals etc and various appearances on national TV and radio.
- Published written material includes:
-Three Angles on an Awakening Kiss - (Society for Storytelling 1999)
- Tall Tale Telling (Imaginary Journeys 2004) - first in a series of short publication on story making games etc.
- Fictions & Fantasies (How stories can change your mind) - HG Publishing (due late 2005).
Published audio material includes:
- Transforming Tales (How stories can change people) - (Jessica Kingsley 2009)
- Storytelling & Imagination (David Fulton Publishing 2010)
My Dad's Not a Dog - poems, lyrics & tall tales (Caboodle Book 2010
The Wonderful Store (Strange, Fantastical & Ridiculous Songs) - Imaginary Journeys 1989 re-issued on CD 2004)
- Will's Clogs ( Unlikely & Fantastical Tales) - Imaginary Journeys 1990 re-issued on CD 2004)
- Wild Imaginings (Weird, wacky & Wonderful Songs) - Imaginary Journeys 2004
- Powerful Stories (double CD for therapists, trainers and educators) - Uncommon Knowledge 2003
Guitar Music:
The Leap Frog Principle - G.Ricordi (London) Ltd 1982
1.Performances for Schools: Sessions for all ages and abilities, from nursery through all Key Stages and to further & higher education, parent audiences etc. Rob has also worked with all categories of special needs pupils. Engaging, highly entertaining yet thought-provoking sessions feature a repertoire of over five hundred stories, plus the music of a dozen ancient and ethnic insturments, jokes, tricks, riddles, verse and original fantasy and narrative songs plus audience participation as appropriate to age. Sometimes described as a form of modern minstrelsy - though tweeness, feyness etc. avoided at all times!
Workshops for school pupils: On storytelling, story making, using music with stories, poetry and story writing. Adaptable for all ages. Many orginal, imaginative, fun techniques, guaranteed to involve pupils in creative speaking and listening activities that can easily connect with written story work. Also specialist knowledge of therapeutic story techniques plus workshops on Chaucer and on writing song lyrics.
INSET/ adult workshops etc.: Rob has run workshops for many professional groups, including teachers, librarians, social workers, therapists, counsellors. Sessions for teachers cover all storytelling skills and may also focus on use of speaking and listening story games, combining music and story, reading developing metaphor in pupil's work. therapeutic/counsellng uses of story etc.
Rob worked with us for 4 days in February 2005.
We discussed the brief thoroughly beforehand and Rob fulfilled the objectives.
While he was with us Rob did a performance for Y1-3, a staff training session about using 'Tall Tales' as a way of encouraging children to use their imagination and a number of workshop sessions with age groups from nursery - mixed Y2/Y3 groups.
His story telling skills were amazing and were complemented by his skills on a variety of interesting musical instruments - setting the atmosphere and transporting the children out of the 'every day'.
Children were 'spellbound' during his performance and for several children their involvement in Rob's sessions was a 'breakthrough' in their engagement with language-based tasks.
We believe Rob gave very good value for money and we would not hesitate to use his considerable talent in the future.
Headteacher
Cowley Infant School, Middlesex
Rob Parkingson has made over five visits to our school in his capacity as a minstrel storyteller. As literacy coordinator and organiser for our annual Book Week, I have always been hugely impressed with Mr Parkinson's professionalism and courtesy. After making initial contact, his ideas and planning for visits to the school are well organised, meticulously thought through and discussed in full with the class teacher. Detailed information is sent promptly in the post and communication is made readily available by telephone or e-mail.
Mr Parkinson is very flexible and is open to suggestions on how best to work with the children and the school environment. His workshops and performances are wonderfully entertaining, not only for the children but also the adults. Even after all his many visits, it never fails to amaze me how Mr Parkinson is able to perform, fresh, new, dynamic material. His suberb telling of stories from many cultures, together with his immense musical repertoire and talent, make for a magical day.
The children respond extremely well to Mr Parkinson's wry sense of humour. He possesses a natural gift in being able to engage all his listeners through direct eye contact and warm, open, body language. As a class teacher myself, I have seen at first hand the impact Mr Parkinson has had in an educational sense on my pupils. Many reluctant writers who have struggled to connect with writing have excitedly picked up a pencil wishing to write prose based on a performance or workshop. At the completion of Mr Parkinson's visit, we always conclude with a special sharing assembly. This children produce some marvellous work ranging from nonsense poems to short stories, all inspired by our visitor. It is a joyful moment for all the teachers to see how much the children have learnt during the course of the day.
I am extremely grateful and honoured that Mr Parkinson has made several visits to our school. He is a welcome visitor and we are most fortunate that he has shared his special talents with us. I sincerely hope that Mr Parkinson will continue to perform his songs and stories in schools, so that other children may benefit from his enthusiasm and passion for the spoken form.
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Mr Parkinson to all schools that are considering a unique and talented storyteller for their literacy event.
Senior Teacher and Literacy Coordinator
St Michael's East Wickham CE VA Primary School
Kent