Ian Stephen, from the Outer Hebrides, has a B.Ed, with distinction and is a committed educator and performer as well as an internationally published writer. He won the first Robert Louis Stevenson Award in 1995. Other Awards include major Creative Scotland funding to navigate the geography of maritime stories and the multi-arts section of the first British Awards for Storytelling Excellence in 2013:

“The work is graced with an apparent simplicity and a deep sophistication. It also has integrity and reflects the culture from which the stories grew” Donald Anderson, Shetland Arts.

Storytelling residencies, Orkney, 2010 and Shetland 2014. His arrangements of stories from St Kilda was the basis of a Europe wide opera project in 2006. He performed the stories, in Bonn and Cologne in 2007 and led the World Heritage St Kilda storytelling in 2011. Voyages – opening show, with music and projection, 2013 Edinburgh International Storytelling Festival. Regular guest at the Without Borders Festival, Olomouc, Czech Republic and guest at Cape Clear Island festival.

“Telling a story well, he explained, is like knowing the way-points to look out for on a sea-journey: as a former coastguard, Stephen will know these better than most. A spellbinding performance.” David Robinson, The Scotsman.

To find out more about Ian read our blog about him here.