Carl Gough created a first person tour playing Adelina Patti’s Head Gardener ( Constantine Hibbert) at Craig y nos Country Park in Brecon Beacons National Park
Anyone who is involved with heritage will undoubtedly already know the power of ‘story’ when it comes to interpretation. However finding the right story and choosing the way you want to communicate that story can make a huge difference to visitor experience.
Something very special happens when a story is told as a first person narrative i.e. the storyteller/guide enters into the persona of a person from the period concerned. This method allows the visitor to feel a sense of connection to the period being presented and as a result they gain a much richer experience. Their visit rapidly steps away from historical facts and figures and becomes one of relationship; achieving a more visceral experience and taking away a much more profound sense of heritage as opposed to just history.
As a storyteller I relish opportunities that allow me to develop an immersive expereince for any audience. The sense of play and interaction in this context creates great humour and seems to quickly dissolve many of the barriers that some people have when it comes to visiting historical monuments or museums. I have had people on my tours admit that they didn’t want to come, but were dragged by their other half or their children, only to be astonished at just how much they enjoyed themselves. This enjoyment comes from stepping beyond a perception that history is about old things and realising that (when delivered in the right way,) history can be a living and breathing experieince that brings richness to everyone’s lives.
The picture above was a commission to develop a tour at Craig y nos Country Park. The tour provided a real sense of upstairs, downstairs life at Craig y nos during its ownership by world famous opera star Adelina Patti. The tour was given from the perspective of Constantine Hibbert who was Head Gardener for Mme Patti and became a close friend. Based on the book ‘Flowers for M’Lady’ written by his grandson Tony Hibbert, the tour brought the park to life. Many of those who came on the tour already knew the park well, but all agreed that the tour had provided them with an insight into the park that now gave them a much richer experience and better appreciation of the estates importance in the history of the Swansea Valley.
So if you’re looking to develop a memorable activity for visitors to a heritage site or place of historical interest, you might like to consider using the skills of a professional storyteller. Please contact me if you’d like further information
The Storyteller's Blog 