Taleblazers is a Community Interest Company that celebrates the stories of Devon and Dartmoor. We do this by researching tales from our region, rewriting them into original works and performing them as ballads or folk poems. Oral storytelling is an art we are passionate about preserving and we aim to engage young people in particular by involving them in writing and performance. We offer workshops in a variety of educational areas (heritage, natural history, ecology) to schools and historic sites and our workshops are tailored to locations to make them as relevant as possible to the groups we work with. As part of the research and writing process, we get involved with local heritage projects and promote the heritage and folklore of the areas we work in.
We believe we can ‘Change the Story, Change the World’ and this philosophy informs our work with young people with additional needs. We operate a number of alternative education programmes based around the natural work, arts and outdoor skills, helping to develop social skills, mental health, resilience and vocational skills.
Richard Blagden
Rich is an outdoor educator and geologist who only feels truly comfortable when sleeping under canvas. His travels have taken him to the Himalaya and the Andes but he feels most at home among the ancient landscapes of Dartmoor. He considers it a privilege to work with young people of all ages and backgrounds and has led groups from primary school nature camps to multi-night expeditions. Rich is a qualified teacher and attachment lead, and manages our Alternative education programmes. He has his own personal blog about Dartmoor and the outdoors.
Contact: rich@taleblazers.org.uk
Kevin Johns
Kev is a renowned storyteller and modern balladeer, much in demand for his ability to research and retell folk stories for modern audiences, and blessed with an ability to weave tale out of any narrative. His stories are not mere flights of fancy but are well-researched works of art, grounded in fact but performed with theatrical enthusiasm. Children and young people of all ages love Kev for his impish sense of humour and ability to enthuse them at their level. He indulges his passion for stories by leading on our educational workshops for schools.
Contact: kev@taleblazers.org.uk
Victoria Grimberg
Victoria is a project coordinator who enjoys learning about local history and heritage. Having grown up in Sweden, she has inherited a well-known national characteristic: the love of nature. She loves spending time exploring the nature, culture, and heritage of Torbay and Dartmoor, as well as participating in local community projects. She also has experience of project development, pursuing funding opportunities, and project management. Victoria likes to bring people together and encourage a sense of community. In addition, she is also a qualified teacher of History and Social Studies as well as having a Level 3 Award in Project Management.
Contact: victoria@taleblazers.org.uk
Alice
Alice is a qualified teacher who primarily works on our alternative education programmes, where her friendly, calm personality makes her popular with our young people. She is passionate about the outdoors and is working towards outdoor leadership qualifications, and leads on our Arts Award programmes. She is also responsible for Community Engagement, and can often be found photographing our events and creating fantastic content for our social media.
Contact: alice@taleblazers.org.uk