Settle Stories is a UK-based storytelling charity changing lives through story. Rooted in the Yorkshire Dales and connected to the world, we believe something simple and powerful: story is nourishment. Not a luxury. Not a pastime. A vital force that feeds communities, builds empathy and helps us understand ourselves and each other.
Founded in 2010, Settle Stories collaborates with exceptional artists to create transformative storytelling experiences for people of all ages. Guided by our belief that every voice feeds the world, we champion stories that bridge divides, spark imagination and give space to voices that are too often unheard. From ancient folktales to contemporary lived experience, we explore stories that educate, empower and endure.
From our rural home in the Yorkshire Dales, we work locally, nationally and internationally. We create live and digital events, workshops and learning programmes that make storytelling accessible to everyone. We are proud to have produced the Yorkshire Festival of Story, the world’s largest free storytelling festival, and we now deliver a year-round programme of workshops, exhibitions, story walks and livestreamed events from unusual places around the globe.
Education is at the heart of what we do. Through Stories for Schools, our curriculum-aligned digital library, and The Storyful Way, a wellbeing-focused programme combining storytelling and mindfulness, we support teachers and reach thousands of children each year, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
As a rural arts charity, we challenge expectations of what creativity from isolated places can achieve. Our creative studio, The Joinery, is where world-class digital storytelling meets local community co-creation. From village halls to global livestreams, from heritage archives to online learning, we empower people to share their stories and discover that they matter.
We also protect and celebrate Yorkshire’s storytelling heritage through projects like the W.R. Mitchell Archive and the world’s first Listening Gallery, ensuring local voices are preserved for generations.
At the heart of everything we do is one enduring belief: storytelling changes lives. And the story continues.
