Kersti Ståbi
Swedish storyteller Kersti Ståbi has told stories across the globe and sung whilst flying over the audience as Prima Donna for Cirque du Soleil’s Tokyo show, Zed. As a founder member of internationally-influential company Fabula Storytelling, she created performances with Gävle Symphony Orchestra, folk music trio Nordic and Norrlands Opera. Recently she performed the Eddic Poem Voluspá in Old Norse across Europe, with a grand finale at the British Museum.
She has a Masters degree from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she is now a guest lecturer in Storytelling & Music.
In the Noughties, Kersti was one of the storytellers who developed Storyraids in Sweden, refining them into a highly successful model that became popular across the country – and which is now spreading across England with Storyraiders!
Dominic Kelly
Dominic’s warm, witty and compelling storytelling style has captivated audiences around the world. His UK venues have included the Barbican, National Theatre, British Museum, and The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. He has directed storytelling performances for theatres across Europe, including Norway’s national stage Riksscenen, and teaches on Linköping University’s International Course in Storytelling.
Dominic has helped thousands of young people find their narrative voice through workshops and longer-term projects, working in hundreds of schools across the UK and Scandinavia, as well as further afield in Europe, Asia and South America.
In 2010 he heard about storyraids from a Swedish storyteller. Keen to bring the concept to England, he contacted storyraid company Fabula Storytelling in Stockholm. They invited him to take part in three days of storyraids in May 2011, where he met Fabula co-founder Kersti Ståbi. One thing led to another and they got married a year later! He joined Fabula and has taken part in over 60 storyraids in Sweden. In 2023 he established Storyraiders with Kersti, and Emily Hennessey, to bring storyraids to schools in England for the first time.
Storyraiders team
Emily Hennessey
Emily Hennesey is a dynamic storyteller who tells traditional stories from across the world… Anansi the Spider trickster tales, folktales from the Indian subcontinent, Norse, Greek and Hindu mythology, stories from the British Isles, and Eastern European wondertales to name a few. These stories may be old, but Emily’s tellings are rooted in the here and now: absolutely present, full of participation, vibrant energy and rich imagery.
Emily has a passion for storytelling in schools, and brings 20 years of experience working with children and staff to promote creative learning and wider cultural awareness through storytelling across and beyond the curriculum.
Emily came to storytelling while studying at the University of Kent where she graduated with a 1st class Master of Drama degree. Emily completed a storytelling apprenticeship in the UK with Indian storyteller, Dr Vayu Naidu, and later trained in India. As well as a love of Indian stories, Emily (who has a Swedish background) also has a passion for the Norse Myths and Scandinavian folklore, including a particular fascination with that curious hairy creature – the Troll.
The Storyraiders core team is Dominic Kelly, Emily Hennessey and Kersti Ståbi.
We also work with a small pool of highly-experienced storytellers to bring storyraids to schools far and wide across the country. All storytellers have enhanced DBS disclosures.
