Earth
story
tellers
a global network of storytelling activists
ABOUT
about us
Earth Story Tellers is a global network of people who tell Earth Stories. These are traditional stories from different cultures aimed at building a just, peaceful and sustainable civilisation, insofar as these stories can convey a systemic and ecocentric worldview, as well as the values and principles of the Earth Charter
experiences and programmes
At Earth Story Tellers we share experiences developed in the most diverse fields where the telling of these special stories can transform the collective worldview of our societies. In addition, we organise educational programmes on worldview education, traditional stories and storytelling
Who we are
This initiative is closely associated with The Earth Stories Collection, a global bank of myths, legends and folktales capable to transmit a systemic, ecocentric and organicist worldview. This project is managed by The Avalon Project, in partnership with the Scottish International Stortelling Festival and Earth Charter International, at the United Nations’ University for Peace
GET INVOLVED whatever your field
Our network is open to educators of all educational levels, professional and amateur storytellers, social and environmental activists, outdoor animators, communicators, social entertainers, artists and musicians, parents, grandparents, social sciences professionals, spiritual teachers and, ultimately, every human being who is willing to spread the worldview that, according to leading social scientists, could prevent the collapse of our civilisation.
REGISTERING
You can register as an individual storyteller by clicking on the button below and following the instructions. But you can also register as a tribe of storytellers by going to the Rainbow Warriors 3.5 network tribe registration page. However, in the case of tribes, at least one of their members should register individually here.
To be part of this network, that seeks to build a global civilization which is socially and economically fair, peaceful and deeply respectful of life and planet Earth, a Declaration was created. Adhering to and endorsing this Declaration allows any person in the world to start being part of this network.
If you wish to register in the Earth Story Tellers, download the Declaration, fill in the information and send us the document in pdf to info@avalonproject.org.
OUR MOTTO
‘if not now, when?’
Earth Story Tellers was proposed by Dr Donald Smith, founder and first director of the National Theatre of Scotland and director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. This event belongs to the renowned Edinburgh Festival and is one of the most important festivals of storytellers in the world.
After learning about the research of Grian Cutanda in which the proposal of the creation of The Earth Stories Collection (TESC) was made, Donald Smith proposed the creation of a global network of storytelling activists, who, among other tasks, spread the stories of TESC in their area of influence.
‘Because if not now, when?’ said Donald, to then ask, ‘When are we going to get involved in the effort to prevent the collapse our civilisation is headed for because climate change?’
After a first meeting of storytellers held in Edinburgh in October 2017, at the 2019 Global Storytelling Lab it was agreed to create a global network of storytelling activists who will be responsible for telling stories illustrative of the priciples and values of the Earth Charter around the world.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic made it very difficult to launch it effectively until early 2022. At that time, the network was established with individual storytellers, and then, in 2025, the format of storytelling tribes was launched within the international soft activism network Rainbow Warriors 3.5.
At Earth Story Tellers we are proud to say that
we are sowers of cultural seeds!
our mother project
the earth stories collection
a repository of myths, legends and folktales
within the framework of the earth charter
The Earth Stories Collection is the base on which Earth Story Tellers is built.
It is a is a repository of myths, legends, fables and folktales from cultures around the planet which are capable of transmitting a complex-systems worldview and of illustrating the principles and values of the Earth Charter.
It is inspired by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, a food crop seed bank in which seeds from all parts of the world are preserved as a food guarantee for humanity in the face of the possibility of a global crisis or disaster.
In this sense, The Earth Stories Collection is called to be a cultural seed bank, a base of global educational resources for the construction (or reconstruction) of a deeply sustainable global society, based on social and economic justice, and values of peace and democracy; that is, the values of the Earth Charter.
GET INVOLVED
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TELLING STORIES
of The Earth Stories Collection and thus making known the Earth Charter. For this, EST professional storytellers regularly impart training courses to be announced on this page and social networks.
sharing EXPERIENCES
in which you have made use of Earth Stories, so that other people in your field are encouraged to tell them contributing in this way to build a sustainable society.
SENDING STORIES
traditional stories that reflect values of sustainability, social and economic justice, peace and non-violence to be included in The Earth Stories Collection.
tribes of storytellers
These are affinity groups, preferably intergenerational, consisting of two or more people willing to tell Earth Stories in their own social settings: family gatherings, social events, local festivities, schools and colleges, social and cultural venues, clubs, artistic performance events (professional and amateur), street performances, care homes, theatres, museums, libraries, botanical gardens, nature parks, children’s parties, hospitals, universities, etc.
Earth Story Tellers was launched in 2022 as an international network of individual storytellers, but in October 2025, during the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, a new form of participation became possible: that of storytelling tribes.
The initiative to create EST tribes can be a powerful tool to be implemented by grandparents, mothers and fathers within the family environment, or by teachers in schools, colleges or universities, or even in other social settings, such as nursing homes or any other type of social organisation or entity.
The Earth Story Tellers tribes are part of the international network of small activist groups Rainbow Warriors 3.5. For more information and to register a tribe, click on the button below.
SO FAR WE are
50
INDIVIDUAL STORYTELLERS
10
TRIBES OF STORYTELLERS
TELLING EARTH STORIES IN
19
COUNTRIES
blog Highlights
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Stay up to date with news from The Earth Stories Collection and Earth Story Tellers: new traditional stories in TESC, new storytelling and educational experiences in EST and upcoming educational and training programmes.