A Welsh charity set up to create, encourage and promote traditional storytelling for contemporary audiences will visit the Llyn Peninsula from next month with a packed programme of events.

Beyond the Border, Wales’ International Storytelling Festival, will visit Felin Uchaf, St Hywyn’s Church, Aberdaron and Plas Glyn-y-Weddw with its Roots and Roads project, hosting storytellers from Italy and Sweden.

Beyond the Border, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018, is the only international storytelling festival in Wales, and one of the leading festivals of its kind in the UK and internationally.

With support from the Arts Council of Wales, Beyond the Border continues to develop and harness the power of storytelling through a new education and outreach and performance programme laying foundations for the next major festival in 2020.

Its new artistic director, Naomi Wilds, explained what the next year has in store for the charity.

“We know how accessible and powerful storytelling can be,” she said.

“The next 12 months will see us roll out new ways of developing partnerships, audiences and the sector across Wales which connects with our biennial festival in exciting new ways.

“Storytelling has the power to connect people and communities and working with new partners helps develop wider under­standing and appreciation of what storytelling can do.”

As well as hosting perform­ances in Wales, Beyond the Border will be enhancing its online presence, creating new digital content that reaches audiences across Wales and the world throughout the year with a refreshed website and social media channels.

Naomi added: “Storytelling is a really versatile and flexible art form and we’re really looking forward to heading out and about this summer, meeting audiences and sharing stories by fantastic artists across Wales.

“Working with new partners in different ways and sharing stories with more and different audiences helps us discover new ways the festival contributes to a vibrant cultural offer across Wales as we look forward to the return of our major three-day festival next year.

“These new projects are building on the festival’s strong reputation for excellence, international collaboration and inclusivity, providing a platform for Wales and Welsh culture at the centre of the international storytelling stage.”

See this week’s north feature for the full dates, times and line-ups, in shops and online now