Ailie Finlay

I have worked as a writer, storyteller and puppeteer for the past twenty years and am the co-founder of Flotsam and Jetsam Puppets and Stories. My story sessions are multisensory and very interactive with lots of rhyme, rhythm and games. I use my own handmade puppets and intriguing props to bring the stories to life. I tell stories in special schools, care settings, nurseries, schools, and at festivals and arts venues. I specialise in creating books and sensory story resources for children and adults with additional support needs, particularly those with complex needs. I also love to run CPD sessions in multisensory storytelling.

I believe that telling, hearing and reading stories is a fundamental human experience which everyone should have a chance to enjoy. Recent publications include Max's Story (for the Scottish Huntington's Association), Beyond Memory, a guide to singing and storytelling with people living with dementia (for the Festival Theatre), a chapter in Storytelling Strategies for Reaching and Teaching Children with Special Needs (ed. Sherry Norfolk, Libraries Unlimited) and a series of core word books for Oaklands Special School in Edinburgh.