The Fisherman: A Tale of Passion, Loss, and Hope | Jan Blake | TEDxManchester

Storytelling is an art form that has recently experienced resurgence in popular culture. It would appear however that whilst people like the idea of telling stories, there seems to be a need to modernise them and a desire to shy away from traditional folktales.Through the telling of a traditional folktale, Jan Blake demonstrates that whilst the world may have changed irrefutably over the last one hundred years, our hopes, dreams, and passions have not and that traditional folktales are just as relevant and as capable as the latest blockbuster or art house movie, of guiding us to a reflection on what it means to human.
Jan Blake is one of the leading storytellers, and has been performing worldwide for
over twenty-five years. Specialising in stories from Africa and the Caribbean she has
a well-earned reputation for dynamic and generous storytelling. Highlights include
being resident storyteller at Hay Festival, curating Shakespeare’s
Stories, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and being the recipient of the Thuringe Marchen Preis,
awarded to those who have devoted their lives to storytelling. Her epic telling of The
Old Woman, the Buffalo, and the Lion of Manding about the Malian hero king Sundiata Keita recently won a British Award for Storytelling Excellence.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@JohnIkoma-ql1db]

This kind of content does get much attention from viewers, yet it's gold.

[@65010]

Wow! What is a story? Not only the words, but the person who tells it as well. Ms. Blake is genius. Every part of her tells the story...and those eyes...Wow.

[@valentoranzolaloba]

I ended up weeping...tears were streaming down my face. THANK YOU!

[@martinkelly2277]

You brilliant woman Jan. Ha, I've been telling stories as a tourguide for over 20 years. Thought I'd seen a lot, but you blow the mind rightly. Thank you

[@shuvanidev]

This story made me cry. You are a wonderful storyteller.

[@desaknyomankiaratristantia7241]

just with her voice, she can get people's attention😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@lizzy_0712]

I was using this fro a theatre assignment at school (we are supposed to write a critique) and I just deadass forgot abt the assignment and watched. If your thinking, I finished it eventually but it was overdue. She's so awesome and enacting using her hands, face, voice to TELL a story. :D

[@mekala79]

what a great story.... Amazing... No words to describe.

[@prasathkarupu3287]

Narration was amazing!

[@arlinegeorge6967]

Beautiful impressive story . Thank you, bless you. All your dreams come true.

[@seyikayode2778]

AMAZING! great story and thought provoking.Thank you

[@anneislands4812]

Remarkable storytelling. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing your gift. :)

[@queensandybrown2407]

Very beautiful story be thankful for what you have

[@missmsmrs.7309]

Divine. She is truly gifted.

[@mabelweston1253]

Lovely!!!!

[@themadmarchhare24]

got to see her live tonight! she's an absolute wonder!

[@michellewilson1902]

I am a Storyteller. And I MUST Tell This Story. As Jan Blake has said Storytellers "Thief" Stories. I believe Stories Love to be Told; BUT Each Storyteller must add or change some aspect of the Story to make it their own. Thank you Jan Blake for sharing this story, in your own way.

[@danawashington8754]

Thank you Jan

[@danawashington8754]

.

[@jovandavidovic1]

A remarkable storyteller.

[@eliasgitonga6805]

Awesome

[@edwinestrada8868]

Wow! It touched me deep inside.

[@gloriamitchell3518]

Powerful art form.

[@OluwanifesimiTeaches]

Wow! Contentment is great gain.

[@mypassionmotivationalstori1334]

Amazing 👏👏👏

[@loganmcmann1477]

It made me so sad I almost cried

[@62Attia]

Amazing.

[@majedyousifnoor8371]

Brilliant

[@MariaEliza-rm8ue]

dear...dearJan,loving teacher and coleague...I Will cast my net for True Love...forever!

[@gracevictoria47]

Fantastic

[@tgzkn]

I want to react, but have no words to describe what I just went through..

[@youcansoften]

So many dislikes why ? It's a great professional

[@ruionyango8818]

Wow

[@GustavoRibeiroSantos]

oh i liked it so much 😍

[@mikefuller6959]

How does she know all this from memory?!

[@simazar]

it's created in the moment

[@ysyysy9341]

@@simazar lol

[@adityajoshi5]

She's probably done twenty revisions and changes and recited it another twenty times.

[@MCVessels]

A lifetime of practice. Damn, but she's good.

[@storyourself01]

@@adityajoshi5 she hardly prepares at all. Stands there and speaks.

[@madhavdindorkar5356]

great.

[@yourl0ver]

i’ve watched this video two times already and i still don’t know what the moral of the story is, can someone help me? i really enjoyed listening to this but i cant figure out the moral of this story

[@storyourself01]

Keep us posted

[@psychopathinthemaking]

The title says it all I think. This guy found this woman and she was a representation of the simple pleasures in life, the good things you'd want for yourself and those close to you. He was happy. But then he saw something he didn't have, something sweet and enticing, sickeningly so. He grew obsessed with it, what ifs in life and what he didn't have and forgot all that he did have. He wanted it so badly that he tore apart his family. He lost her, quite possibly forever. But he believes that if he found her once, he'd find her again. So he keeps looking. He looks for the happiness he once had. The same can be said for our happiness and how we sometimes get thrown off track by temporary pleasures. But even if we do screw up we shouldn't despair, because the future isn't set in stone.

[@starfishcove5989]

Perhaps the moral could be summed up as: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

[@nandinipanjiyara2165]

❤️

[@achalknp]

great story and noe even i have stole the story and added my flavour to it.

[@edwinestrada4339]

😭😭😭

[@sebastianacevedo7730]

Estoy acá por la clase de inglés

[@rafindanoor9468]

Can anyone tell how to make subtitles to this video please

[@meliyuniarti2078]

WKWKKWWKKW

[@erviaandanesyarianti4130]

add the subtitle pleaaaaase

[@Outwest65m]

the ad was better than the story

[@vishalakshishanker40]

Awesome