Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, our hugely popular bi-monthly storytelling series where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers invited.
Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali, joined on 4 December by performance artist Sadiq Ali, singer-songwriter Megan Black and stand-up Amanda Dwyer,
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Turan Ali has been a producer, director and writer of BBC radio dramas and comedies for over 20 years. He’s been a stage storyteller since 2012, and a stand up since 2021. He tours internationally and has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. Turan is the creator, producer and host of Queer Folks’ Tales for which he won the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award 2024. QFT now tours across Scotland and is Creative Scotland funded.
Sadiq Ali is a ground-breaking circus artist and theatre-maker whose award-winning work The Chosen Haram has toured internationally, fusing Chinese Pole with storytelling, poetry and the politics of identity. His performances delve into queerness, faith and vulnerability - transforming physical strength into a language of truth. For his current show A Bohemian Dream he ascends into a world of 1900s Paris - elegant, defiant, transcendent.
Megan Black is an award-winning Scottish artist creating music that combines the nostalgia of 70's blues rock with the modern sound of queer, feminist pop. Megan has toured extensively including sell out shows and festivals across the UK and Europe, and has contributed to film soundtracks. Megan's music focuses on her own experiences as a queer woman and has been called "a vital new talent" by the BBC.
Amanda Dwyer is an up-and-coming Glaswegian comedian on the Scottish scene who performs regularly at comedy clubs in Scotland and across the UK. Her solo shows, including I Did Something Bad, have had sell-out runs in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Her upcoming solo show Better Than Revenge will be touring in 2026. She has a weekly podcast & monthly live show with Susan Riddell called Material Girl.
★★★★★ 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' (The Wee Review)
★★★★★ 'Utterly fabulous' (TheQR.co.uk)
★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)
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Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Follow us on Facebook and join the What's On Scotland Group!This exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre is a captivating compilation of night photography highlighting the beauty, geology and compelling history of Edinburgh and beyond.
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READ MOREDelivered with Mairi Campbell's trademark wit and unparalleled musical ability, this funny and heartfelt show at the Scottish Storytelling Centre resonates with wider universal truths.
READ MORECelebrate Burns' birthday with family and friends and dance Scottish dances and sing well-known songs with the Minnow Ceilidh Band on Sunday 25th January!
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Taking inspiration from Drawing the Italian Renaissance join us for a fun family yoga session full of movement, music, songs and stories. Suitable for children 16 months to 4 years old.
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Join storyteller Claire McNicol as she explores tales inspired by drawings of the Italian Renaissance in an exciting interactive storytelling session.
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A Giant on the Bridge reveals the intimate human experiences within the prison-homecoming journey in a compelling narrative-gig which fuses songwriting, Scottish hip hop & original storytelling.
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Join Georgie Jones in her latest hour as she blends spoken word, stand-up, and storytelling, sharing poems from her debut collection, And The World Spins Anyway.
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