Dutch International Storytelling Centre's Summer Out and About

by Connor McMullen

The sun is finally shining and summer is almost upon us, and it reminds me of a story. I remember the days from my childhood when meant the beginning our banishment from the house during all hours of light, my mom always insisted we spend this time of year outside. So my brother and I would head out into the small forest nearby. In early summer we'd leave the West end of the woods, opposite the house, to wander to one of the nearby gulley ponds before they dried up. It was water anyone would ever swim in, but it still skipped rocks all the same.

Later in summer we'd hide from the heat among the trees, building tree forts and scouring the ground for interesting sticks. Imaginative play was a requirement at our house. The forest would transform, seemingly by itself at times, into a castle, a city, or ship depending on whatever the story called for.

By the time August rolled around, the South edge of the forest was under attack from our mother's expansive garden, growing enough food to feed a small city for an afternoon. Several times throughout the month we would harvest baskets full of peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, garlic, horseradish, corn, beans, and cucumbers. I am probably forgetting more, but I do remembers weeks of eating zucchini in everything, turns out zucchini brownies can be quite tasty!

A Summer of Stories in New Places!

Well this summer, DISC is following my mom's advice, we're getting out of the house and doing something a little different with our storytelling cafes! In June, July, and August we invite you to step with us into our community as we explore The Hague from the water, parks, and city streets! We think there’s a little something for everyone on our lineup.

In June, we will be heading onto the water to see our city from a different perspective. We will be telling stories on a boat! I personally am excited to finally get an upclose look at the Huygens' Hofwijck, which I always admire on my way into the city via the A12.

July will take us into a place I wish I could have played as a child! The chance to sit underneath the Oosterbeek's weeping willow is enough reason to visit this serene park. The combination of water, trees, and open space has made it quite a fun place for Michael and I to walk about and think about what shape this storytelling night will take.

The final full month of summer will take us back into the city, where we will wander the streets, squares, and sidewalks chasing stories of our urban past. We are also talking about making another foray into publishing for this café, after the great success with our Mother's Day cards. This café has already become a near constant source of discussion in my circles, there are so many stories people want to share about this place, it's going to be hard to choose just a few!

If that's not enough, Francine will be hosting another story walk in Scheveningen at the end of June. I really enjoyed this walk myself, and saw many parts of the city I'd never even knew existed! So if you're looking to hear some stories from a local about the relationships between people, land, and sea, we've got you covered.

Story Walk “There is something fishy in The Hague!” (1)

22 juni 2025, 10:30–11:45|Scheveningen village

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Those are just our storytelling nights, we have even more things cooking for this summer. In July Connor will be hosting a DISC_X talk about AI and storytelling, and while the date and location are not yet fixed, we are going to find somewhere new to talk about the leading edge of technology and storytelling.

In August, we will extend our stay in the park with a three-week storytelling miniature "workshop". Over the course of three brief early evenings in the park, we will explore together how stories effect our bodies, hearts, and minds. Look for more to come out about both of these events soon!

"It will be over before you know it!"

Whenever we tried to stay inside, my mom would chase us out of the house reminding us of the impermanence of good weather. I know I'm going to try and take her advice more this year, so far I'm doing pretty good...except for the soaking of a lifetime I got from Saturday evening's rainstorm.

I hope where ever you are this summer you are able to take in loads of sun, stay dry, and enjoy at least a few nights of story. If you do happen to drop by, we can't promise either of the former, but we will at least have a few great stories (and some tasty food) to brighten your day. Hope to see you at one (or all) of our storytelling events this summer.