I love listening to people’s stories. For all the festival holidays that are celebrated in the world there are stories. From life stories in an Immigration office, or great myths from the Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Indians and Chinese I have found stories function like a map that helps us face our future with love and courage – because all those who have gone before us have shown that there is a way, but we must discover our own. I learned early in life that we must always ask questions, but be attentive to stories as they hold the answers.

That is why I became a Storyteller and now have a Theatre Company based in London. Vayu Naidu Storytelling Theatre has a Guild of 7 Storytellers who along with me work in different projects creating Storytelling Carnivals; Epic Storytelling with world musicians in Concert Halls; working in Hospitals gathering peoples’ stories and encouraging them toward a healthier lifestyle.

I won a Teaching award from the University of Kent, Canterbury from the Faculty of Humanities for teaching students and creating Storytelling projects in schools with behaviourly disturbed pupils, and within Refugee communities.
I am now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. I have just been awarded a small British Council Grant to create a new work with Astad Deboo, and I have been selected on to the highly competitive Novel Writing Course at The Faber Academy of FABER & FABER publishers.

My father Major General Aban Naidu ( Retd.,) is a grand Storyteller, and my mother Jaya Naidu continue to inspire me. My husband Chris Banfield taught me the craft of telling a story.

My 1600th RAMAYANA is on at Barbican concert hall and BHAKTI & THE BLUES with Jazz vocalist Cleveland Watkiss.

Storytelling is the bridge between worlds.

To know about the work that Vayu is doing visit her at her website www.vayunaiducompany.org.uk