our mission
To collect and share the stories that shape our lives and the communities we live in, while walking ancient and new pilgrimages and creating experiences that will last as long as they are remembered.
our values
stimulating – we create safe places for fun and debate
sincere – no pretence or deceit
buoyant – cheerful and optimistic, a place where you can rise to the top
unusual – never the same, always changing, adapting
the story pilgrim story
Life fascinates me.
I have so many questions about everything. Why am I here? Why are you there? How did we arrive at this point in our lives? Why do we call a giraffe a giraffe? Does everyone’s thought process work the same as mine? Why do we put so much value on land? How do I know right from wrong? What is truth? What is true? What is a lie? How do I know? How do you?
These questions started, for me, at a young age. I do not claim to be a great thinker, but I do think a lot. I do not claim to be a philosopher, but I philosophise often.
One thing I’ve always been good at is walking. I love to go for a long walk, and it is during these walks that me, myself, and I can put the world to rights.
And I’ve always had a passion for telling stories. My earliest memories of storytelling come from sitting around a campfire as a cub-scout, scout and venture-scout, telling and listening to true and made-up stories.
Young me loved it.
Adult me still loves it.
High school was not a good time for me. I struggled with learning, because of my dyslexia. I loved drama class, though. I longed for those classes, being up on stage or making a movie –those were my happiest school days.
Not having the confidence to pursue an acting career straight out of school, I began to travel the world instead, collecting stories. As I reflect on my own personal pilgrimage through life, the intersections with other people’s journeys have enchanted me, enriched me, and made me a better person.
For several years now I have been passing those stories and experiences on to others.
I am one of the few people in the world who has both trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and studied at RADA.
I am the only person, as far as I know, who has walked the entire Camino de Santiago while performing a play almost every evening of the walk.
I have been preparing for this moment my entire life. As have you, even though your path here certainly looks almost nothing like mine. If you’re here on this site right now, there absolutely is a reason for you to be here. And I invite you to be a part of the questions and answers that we all have in life.
I am a pilgrim of life.
You are too.
I founded the story pilgrim to create opportunities to hear real stories, told by real people. No fiction, no fake news, no lies. No labels.
I want to create a safe environment that connects people and cares about the environment we are trusted with. That living environment, from the home to workplace, from a city to the natural world, shapes not only the stories we tell but also how those stories are told. These two – the stories and our environment – are inextricably linked.
If you are passionate about life, come and be fired up by the story pilgrim.
about Darren Hill
Spanning twenty years and a couple of continents, Darren has extensive experience in telling stories and listening and creating them.
He trained as a professional actor at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and studied his Masters at RADA; no one is more qualified and unique to head up the story pilgrim project. It is as if his whole life, not just his performing, has directed him to this moment and project. Travelling and storytelling are at the heart of his life; having worked on the cruise ships, lived in six different countries, and worked on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, Darren is prepared to make this personal.
The one common phrase that Darren heard when working on various projects was, “We have never had a team that has worked so well together in all the years we have been doing this.” As that sentiment was repeated time after time, Darren began to realise that his presence, his energy, was a vital part of those smooth and effective collaborations. Compassion, sensibility, fun and joy are crucial elements of Darren’s makeup, and that is what people will get from a story pilgrim event: a feeling of inclusivity, community and strength.
The story pilgrim is not about Darren Hill, but it certainly helps to have him at the helm.
