Sunday, February 9, 2020

Storytelling in Newport is back for 2020



Greetings Story Lovers.

We're already into February and the storytelling year is launching into action.

Just to remind you ...

Fabled Nights has a new name: Newport Storytellers 

Fabled Nights has changed its name is no longer running as a Storytelling Australia Victoria event. We are now simply, Newport Storytellers and we are nestled under the broad wings of the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club.

We continue in partnership with the Hobsons Bay Library and gather at the Newport Hub on the 3rd Friday of the month February - November.

Newport Storytellers has a new blog

I've set up a new blog for all the news concerning the Newport Storytellers. Please subscribe and (if I've done it right) you will get a message in your inbox whenever there is a post, probably one a month.

On the new blog you'll find all you need to know: dates, times, etiquette and a description of what we aim to do.

In time I will set up a Facebook group for those of you who use this platform but one thing at a time.

Business as usual

Newport Storytellers will continue to be an informal space to come and practice and develop your storytelling skills and when the opportunity arrives, we may venture into performance spaces at festivals, libraries etc. We also take great pride in welcome visiting storytellers from interstate and overseas. And we are very keen on tea and cake.

Our Image

Our friend, artist Rex Smeal, created the image you see here - we will use this throughout 2020.

Co-ordination

For now I'm happy to continue co-coordinating Newport Storytellers as I have good support. I look forward to seeing your faces at our first gathering on Friday February 21.

DATES AND DETAILS: At the risk of repeating myself ...

Please visit our new blog and SUBSCRIBE and you will stay in the story loop.  And while you're there, you can read up on all the dates and deets for 2020.

* It's important you do this as this blog is slowly being retired.

See you on the 21st February,

Jackie Kerin


Monday, January 6, 2020

Call for Presentations – 2020 Australian Fairy Tale Society Conference

Magic Mirrors: the Seen and the Unseen 

Artist: Erin-Claire Barrow 2018

8 June 2020 9am – 4.30pm Heffernan Hall, Hannaford Community Centre, 608 Darling St, Rozelle NSW 2039


The imagery of fairy tales is as potent as any spell, whether through the power of the words to conjure carriages made of pumpkins or blue bearded villains, or the art that can present those words to our sight in illustrations, sculptures, jewellery, costumes, photography, paintings, food decoration, masks, puppetry, automata, garden design, doll houses, toys, quilts, and all manner of other arts.

The Australian Fairy Tale Society was established to investigate, create, and communicate fairy tales from an Australian perspective.  Our previous conferences have been on The Fairy Tale in Australia, Transformations, Into the Bush, So Many Mattresses, and Gardens of Good and Evil.  Local Rings gather five times a year to explore specific fairy tales.  We have an irregular Ezine and are working hard at creating an original Anthology, South of the Sun: Australian Fairy Tales for the 21st Century. https://www.pozible.com/project/south-of-the-sun-1

In our 6th annual conference we want to look (pun intended!) more closely at these visual and artistic representations in Magic Mirrors: the Seen and the Unseen, and we invite you to submit proposals for what you could present at our conference in a variety of forms, because diversity is one of the delights of an AFTS conference.

Continue reading for the details HERE

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

South of the Sun is calling for entries

Our anthology, ‘South of the Sun - Australian fairy tales for the 21st century’ is calling for entries until 13th December 2019. Readership is YA + adult, rated G. Guidelines: https://australianfairytales.com/
We are over midway through reaching our Anthology target at Pozible. Can you help spread the word with a signal boost?

Our new closing date for entries is 13th December (another month!), because although we’ve had lovely contributions, we’ve been too busy to reach out to all our networks yet, and our crowdfund campaign is helping build that community.
Fey thanks
Louisa
In tandem, we are campaigning to top up the Australian Fairy Tale Society’s seed funding and assistance of our publisher, Serenity Press: https://www.pozible.com/project/south-of-the-sun-1
Please help us spread the word of this thrilling quest, which celebrates some of Australia's leading authors, bards, illustrators and other artists, from diverse backgrounds. More resources below.

Anthology Website (with guidelines to enter creative work): https://australianfairytales.com/

Definition of fairy tales, by Dr Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario:

A relevant article - Introduction: The state of play in Australian fairy tale: Where to now? - by three fairy tale scholars: Dr Nike Sulway, Dr Belinda Calderone and Dr Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario, writer of our Anthology’s foreword:

Email: separate from central AFTS admin & AFTS Ezine gmails:

Fairy tale Anthology news at Twitter, Instagram and Facebook:

Our campaign: https://www.pozible.com/project/south-of-the-sun-1

Thursday, October 31, 2019

It's a wrap!

It's a wrap for Fabled Nights for 2019.
We'll be back with storytelling gatherings in Newport throughout 2020. 
In 2020 we'll be under the auspice of the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club and you never know - we might have the occasional muso drop in.

We will have a new name; that's a work in progress!

We'd like to thank all the storytellers who have attended our evenings and participated in our events throughout 2019 and a special thanks to all of you you rocked up to our last evening for the year and made our guest from India - Mala Rao so welcome.

February is a long time away. We will remind you. But you know it can take months to craft a story.

And a HUGE thank you to artist Rex Smeal, who joins us when he can and creates our fabulous fun banner images. If you would like to employ Rex to record your events you can find him at http://rexsmealart.com/


Here's where we'll be next year and the dates
Storytelling is in the central space in the Newport HUB - 13 Mason Street Newport.
*WHEEL CHAIR ACCESS
Parking 
There is free parking at the rear of the building. Coming from Mason Street, turn left at Durkin Street then left into the car park. Entry to the HUB is from the park
Public Transport
The Hub is a short walk from the Newport Train Station and buses.
Time 
7.30 - 10.00pm
Cost
$5.00 or $3.00 (Newport Fiddle and Folk Club members). No Booking required.
Dates
21 Feb
20 Mar
17 Apr
15 May
19 Jun
17 Jul
21 Aug
18 Sep
16 Oct
20 Nov

Sydney International Storytelling Conference 5-7th June 2020


From our sister organisation in NSW.
 
This biennial conference draws participants, presenters and performers from all Australian States and territories as well as international countries. The conference program has a balance of performances and educational workshops to promote cultural exchange and develop the art, skills and application of Storytelling in a wide context of settings.

Presently, it is the only International Conference held in Australia that has a main focus on the the tradition and practice of Oral Storytelling. The Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW) who are the organisers and hosts of the conference are committed to preserving and promoting this significant art form and its relevance within many areas of education, health, welfare and artistic performance.

Make your plans now! Bookings open in January. Early Bird registrations will be available. Come alone or better still encourage a friend to travel and attend the conference with you. Perhaps you may wish to submit a proposal to contribute to the conference. 
 
All the details, call for workshops, posters, performances, early bird registration HERE

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Final Fabled Nights for 2019



Hello Story Folk

This month is our final Fabled Nights for 2019.

And we have a special guest!

Mala Rao is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She has many hats including Microbiologist, Librarian and a Teacher. But for some time now, she has been telling stories. Calling herself 'The Tale Traveler', she loves to travel and share stories.

Please come and meet Mala, make her welcome and bring a story to share and ears to listen.

Recently at Fabled Nights we have been learning how to record ourselves with a view to making a podcast. We are always learning something. Of course if you come along, you will be under no pressure - we will switch off and just listen. (If we can find the on/off switch!)

Fabled Nights in Newport is an informal open-hearted space for people who want to learn to craft true tales, traditional stories, tall tales and yarns; heart to heart and without notes. We welcome beginners and experienced folks. So come and strut your stuff, share what you know, try out a new story or tell a tale for the first time.

There's room for around 10 storytellers and we ask that stories be no longer than 10 minutes, give or take. We ask that stories be said not read.

We reserve 2 - 15 minute places for people who want to try out longer stories.

Let kind hearts and common sense prevail: racist and homophobic stories hurt people so please don't bring them to Fabled Nights.

WHEN: Friday 18th October 7.30pm - 10.00pm
WHERE: Newport Community HUB 13 Mason Street, Newport
COST: $5.00 or $3.00 (Storytelling Vic and Newport Fiddle and Folk Club members). No Booking required.

*WHEEL CHAIR ACCESS
* FABLED NIGHTS is an inter-generational event. Children welcome at parent/carers discretion
Fabled Nights in Newport is a partnership event with Hobsons Bay Libraries and is supported by the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club.

PARKING: There is free parking at the rear of the building. Coming from Mason Street, turn left at Durkin Street then left into the car park. Entry to the HUB is from the park.

*Banner image © Rex Smeal http://rexsmealart.com/

* Please note this is the final Final Fabled Nights as hosted by Storytelling Australia Victoria. In 2020 our story gatherings will continue but as a group under the welcoming wings of the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club. We will have a new name and you will be invited to join the NFFC.  More news to come.

Warm regards to all

Fabled Nights Team

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Lunch with Kamini Ramachandran





Greetings Story Lovers.

We are delighted to be able to offer some warm and welcoming storyteller hospitality to Singaporean, Kamini Ramachandran.

Kamini founded Moonshadow Stories in 2004 with the aim of promoting oral storytelling. She is a familiar face in storytelling festivals and conferences across Europe and Asia and many of you will remember when she visited Australia for the Sydney International Storytelling Conference. Those of you who attended World Storytelling Day this year will also remember the delightful story Kamini recorded for us to enjoy.

Kamini is the creative producer of the StoryFest, an annual festival in Singapore that celebrates and showcases storytelling from around the world.

Sadly Kamini has only a day to connect with the Victorian community.

Please if you would like to join us for lunch that would be delightful. Having searched ‘quiet cafes in Melbourne’, we have come up with Dymocks Books Cafe. The menu includes gluten free, vegetarian and vegan and is central.

Kamini would like to explore some of Melbourne’s sights so we thought lunch between 12.30 - 1.30/2.00 pm would give her some flexibility.

Please if you wish to join us, RSVP Jackie by text or a call 0412 2100 98. Please be sure to do this so in the unlikely event we have to change cafes, we can let you know.

WHERE: Dymocks Books Lower Ground, 234 Collins Street, CBD
https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/dymocks-books-cafe-1-cbd

WHEN: Thursday 26th September

TIME: 12.30 - 1.30/2.00

Best wishes to you all.

Storytelling Australia Victoria and proudly hospitable.