The holiday season is over and schools are slowly opening around the state and it's business as usual!
Vic Guild tellers are preparing their programs for the year.
The highlight of the storytelling year is always Children's Bookweek.
If you are considering a storyteller for Bookweek please browse the list of Vic tellers. You will find links to websites and booking agents and all the information you need to book a storyteller. It pays to book early and avoid disappointment. Several of our storytellers are also published authors and all of them believe in One World, Many Stories ..... goes without saying ...
The National Gallery of Victoria was the coolest place to be on Sunday January 30 as temperatures soured in Melbourne to 40 degrees. No doubt it was even hotter in the city with heat radiating from the pavement!
Members of the Vic Guild and guests from South Australia and Tasmania gathered in the Great Hall to hear Diane Wolkstein accompanied by Jeff Greene, tell the story of Monkey King: Journey to the West. With Jeff's poetic and evocative soundscape, Diane transported us to magical and timeless places. A storyteller at the height of her skills, Diane's love of language, integration of movement and powerfully expressive voice all contribute to a spellbinding performance.
The Australian storytellers joined Jeff and Diane for afternoon tea in the gallery cafe. January has been a rich month of story and it has been our pleasure to host our interstate and OS guests.
Men in black: Jeff Greene (left) and Graham Ross from SA deep in conversation
Rocket Clock is a story slam competition. Ten people each have five minutes to tell a story around a particular theme. Judges in the audience rate each story on both content and performance. Everyone has a great time.
Rocket Clock is not a Vic Guild event but our roving reporter has been along and reports that its loads of fun and very welcoming. (Don't be afraid to go on your own. Before the night is out you will have a table of new best friends.)
Check EVENTS under Links on this blog for more details.
While in Melbourne for the Midsumma Festival, Jan and Jennifer had a schedule of performances, workshops and publicity engagements that would make any storyteller's hair curl.
The Vic Guild, joined by Graham Ross (South Australia), Shirley Way and Bettina Nissen (Queensland) gathered in Williamstown to attend The Book of Spells. In this beautifully crafted night of story Jan and Jennifer celebrate
their journey together. Binding their personal tale to Sara Maitland's Book of Spells, a collection of contemporary fairytales for adults, the evening was thought provoking and moving .
For the first time Midsumma programmed some children's events. Jan and Jennifer told their stories in Williamstown under the elms to an attentive audience of small people. Perfect location, perfect weather and perfectly ....
enchanting!
The Vic Guild love to celebrate and welcome interstate and overseas guests. Jan and Jennifer are our first OS visitors this year. Following The Book of Spells, they were wined and dined and treated to a night under the urban stars around a camp fire. Pictured is JJ Sheills who arrived with one of his magnificent vegan chocolate cakes. Bettina Nissen standing beside JJ is admiring our banner! This banner goes back a long way and we thought we had lost it. It has magically reappeared bringing with it many memories.
As a gift to our guests from Canada and interstate JB Rowley shared the story of Chloe. In Melbourne's historic pub, Young and Jackson, in the public bar, hangs a painting of a beautiful young nude woman. For those of us who grew up in Melbourne when there was still 6 o'clock closing and the 'swill', Chloe is etched into our memories. Small children were hurried past the pub, respectable mothers muttering, 'Chloe is in there!' We all loved Chloe although we could not see her. However times have changed, the 'swill' is no longer and she hangs hangs proud and beautiful, still in the bar for all to see. Chloe is a story you will only find in Melbourne at Y and J's
Jan and Jennifer, we thank you for coming all this way and sharing the story gift with us
Jackie has a saying:‘Before there were books, there were stories.’
She is the only storyteller to win the Port Fairy Festival Storytelling Award three times and is a winner of Australia's most prestigious award, The Spirit of Woodford Original Stories and Yarns.
Trained as an actress, Jackie now relishes her place in the Storytelling Australia (Vic). As a traditional storyteller she only tells the stories that give her pleasure.
Jackie takes pride in her ability to engage listeners of all ages. She is happy to work in a variety of settings: schools, kindergartens, museums, art galleries, literary, folk and community festivals.
Jackie breathes life into:
Traditional folk tales from around the world
String stories
Rhymes, chants and finger stories (for little people)
She also:
Recites verse and tells original tales, historical tales and tall stories
Jackie offers workshops in storytelling for childcare workers, teachers, children – anyone who wishes to develop their craft.
Jackie is a published author. Phar Lap the wonder horse, illustrated by Patricia Mullins (pub: Museum Victoria) was listed as notable by the CBCA in 2008. Her next book Lyrebird! a true story, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe (pub: Museum Victoria) will be out before the end of the year.
SHARK! is an original tale based on a true incident and recited here by Jackie for your enjoyment.
Jackie is planning her festival and other public appearances for 2012 where she will be performing and speaking about the art of traditional oral storytelling and her work as a writer for children.
pic: Newport Lakes Bush Dance: kamishibai storytelling
Jackie’s website contains a blog with regular posts so you can see the breadth of her activities.
Vic Guild Tellers spend many hours of the year working with very small children and their families. Keeping the stories, rhymes and songs alive and passing them on to the next generation, enriching young minds linguistically and conceptually and of course having lots of fun ... its not such a bad job!
Here is a clip of seasoned teller and author Gael Cresp recording an episode of Storytime for Channel 31. Hosted by Tall Ted, Storytime is designed for preschool children. Check the Tall Ted website for times and details Tall Ted has a fabulous website with loads of information and activities for small people.
Storytime is being shown in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria with other states soon to follow. Imparja in the Northern Territory and a community channel in Canada have also expressed an interest in Storytime. Channel 31 say that the show has proved to be very popular and would like another series.
JB Rowley, a long time member and supporter of The Storytelling Guild (Vic) has been selected to join other artists, thinkers, dreamers, leaders and citizens on the stage at the City Recital Hall. Hosted by Wendy Harmer, the purpose of the evening is to share 'stories that must be told', stories of hope. JB is one of two storytellers from around Australia who have been selected to to share their stories.
The Flowerdale Tattoo
In the aftermath of the bush fires that swept through Victoria in February 2009, JB offered her skills as a storyteller hosting a series of free dinners for the Black Saturday Communities in the Murrindindi Shire. It was during this time, she heard the story of the Flowerdale Tattoo.
You can listen to JB telling this story that honours the people she met who survived the fires.
Radio National 621AM broadcast the event live across Australia, and it's streamed live on the web: JB Rowley: The Flowerdale Tattoo
For story lovers, we also recommend that you listen to John Bell's speechabout storytelling.
Joining Storytelling Australia Victoria is as simple as printing out this form, filling it out and sending it to our treasurer.
Membership entitles you to a concession to our events, your name will go into our data base and you will be informed as to any events, workshops or gatherings where the Storytelling Australia is involved.
And of course you get to meet all of us!
Enquiries: Anne E Stewart:anne@anneestewart.com.au
The holiday season is over and schools are slowly opening around the state and it's business as usual!
