Roslyn Quin: a black belt storyteller 2013

Roslyn Quin was drawn to storytelling by a unique path. She joined Storytelling Australia only recently and in very little time made her presence felt with her style and originality. Unafraid of a challenge, she has taken on the task of managing our Facebook, which has hundreds of followers around the world. I can't tell you how grateful we are! Here is Roslyn telling her own story after a wonderful night of magical tales at Ladders to the Moon.



Learn more about Roslyn HERE

Ladders to the Moon @ The Village Festival - Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy 1st Nov - 3rd Nov 2013

Storytellers rounded up and corralled by Tenna Hartnett from Ladders to the Moon: Monica Tesselaar, Clare Coburn, Andrew McKenna, Jackie Kerin.

Also keep an eye out for Niki na Meadhra on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Adults and children's sessions.
Check the The Village website for times: HERE click on ED Gardens.

Follow Ladders to the Moon: HERE
Read about Clare, Andrew and Jackie on the Storytelling Australia (Vic) website: HERE 
Niki na Meadhra: HERE

Griffith REVIEW and Monash Fairy Tale Salon event: 7 November 2013

Griffith REVIEW and Monash Fairy Tale Salon invite you to an event to celebrate the publication of Griffith REVIEW: Once Upon a Time in Oz.

In Once Upon a Time in Oz, Griffith REVIEW holds up an enchanted mirror to explore the role of fairy and folk tales across cultures in this country, and creates new ones. For many, coming to Australia meant leaving centuries of fairy tales, myths and legends behind and falling painfully onto the hard and naked ground. How did immigrants re-weave a cushion of stories encompassing the new narratives of place? What are the tales that preoccupy, entertain and guide the culture today in the land of Oz? How did they make their way here? What has happened to them over time?

Co-editors Julianne Schultz and Carmel Bird, and contributors Tony Birch, Ali Alizadeh and Jane Sullivan join Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario from Monash Fairy Tale Salon to ask ‘Is there an Australian fairy tale tradition?’

Date: Thursday 7 November, 6.00 for 6.30 pm

Venue: Bella Union, Level 1, Trades Hall, Cnr of Victoria and Lygon Streets, Carlton

RSVP by Monday 4 November

For more information, to book an interview or request a review copy, email Susan Hornbeck, Publicity.

Simon Oats and Ladders to the Moon 2013

Storytelling Australia welcomes Simon Oats.

Simon Oats is a storyteller, musician, singer, songwriter and teacher. Simon came to traditional storytelling via acting; he trained at the Victorian College of the Arts before touring Europe with physical theatre company, 5 Angry Men. He is also the author of Storytelling for Intercultural Connections - a handbook for Australian schools.

Simon's acclaimed show, Orpheus in the Underworld in now available for download HERE

A passionate member of the Australian Storytelling revival, Simon is the co-creator of Ladders to the Moon, a monthly night of traditional storytelling in Melbourne. Ladders to the Moon is fast becoming the place where storytellers connect in Melbourne, sharing tales, enjoying wine and working to raise the standard and profile of oral storytelling. This is Simon captured on video closing the October night of classy tale telling.



Simon maintains a terrific website full of information about his journey as a teller of tales, videos and booking details  HERE

Inaugural Australian Fairy Tale Conference 9 June 2014

The theme for the conference is ‘The Fairy Tale in Australia’

The folklorist Joseph Jacobs published his collected fairy tales in England in the late 19th century. His stories included The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, Henny Penny, and Jack and the Beanstalk, and he cites his childhood memory as the source for some of these popular tales. Jacobs was patriotic in his desire to bring English tales to English children. Yet he was born, raised and educated in Sydney, Australia. Why did this eminent folklorist leave our shores to seek his fairy tale treasure elsewhere? Do we have no such riches of our own? Or does the adaptive nature of folklore point to a hidden wealth of uniquely Australian fairy tales?

The Fairy Tale Conference (June 9) follows directly on from the Sydney International Storytelling Conference: Weaving Stories Together June 6 - 8 2014 so with good planning, you can attend both.

Where:  Paddington Uniting Church,  395 Oxford St Paddington.  

Cost:    $95 each with discounts for early birds and members of the Australian Fairy Tale Society.

Contact: austfairytales@gmail.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/austfairytales 

Website HERE

image: Ida Rentoul Outhwaite: The Lyrebird's Dance

Australian Art Sales Digest

Fairy Love-Heart Story Time & Songs: Book Launch @ Ivanhoe Library November 2 and Sydney 3 2013

Fairy Storyteller and now published author

Kerry-Anne Gaia (aka Fairy Love Heart)

Invites you to 

grab your wings and come along to a special singing, dancing storytime with a real live fairy.

Book Launch @ Ivanhoe Library 

Fairy Love-Heart Story Time & Songs

Saturday 2 November 2013

11.00am–12.00noon

Purchase and book signing on the day

255 Upper Heidelberg Road
Ivanhoe, Victoria 3079

Book your place please call Banyule -Ivanhoe Library: 9497 5780

 Fairy Love Heart Story Time & Songs: "Love Fairies and the Talking Tree" can be purchased on line HERE

You can also catch Kerry-Anne at:

THE MIND BODY SPIRIT FESTIVAL 2013
SYDNEY CONVENTION CENTRE
DARLING HARBOUR
Visit FairyLove Heart to receive your complimentary book signed
Sunday November 3rd at 3pm -4pm
At the Balboa Press stand: a division of Hay House Publishing 

Luke Simmons: Invitation from 'bytestories' to consider publishing

Storytellers who are also interested in seeing their spoken stories out there as written texts, Luke Simmons is making you an offer.

Luke is not a storyteller, in the sense that we use the word, but he his a keen follower of ours and you might like to check out his idea.

Luke explains:

"We're part of a storytelling project which allows people to publish stories online via www.bytestories.com.  It appeals to those who are interested in promoting themselves and their stories as well as those who merely want to record any significant and/or entertaining event.

The site has just had its one-year birthday and recently was selected by the Huffington Post (UK) to provide a regular feature.  If any storytellers would like to be featured, I'd be happy to work with them.

NOTE: The posts must be short (ranging from 50 to 300 words) and be based on something that's happened to you.

You can create your account using www.bytestories.com/login and email me at luke@bytestories.com if you have any questions at all."

Clare Coburn: Weaving words, connecting culture in Singapore 2013

This tiny city-state has changed since I was a regular visitor in the late 1980s. Cutting edge architecture, sculptures and a thriving youth culture have brought more zing to the city. The Singapore International Storytelling Festival is part of the push towards deepening cultural expression. Its current artistic director, Kamini Ramachandran (pictured above), known to many Australian storytellers, curated a rich festival this year under the umbrella of the National Book Development Council.

As I was so involved in running workshops, giving the keynote address and performances, I didn’t have much opportunity to sample the other events but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Gene Tagaban from the US with his Raven regalia and native stories entranced audiences. He offered quiet wisdom and a charismatic presence. Len Cabral also of the US, brought the Anansi tales of his Cape Verdean heritage to life with verve. Ng Kok Keong from Malaysia was a charming teller while Muriel Bloch from France offered unique interpretations of traditional fairy tales. A pair of gifted shadow puppeteers from the Phillipines, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramelete and Sigmund Pecho, used gesture, their own bodies and puppets to tell their folk tales and creation stories. I very much enjoyed a performance by local tellers, including Rosemarie Somaiah and Blue Mountains/Singaporean teller Kiran Shah in a memorable tandem telling.

The festival was focused around the Asian Congress of Storytellers held in the old Parliament House,

now a glamorous and comfortable venue. I gave the keynote address in the old council room, walking between the green leather benches of the government and opposition towards the public gallery. I spoke on the role of imagination in fostering empathy and suggested that as storytellers we worked not in IT but WT—wisdom or wonder technology. I also offered a workshop on working with thresholds in stories and in our personal lives, and a master class on the power and peace of listening. The feedback was extraordinary and I felt that my personal passions and perspective were welcomed and affirmed. 

The outreach program included performances in the extraordinary libraries which are a feature of this nation. I was hugely impressed by the UNESCO listed collection of traditional tales at the four-storey Woodlands Regional Library—23,000 volumes. I went back to fossick through the collection after the festival and would love to visit again. This is a culture that values literature and story. Outreach also involved working with support organisations. I ran a lively workshop based around story in listening and communication for beneficiaries of the philanthropic Tan Chin Tuan Foundation.

In keeping with renowned Singaporean efficiency, the festival was extremely well organized. As a participant I appreciated the deep respect and care offered by Kamini, festival manager Celine Chow, members of the Singapore storytelling association, the volunteers and all the many others who were involved.