WORDS ON THE WIND: New World Dreaming with ANDREW MCKENNA AND PETER FERNON 20 November 2014

New World Dreaming is the 5th story in the series WORDS ON THE WIND.

Melbourne is built on the footprints of immigrants, most of whom came through the port and docklands.

Andrew Mc Kenna  and Peter Fernon  are seasoned storytellers and in this intimate production they use music and spoken word to give expression to the lives of a few of the millions fleeing the stagnation and turmoil of old worlds to make a life for themselves in a new one.

In the 1850s Andrew’s Irish great great grandparents fled the blighted potato fields of Donegal and reached Melbourne, via India in rebellion. They arrived in Melbourne in summer, to a welcome of bushfires, wild dogs and news of the Great Melbourne Telescope gazing at the heavens.

Peter’s in-laws left Calabria in the 1950s, where the war had destroyed the established order in their village. Women did men’s work and men, especially the ones who had been prisoners of war, had glimpsed other ways of life. When the old order began to reassert itself those who expected more of life had to look elsewhere. Peter’s in-laws headed for Melbourne.

When:   Thursday  20 November.  5.30pm for 6.00pm start

Where:  The Library at The Dock: HERE

WORDS ON THE WIND is a series of free storytelling shows at the new Library at the Dock, running from July through to December 2014. Eight storytellers from Storytelling Australia Victoria have crafted six compelling tales to reflect their relationship to this part of Melbourne’s Docklands. They will explore the history and environment of Victoria Harbor, a corner of Melbourne steeped in tales of mystery and intrigue, not to mention major engineering works! 

 ENQUIRIES: Anne E Stewart on 0408 550 945 or email anne@anneestewart.com.au    

Storytelling at the Clunes Booktown for Kids 31 Oct - 1 November 2014

Clunes is a little gold mining town that has been given a new life as a place famous for its bookshops and festivals. In April 2012 Clunes gained international Organisation of Booktowns membership becoming the 15th international booktown and the only booktown in the southern hemisphere.

Booktown for Kids covers two days - a schools day and a family day. There are workshops, readings, a Children's Village of Lost Trades and more ...

Storytelling Australia Vic's Jackie Kerin will be telling stories and running workshops on both days

You can see  the full program HERE

David Ambrose visiting NSW and Byron Bay Feb/Mar 2015

David Ambrose is visiting  NSW next Feb/Mar, in the Sydney area and also around Byron Bay, and would like to be able to do one or two storytelling shows maybe w/shops and generally meet up with some Aussie residing tellers. He is a founder member of the Tales From Beyond The Border Storytelling Company, with fellow storytellers Megan Lloyd, Francis Maxey and composer Peter Stacey.

I have directed him to Humph Hall (thank you Jo Henwood) but if any of you have other contacts that might be useful - please email  davidambrose@beyondtheborder.com and let him know.

Also a word from David: 'If anyone would like to know what I look and sound like in performance , here is a link to a short clip promoting ‘Words On The Wing', the show I recently put together with Austria’s Karin Tscholl. (Don’t want to confuse people. I’m not suggesting this  show is available; it’s just that this is the only video I have to hand just now that shows me performing) :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ9oGJ8tuUI'

If you live in the Northern Rivers area, perhaps you could let the Northern Rivers Writers Centre know. I suspect a visit from someone so knowledgable of oral traditions, would be a of great interest.

The tales he tells come from Wales (his mother’s country) and from the World, from the mists of Celtic Britain to the deserts of Arabia to Russia’s distant steppes…. you may hear the ancient legend of Llyn Y Fan Fach, or the tale of the sleeping King Arthur in the cave. You might also hear about Ivan’s Inn, The Syrian Woodcutter’s Wealthy Sister, or David's rollicking version of the French fairytale Puss In Boots...

David is also an experienced host of Storytelling Circles, and welcomes the opportunity to sit round a hearth or a campfire and exchange stories, jokes and songs with anyone who has a tale to share….

David is a wonderful storyteller, has an elegant mind and is an all round lovely bloke. NSW, you are lucky, he is coming your way.We in Victoria, envy you having the opportunity to hear him tell.

Jackie Kerin

Jack and the Beanstalk: pillaging, invasion and hidden worlds 12 October 2014

In June 2014 the Australian Fairy Tale Society was launched and part of the vision of the Society, is to see Fairy Tale discussion and performance groups gather several times a year, around the country: The Fairy Rings.

The inaugural Fairy Tale Ring, organised and hosted by the wonderful ethereal Louisa John-Krol, took place in the Fitzroy gardens on the first hot day of Spring.

Toby Eccles opened the gathering by a masterful telling of Jack and the Beanstalk, the most well known version having been collected in Australia by Joseph Jacobs in the 1860s then published in the UK in English Fairy Tales. Toby describes his version as having an ‘Australiana twist’. With themes of drought, images of sandy wide verandahs, meals of bread and dripping, and all described in Toby’s broad, soft Australian accent and colloquialisms, Jack’s adventures sat well in thelandscape.

 

Toby was followed by Zeinab Yazdanfar, with Aaron Shepard’s version of a tale from Iran, The Magic of Mushkil Gusha (Australia School Magazine May 1997 and Cricket August 1998). A version also appears in World Tales by Idries Shah. Zeinab’s first language is Farsi and she read the story, in English. As listeners we felt privileged to witness a new friend taking her first steps to becoming a re-teller of folk tales.

It was a joy to listen to Cindy-Lee Harper telling two stories given to her by a Wiradjuri elder many years ago. CL herself has a heritage that can be traced back to the Pyemarriner People of North East Tasmania and while not identifying as Aboriginal, she has explored this connection in her storytelling and work. In recent time CL has been enjoying writing more than telling and you can read one of her stories that illustrates her connection to the Pymarriner HERE

Louisa followed with an improvised and collaborative telling of Cecino the Tiny from the anthology World Tales by Idries Shah. With Tiahna whirling and spinning her hula hoop into the story impromptu, it was both engaging and very funny.

Thank you to Toby (and his family), Louisa, Teena, Jackie, Lylah, Cath, Zeinab, Cindy-Lee, Lucy, Tiahna and Mary-Lou for rocking up to tell, listen and foster a new storytelling venture in Melbourne.

You can follow Louisa’s adventures on her glorious website HERE

pics from north to south: Toby, Zeinab, Cindy Lee, Tiahna, Louisa

Invitation: to a Fairy Gathering Sunday 12 October 2014

Storytelling Australia Vic is lucky to have a connection to the Fairy Realm through Louisa John-Krol. Louisa is a member of the Monash Fairy Tale Salon and the Australian Fairy Tale Society. An accomplished musician, writer and storyteller, her knowledge and curiosity of all things Fey, runs deep. 

As part of the vision of the Australian Fairy Tale Society, Louisa is hosting a series of Fairy Tale discussion events and this is the first. 

Please join Louisa and friends for afternoon tea and enjoy a story told by Toby Eccles. Toby was one of the presenters at Transporting Tales (Monash Fairy Tale Salon).

Where: The Pavilion  Fitzroy Gardens (near the Fairy Tree).

When: Sunday12 October

Time: 2:30pm

Cost: Free

RSVP: Please let Louisa know if you are coming as places are limited. Louisa: arielsflight@optushome.com.au

Learn more about Louisa  HERE

And Toby HERE

The Australia Fairy Tale Society held their inaugural conference in NSW 9 June 2014