On January 17, the movers and shakers held an event at The Babushka and it went off like a rocket. Five of the enthusiasts, including representatives of Ballarat Writers, the local paper (and including Simon), collaborated with the Ballarat Writers couple doing most of the "heavy lifting." An estimated 40 visitors checked in.
The core group, as well as performing and mcing, opened up the stage to walk ups, of which there were 10. All of the open mic folks were absolutely awesome, obviously chomping at the bit.
The event is now set to continue monthly, mostly for poetry. Simon won't be there for all of the events however storytellers who rock up will be made welcome. You can stay in the loop by joining Spoken Word Ballarat on Facebook and keeping an eye of the The Babushka events calendar on the home page of their website.
Simon has also been chatting elsewhere, and the Ballarat Council is open to a storytelling event at one of the regular summer programs. As a result, he has coordinated a few folk to perform for 5 minutes each. They have polished up a couple of original pieces, an adapted French Fairytale and a short story being performed with the theme of "a bit gross." More information Ballarat Backyard Tasters.
Simon says, 'It was a surprise to see my name on the bill as I just expected it to discuss the topic. The pressure is on now!'
Simon was captured on video last weekend at the Babushka.
There is another group in Ballarat that focuses exclusively of storytelling. You can read about them on the Storytelling Vic website HERE. They meet regularly and provide a great opportunity to polish up stories for performance settings.
Thanks for sharing the news from Ballarat Simon.
Ballarat Backyard Tasters
Alfred Deakin Place, Camp Street: 12 February
6.00 - 9.00 pm
click to enlarge poster
