Jackie has asked (thank you Jackie) and I have
provided.
Here is a bit of an update from me and Story Wise, from here
in the Macedon Ranges, (and pushing down into the big smoke).
Story Door, Woodend’s
True Storytelling Night
Story Door on the
first Friday of the month, has settled in and is steadily growing. No, a more
accurate description would be that its growing in fits and starts – one-month
full house, next month numbers drop, next month numbers are up again.
We started with 20 being a minimal crowd, and now that would
be 30. Full house about 50. The tellers too have been increasing in
number, with one night seeing us break the barrier and hear 11 tellers.
A few things have helped Story Door grow: the support and excitement
of the community, social media, regularity, the pub environment where people
can eat and have a drink, and a separate room for the stories, where we can
focus.
But one of the biggest things that has contributed to the
event’s success is the support of the experienced storytelling community.
It’s been such a relief to me to have Jackie Kerin, Teena
Hartnett, Peter Fernon and Cassis Lumb as regular storytellers. I can, and do rely on these tellers to tell a
great story and to really lift the standard of the night. They show the audience and other tellers what
to aspire to and aim for.
But there are always a few spots left on the board when we
get started, (sometimes as many as five) and so we see others having a go,
planned and unplanned, repeat tellers who have caught the bug and others
telling their first story. And every
month we have ripper stories.
Blogging
As well as Story Door,
I’ve been blogging weekly with
reflections, stories, tips and tricks for personal storytelling (you can sign up here).
Workshops
I’ve been running introductory storytelling workshops in
Woodend, with more scheduled for Riddells Creek in July and I’ve also been
building connections with true story lovers and learners in Melbourne with
Melbourne’s True Storytelling Meet Up. I had lots of fun giving a workshop at the
NSW International Storytelling Festival, and the Willi Lit Festival, and I was
a voice for oral storytelling on a panel at the Emerging Writers Festival.
Storytelling
Projects: Running Story Door has
helped me to develop my storytelling MC skills and see how it is another form
of holding safe space, in a story kind of way.
Bringing together workshops and performance in a storytelling project would
be an amazing way to build community, make sense of life experiences and
capture stories. So I have set my
sights, and hope to combine my skills and experiences to serve communities, be
they geographical or experience based. (And
here’s a pitch: Any agencies looking for a wonderful community building,
story-skill-developing project – I’d love to have a chat.)
Kate Lawrence – Story
Wise
Please, if you are a member, follow Kate's example. If you have workshops, shows, reports and reviews or open mic events that you would like to share, contact us. We spread as much Victorian story news as we can on our Facebook but this blog and our Newsletter is reserved for members and their projects. Jackie K (blog editor)
