Anne E Stewart: WORDS IN WINTER Daylesford August

STORY SLAM:  Food For Thought

hosted by Anne E Stewart 

In the classic Australian novel, My Brother Jack, by George Johnston, food is used as a device to describe and differentiate various characters in his life, for example Johnston writes that Helen his first wife borrows ideas from Ladies Home Journal, for a dinner party creating ‘Sixteen Savouries with a Difference’.

The result of all her labours was lavish and striking...colour was to be her theme... and it glittered in Gherkin parings and maraschino and pale cheese and purple olives and blushing carrot grating.......and oranges curiously porcupined by coloured pickled onions stuck there on toothpicks...

In comparison he describes visiting friends for ... a very simple and wonderful dinner, a clear soup and then a huge steak and kidney pie that was bought to the table in its blue enamel baking dish, and a chocolate mousse to follow, and dry biscuits with Camembert and Gorgonzola. When Gavin ... cut down into the pie and the steam came and the rich baking smell, and it went inside my head like an ecstatic drug, and for a magical instant I was back in the old kitchen, with Mother and Jean and Marj all baking away on a Sunday morning.

After a fight with his wife food is again used as a way of telling the story,

… it made me think of the steak and kidney pie....and she was out there and there were no smells coming from the kitchen, no food smells, Sunday morning smells and I thought of all the meals we had eaten together that had no smells, all the clever and exotic imaginative tasteless plates of nothing that we had eaten by the refined glow of coloured candles.

With the above as your inspiration we are looking for stories where food is intrinsic to the narrative. It can be a fun story, something serious, a personal story or something that happened to someone else but at itʼs heart is food.

You will have 5 minutes to tell us your story.

When: Saturday 6th August
Time: 2.00 to 2.50 pm
Where: Festival Hub, 81 Vincent Street Daylesford
Cost: $5 online $10 at door
BOOKINGS: Words in Winter website

WORKSHOP: Storytelling for Social Change

Personal and collective stories are important for social change. In this workshop Anne will be teasing out local, personal, traditional and community stories and illustrating how they can be used to effect social change.

Storytelling not only transforms the teller but also creates empathy with the listener. In this interactive workshop Anne will guide you through traditional tales that salute the power of storytelling, help you fashion and present personal tales and develop community stories that share cultural beliefs, history, traditions and our hopes and aspirations for a better planet .

The skills of selecting, learning and telling stories will be demonstrated and opportunities for participants to tell will be included in this workshop.

The objective is to build capacity in participants to tell stories that create empathy and contribute to positive social change.

When: Saturday 13th August
Where: Storyhouse. 52 Millar St, Daylesford
Time:  1- 4pm
Bookings Essential: anne@anneestewart.com.au
or phone 0408 550 945
Cost: $40
Concession/ Storytelling Australia Victoria members $25

(After the workshop, stay for afternoon tea and support a letter writing campaign. Re: Youth Detention)

Anne E Stewart's website HERE

Thank you Anne E for sharing your events at Words in Winter with us. (blog ed)

Wishing Nell Bell a joyful 90th birthday for 29th July 2016

We wish Nell Bell, our oldest surviving Life Member, a joyful 90th birthday on 29th July 2016. Nell is a founding member and former president of our association under its original name, The Storytelling Guild of Victoria, formed 1978. 

Nell Bell began her contribution to children’s literature and storytelling in 1942 when, as Assistant Matron of Ashfield Foundlings Home in Sydney, she introduced story time. Raising her own children, she became a kindergarten teacher in Eltham. Nell's interest in stories led her to further training: in 1975, as a librarian at Preston East Technical School, she taught Introduction to History of Literature and Books. In the same year she toured schools and libraries in China as part of an education program. Later she visited New Zealand and America. Attaining her Secondary Teachers Certificate, Nell started a Children's Book Club and published an article entitled The Importance of Oral Literature in the Education Department magazine.

In the 1980s, Nell obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Children's Literature at the University of Melbourne, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Children's Literature at Toorak Teachers' College / Victoria College - Toorak campus. As Librarian in Charge at Templestowe Technical School, Nell was part of a program that taught Understanding Literature to senior students. Nell remembers that oral storytelling was in Year 12 exams “for a few glorious years”.

As part of the 1988 Bicentenary, Nell joined a delegation of Artists in Education sponsored by the Australian Federal Government and JF Kennedy Cultural Centre in Washington sent to America as representatives of Australia.

Back in Australia, Nell conducted seminars in regional universities for mothers of new-born babies on the importance of literature and stories. Nell was the first storyteller to perform at Dromkeen and was Artist in Residence at several colleges. She has been a member of the Victorian Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia and the Victorian Committee for UNICEF.

Nell was the first storyteller employed at the first fairy shop in the world, Wonderwings in Richmond, where she mentored storytellers from the late 1980’s into the 90’s.

In parallel during the 90’s, regular evenings were held entitled The Storytelling Cafe. There were many workshops, which included visits from overseas storytellers.

In 1995 Nell took a major role in developing students' skills for performances at St Martins, South Melbourne as part of Artists and Environment Designers in Schools (AEDIS). Nell's storytelling skills won her an invitation to participate in the launch of Children's Week at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Nell has always been quick to volunteer her services as a storyteller for the free children's concerts at national Australian storytelling conferences and has also volunteered as a storyteller at Camp Quality and Children's Hospital in Melbourne and Radio of the Air School in the Northern Territory.   To quote The Harper (Autumn 1997), the Guild’s first newsletter that started in 1979: “Nell has a great love of people and a strong belief that story can show that all aspects of life are a continuing cycle to be celebrated and shared”.

Articles by Nell in JB Rowley’s journal Swag of Yarns include “Here Be Dragons” (1998), “Crooked Mick” (2000), “Bilby Saves Easter” (2001) and “Thanks for the Memories” (2005).

In 2005, Nell Bell was awarded the  Leila St John by the Children's Book Council of Australia, administered through the Children’s Book Council of Australia for services to children's literature, acknowledging Nell’s generosity of spirit and love for children. In 2011, Nell’s daughters Susan and Bronwyn and members of the Storytelling Guild of Victoria accompanied Nell to be presented with this medal.

Recently, Nell participated in Bridging The Gap Through Art. A news report caption read: “Generation gaps don’t come much bigger than the gulf between elderly citizens in primary care and primary school students”.

Nell now resides at Westgarth Aged Care Facility, Melbourne.

As Nell’s storytelling family, we give our heartfelt gratitude for all the great years of mentorship, dedication and inspiration. Thank you, dear Nell.

History of our harp/lyre logo, banner and  badge: HERE

Report of our visit by Louisa John-Krol in Victorian Fairy Tale Ring blog: HERE

 “Seanachie, keeper of the old lore”, is how Anne E. Stewart calls Nell: HERE

 Nell is also mentioned here: Wikipedia

Thank you Louisa John-Krol for this article and all the work you are doing, researching and collating the history of Storytelling Australia Victoria (formerly The Storytelling Guild of Victoria).

Peter Fernon in Trentham: 'This Jesus Story' 27 August 2016

                                                            click on poster to enlarge

Roslyn Quin: RAW Garden Storytelling - 7 August 2016

Bubbling extrovert and obvious Scorpio, Roslyn is best known for her sell-out Melbourne Fringe Festival show ‘The Red Bird and Death’, though if you ever catch someone calling her ‘your majesty’ you may have found the rare few people who can pick her out of her chilling prosthetics from the “The Goblin Ball" events.

Inspired by the reflections of the simplest of truths in the most lavish of tales and the ageless ache for wonder, Roslyn uses oral storytelling, performance and mixed media to breath life into the folkloric worlds in her mind and invite the characters within to come out and grasp onlookers by the hands, hearts and minds.

Now found living by a creek in the far east of Melbourne in a small house that looks like Dumbledore and Baba Yaga got drunk and fought over the interior design, Roslyn spends her days enchanting children in early literacy programs.

Where: The RAW Garden 325 South Road East Brighton 

Time: 12.00 - 2.00

Cost: $15.00 at the door

Learn more about the RAW garden HERE

Learn more about Roslyn HERE

Fabled Nights in Newport 15 July 2016

If you missed  the June Fabled Nights  and Stories by the Fire at the Newport Folk Festival, not to worry, we're gathering again for the July get together. Kate Lawrence will be hosting. She'll be traveling all the way from Mt Macedon with a log for the fire and story to get you all inspired!

This is Susan Hall, our Geelong regular,  gracing the stage in June with a terrific tale about canned food!

Fabled Nights is not an open competition, just an open hearted space for all storytellers and story lovers. There will be space for ten people to tell their story of around 7 minutes. 
It is open to any and all genres of story.

COST: $3.00 (Storytelling Vic and Newport Fiddle and Folk Club members)
 $5.00 non members
WHEN:  7:30 pm - 10.00 pm
WHERE: THE NEWPORT SCOUT HALL: Market Street, Newport (opposite the Substation  and squeezed between the RSL and Bowls Club). By the Newport train station.

There will be tea/coffee and biccies/cake.
There are food venues in nearby Mason Street. Or feel free to bring some food and wine and make yourselves comfortable.

'Stories by the Fire': Newport Folk Festival 2016

Storytelling has had a place at the Newport Folk Festival since it all began nine years ago. We used to mix it up with some of Melbourne's finest performance poets and songwriters  and called the event  'WORDS WORDS WORDS'. But for some time now, its been Stories by the Fire with  storytellers from Story Vic gathering around the hearth, telling and inviting guests to share the space.

Teena Hartnett hosting 'Stories by the Fire'

We've enjoyed the warmth of many hosts over the years: Matteo, Niki na Meadhra, Ian McNally and Kate Lawrence and in recent times Teena Hartnett has taken on the task and become a loved and welcome presence at the Newport Festival in the old Scout Hall.

Niki na Meadhra (photo Gerry Nelson)

Friend of Storytelling Vic, Gerry Nelson, was the official Festival photographer and caught some beautiful images of the evening. Alex Kharnam recorded much of it on video and in time we can share some of the results. But for now, here is a glimpse into Stories by the Fire.

Roslyn Quin (photo Gerry Nelson)

These winter story gatherings have been supported since their inception by Claudette D'Cruz and No Worries Curries. Claudette supplies us with the makings and litres of spicy chai are brewed throughout the winter months.

Father and son tandem tellers: Miles and Alex Kharnam  (photo Gerry Nelson)

We thank all the storytellers that rock up to share their art, open up their hearts to newcomers and invite others to see what we are all about.

Father and daughter Simon and Lilly-Anne (photo Gerry Nelson). Lilly-Anne's first story ever!

Storyteller Dee

 

Vege soup around the fire. Please join us next year. It all happens on the Saturday evening in the first week end of July.

And finally a special thanks to Miles and Alex who rigged up some lights so we could actually gather and tell around the hearth.

The Australian Fairy Tale Society: 3rd Annual Conference “Into the Bush - Its Beauty and Its Terror”

The Australian Fairy Tale Society is an interdisciplinary, intercultural, intergenerational, national group that fosters a deepening understanding of fairy tales and their relationship with our evolving contemporary identity. 
The AFTS annual conference was held, this year, as part of the Glen Eira Storytelling Festival - a conference within a festival.

The day-long event included, academic papers, readings and re-tellings of tales, animation and art works.

These beautiful book images were shown as part of Robyn Floyd's paper, Stockwhip Wand and Cabbage Tree Hat: Australia Identity in Australian Fairy Tales.

Themes of identity, transition, sexuality and motifs: animal brides, lost children and mythical creatures  (bunyips) were examined. The patterns of female relationships in fairy tales, isolation, antagonistic sisters, step mothers and collaboration  were laid before us. 

Angie Rega introduced us to her spellbinding tale: The Bush Bride of Badgery Hollow, a dark story of the dangers of taking an animal bride: in this case a Sugar Glider Woman.

This conference is always of a very high standard and rich as a plum pudding. The performances and readings are complimentary to the theme and offer respite from the academic.

The keynote was delivered by Jackie Kerin from Storytelling Australia Victoria, who relished the opportunity to explore, from a personal perspective,  the shifts in the rational mind when confronted with bush myths and 'storied landscape'.

As part of the conference the  Society's AGM was held and can now proudly introduce the new committee.

L-R: Catherine Snell (president), Thanh Luong, Jo Henwood, Penelope  Clay (secretary), Louis John- Krol (vice president) and absent but there in spirit,  is Gypsy Thornton.

The AFS thanked the hard-working out-going president, Dr Belinda Calderone  who was also a superlative conference MC.

If you would like to explore more deeply the activities of the AFTS, you might like to consider joining The Victorian Fairy Ring led by Louisa John-Krol and the Monash Fairy Tale Salon led by Dr Rebecca-Ann Do Rosario and Dr Belinda Calderone.