KATE LAWRENCE: Footy Dreams and Story Wise News

As a life member of the Victorian Women’s Football League, twenty years dreaming and waiting, brought tears of joy as I watched the AFL Women’s comp kick off.  Seeing women play footy brought back many memories, and I know I have stories to birth from my nearly ten years playing, coaching or developing women's football.  For now I will settle for contemplating, via a photo, just who is that stranger in my body and a St Kilda jumper?   (Yes, I am in the photo above!)

The kids are back at school and I have time to work. Actually, for the first time in 13 years, it’s just one kid back at school. (Big changes at home this year, my eldest son heads off to university and my 15 year old daughter is in France for ten months).

I am sitting at a desk, newly nestled into the corner of my bedroom, a clear and clean place to get me back into a writing routine.  So far so good, here I am.

As always the start of a new year brings a new era, a clean slate full of possibilities. I’m aiming to haul myself back from the burning hot vortex that is the internet much more often, and be with myself, my words and stories, and the folks who want to work with me, tell stories, listen and read. 

Story Wise (trying to separate myself from the business, conceptually at least), has lots on offer this year.  Storytelling nights begin next month and the dates and themes are up on the website. The theme for March is Chance(s).

• StoryWise Women, begins on March 7th and continues on the first Tuesday of the month at Long Play in St George Road, Fitzroy North. 
• StoryWise Woodend begins on March 3rd and continues on the first Friday of the month at Holgates Hotel, High Street, Woodend. And the podcast of the best stories told in Woodend over the last 18 months, is on its second season and continues to grow listeners.  Subscribe in Itunes 

• I will be running a  public online storytelling workshop!  It will be run over two 90 minute sessions on March 14 and 28th, 9.30 – 11am and limited to ten participants.  The first session is lots of learning about story and exploring possible stories to tell.  Then we shift into choosing a story and shaping it. In between the session participants pair up to practice their stories.   It is $75.

 I am heading off to Santa Fe for the first two weeks of April, (to work with a story and story business coach), but storytelling nights will continue with gracious stand in hosts.  I have new coaching packages, more paid story coaching clients, and getting closer to bigger, longer group workshops (I dream often about running a story retreat).  More to come after Santa Fe.

Thanks for sharing with us Kate. Enjoy your time in Santa Fe (ed)

Anne E Stewart: "So who was the first gay in the village."

Back by popular demand, local storyteller Anne E Stewart tells the history of gay friendly Daylesford; using words and images Anne tells a moving, funny and poignant story of the history Daylesford.

WHEN: Saturday 11 March
TIMES: 3-4.30pm & 6pm - 7:30pm

WHEN: Sunday 12 March
TIMES: 3pm - 4:30pm

WHERE: The Story House: 52 Millar Street, Daylesford
BOOKINGS: HERE


This show is part of the ChillOut Festival.

Visit The Story House created by Anne and her sister Jane and explore the rich program on offer. 

RAW Garden Storytelling: Be Bold for Change. 5 March 2017

This month we are celebrating International Women's Day. Although IWD is marked on March 8, we cannot let this special time of the year pass us by. 

The theme is BE BOLD FOR CHANGE. Bring along your tales, true, tall story, myth or fairy tale, that celebrate women and boldness. Durgah Devi Palanisamy (Dee) from Storytelling Vic will be hosting.


RAW Garden Storytelling is a partnership event with Mariam Issa and the RAW Garden. The Garden celebrates the uniqueness and aspirations of multicultural women through gardening, storytelling, crafts and cooking.


WHERE: 325 South Road Brighton East
WHEN: 5 March 12.00 - 2.00 pm
COST: $15.00 or $10.00 Storytelling Vic members
No booking necessary. Pay at the gate.
 
*Tea and sweet snacks provided. Bring a small plate of something savoury to share.
* The image above is a compilation of portraits taken by Tatiana Scott at the RAW Garden 

***

And if you missed the first RAW Garden Storytelling in February, it was a treat. As well as the excitement of re-connecting with old friends, missed over the summer break, we had the pleasure of welcoming new faces into the garden. Although a friend of Storytelling Vic for many years now, our UK visitor, Martin Jefferd, had not experienced RAW hospitality before. Based in Bristol, and a keen storyteller,  Martin was on fire!













Finnuala (right) treated us to another extraordinary tale. This time about a family pet tortoise who survived a dog attack, was repaired with latex, and lived to ruled the roost!



And we are all loving the new RAW kitchen. One thing we have learned over time is how people bond in a kitchen. Come and join us.

 
 Thanks again to Tatiana Scott for the photos.

Kim Billington: Therapeutic Storytelling: Melbourne 7 April 2017

This is a workshop for: 

Psychologists, school counsellors, social workers, counsellors, case workers, child and family counsellors, psychotherapists, pastoral workers, other allied health professionals and students of these disciplines. Provisional psychologists can attend at student rates.

Learn how the ancient art of storytelling can help to understand and tolerate the stresses of life. Experience first-hand a method to enrich therapeutic relationships and create opportunities to explore the effects of trauma and loss. Stories contain hidden messages about possible ways of overcoming adversity. Stories use metaphors that can change the way we see ourselves and our world. They help to connect us to each other and help in finding meaning and hope.  Storytelling encompasses both external therapeutic input and child-directed healing.

Rather than a day of power points, this workshop will be interactive and practical with ample demonstrations and with brief exercises to develop skills. The developmental appropriateness, value and efficacy of storytelling in therapy will be explored. You will have a chance to consider why storytelling works, how to introduce and incorporate storytelling in counselling, gain a resource of sample stories as well as ideas of where to look for suitable stories for therapy.

Included in the day will be discussion of your own experiences in hearing stories told and how particular stories address common experiences such as: fear of failure, loss of control, loss of happiness, facing evil, seeing that bad things happen, longing for peace and resolution, finding helpers along the way and discovering hope.

Facilitator, Kim Billington has a Masters in Counselling, Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work.

Click HERE to view flyer
For more information on Kim, the workshop, location, registration etc visit the WEBSITE.

 Thank you for sharing with us Kim. (blog ed)