Wednesday, June 6, 2012

International Storytelling Conference 2012

Hosted by Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW), this Conference featured storytellers from around Australia as well as New Zealand, the USA, Canada and Singapore. The keynote speaker was the charismatic Diane Ferlatte from the USA.

Victorian delegates included, Clare Coburn, Kate Lawrence, Anne E Stewart, Jackie Kerin and Gael Cresp.
Vic workshop presenters:
Clare Coburn: Tell it from the heart: the power of story images
Anne E. Stewart: Putting our Voice on the Landscape (Storytelling and Culture)
Gael Cresp: Coaching for storytellers

Poster Sessions:
Kamishibai - paper theatre. Jackie Kerin

Australia's National Curriculum: Focusing on the Environment. Anne E. Stewart

And of course the Vic contingent were not shy at getting up at the concerts and story circles.

The venue was in Balkam Hills at the St Joseph's Centre for Reflection, so we were not distracted by the call of Sydney nightlife! Rather we were woken at dawn by the songs of the butcher birds, magpies and noisy miners.

The NSW Guild are to be congratulated on a rich and well-planned program. Special thanks to Christine Carlton (below) and Cynthia Hartman.

Please enjoy some of the action as snapped by this roving reporter. You will see some familiar and well loved faces.

Daryll Bellingham (Queensland) enjoying a glass of red!

Lily Pang (NSW)

Alex McCullum (Qld)

Glenn Swift (WA)

So many memorable moments - but for now there is only time to give you a taste of the richness of the conference. Our OS guests ... were numerous but special thanks to Verena Tay, Meredith Bird Miller, Kamini Ramachandran, Goldie Spencer, Sheila Wee. And finally ... one of the highlights was the storytelling children. They were awesome!

I have left so many people and many experiences out of this report but I hope this gives you a taste of the weekend. One can blog on and on and on ...

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Rocket Clock Story Slam: “Turning Points". June 13, 2012

Rocket Clock Story Slam: “Turning Points"
Rocket Clock returns with a night of stories on the theme of "Turning Points". Pre-register your intent to tell by emailing rocketclockss@gmail.com or register on the night. Everyone is welcome to come along and listen, laugh, drink, cheer & weep.

Wednesday June 13, 2012
Doors open 7.30pm; slam kicks off 8.30pm.

Tickets:
$5 pre-sale (+ $2 booking fee) or $8 on the door. Book tickets now via the Bella Union website: http://www.bellaunion.com.au/ticketing/show_367/.

Bella Union
Level 1, Trades Hall
Corner of Victoria & Lygon Streets
Carlton South

What is Rocket Clock?

Rocket Clock is a monthly story slam competition. Ten people each have five minutes to tell a story around a particular theme. Judges in the audience rate each story on both content and performance. Everyone has a great time.

More info:

rocketclock.com.au
Rocket Clock on Twitter
Rocket Clock on Facebook

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Woodend Winter Arts Festival 9 June 2012: Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky

Yarns at the (Vic Hotel) Pub

Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky

Upstairs at the Victoria Hotel

Saturday 9 June, 5.30pm – 7.00pm

FREE

It’s an old Australian tradition, so join Jan for a yarn at the pub. He’ll bring his songs and stories of utopian dreams and you bring yours: immigrant dreams that became reality; political dreams that failed; personal dreams. Never told a yarn in a pub before? Here’s your chance. Jan will support novices. There’s no pass or fail but there are rules: leave your opinions at home, and don't be boring.

Storytellers and authors for Book Week 2012

Book Week Saturday 18 – Friday 24 August.

Theme: Champions Read.

Storytelling Australia (Vic) boasts a list of wonderful storytellers. We have made it easy for you to explore their talents and contact them directly. They are listed under LINKS on the left side of this blog. You will discover there is great variety amongst our tellers.

However if you are looking for a storyteller who is also a published author you might like to investigate the following. I think you will find all these storytellers have a tale to tell about a champion.

Gael Cresp (primary)

Fish for Breakfast (Illustrator Anna Pignataro, pub. Windy Hollow) tells the story of brave and resourceful Rebecca who helps a bird feed her hungry chicks.

Gilbert Alexander Pig (Illustrator David Cox, pub. Winy Hollow) shows courage in dealing with a wolf who would like to eat him up.

Learn more about Gael here.

Jackie Kerin (primary and secondary)

Phar Lap the wonder horse (Illustrated by Patricia Mullins, pub. Museum Victoria). When Jackie chose to write about this champion she had no idea how much research was involved and then she decided to write the story in verse! Her second book Lyrebird! a true story will be out shortly and promises to be another winner.

To purchase Phar Lap the wonder horse: Melbourne Museum, Boomerang Books

Learn more about Jackie here

JB Rowley (secondary and primary)

Trapped in Gondwana. JB has entered the world of digital publishing. Trapped in Gondwana is the first in a series written for middle to upper primary age readers. This adventure is a clever blend of fantasy and science. Learn about the animals that lived on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana while following the adventures of feisty 11 year-old Nellie Russell.

Whisper My Secret is a the true story of a young woman whose children were taken away from her at a time in Australia when women were often powerless. Somehow she found the strength to remarry and start a new family, locking her secret away until one day ... JB unravels her mother’s secret with skill and care.

To Purchase:

Whisper My Secret: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JP88NA

Trapped in Gondwana: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007S8YVE8

Learn more about JB Rowley here

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Jan Wositzky: Newport Folk Festival 7 July 2012

Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky is a feature storyteller at the Newport Folk Festival.

In 1984, Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky was lucky enough to record the life story of Phar Lap's strapper and legendary horseman, Tommy Woodcock (1905-1985).

Now those recordings are a book and CD set, titled 'Me & Phar Lap', and Jan is out and about with a talk- cum-show titled 'Phar Lap, Tommy and Me', where he plays and sings about Tommy and Phar Lap, recounts the story using the voice of Tommy himself, and delves into the mysteries surrounding one of Australia's big stories. But most of all it's a love story between a horse and a man, and audiences such as at the National Folk Festival have loved it as a listening experience of rare poignancy and humour.

Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky is a storyteller/musician with a 40 year career behind him, beginning as a founder of The Bushwackers Band in 1971, and taking him through theatre, broadcasting, documentary film making, publishing and his unique brand of solo shows that mix story, music, poetry and song. (www.janwositzky.com.au)

Full details about the Newport Folk Festival here.

Monday, May 7, 2012