Jan Andrews and Jennifer Cayley: Midsumma Festival

While in Melbourne for the Midsumma Festival, Jan and Jennifer had a schedule of performances, workshops and publicity engagements that would make any storyteller's hair curl.

The Vic Guild, joined by Graham Ross (South Australia), Shirley Way and Bettina Nissen (Queensland) gathered in Williamstown to attend The Book of Spells. In this beautifully crafted night of story Jan and Jennifer celebrate

their journey together. Binding their personal tale to Sara Maitland's Book of Spells, a collection of contemporary fairytales for adults, the evening was thought provoking and moving .

For the first time Midsumma programmed some children's events. Jan and Jennifer told their stories in Williamstown under the elms to an attentive audience of small people. Perfect location, perfect weather and perfectly ....

enchanting!

The Vic Guild love to celebrate and welcome interstate and overseas guests. Jan and Jennifer are our first OS visitors this year. Following The Book of Spells, they were wined and dined and treated to a night under the urban stars around a camp fire. Pictured is JJ Sheills who arrived with one of his magnificent vegan chocolate cakes. Bettina Nissen standing beside JJ is admiring our banner! This banner goes back a long way and we thought we had lost it. It has magically reappeared bringing with it many memories.

As a gift to our guests from Canada and interstate JB Rowley shared the story of Chloe. In Melbourne's historic pub, Young and Jackson, in the public bar, hangs a painting of a beautiful young nude woman. For those of us who grew up in Melbourne when there was still 6 o'clock closing and the 'swill', Chloe is etched into our memories. Small children were hurried past the pub, respectable mothers muttering, 'Chloe is in there!' We all loved Chloe although we could not see her. However times have changed, the 'swill' is no longer and she hangs hangs proud and beautiful, still in the bar for all to see. Chloe is a story you will only find in Melbourne at Y and J's

Jan and Jennifer, we thank you for coming all this way and sharing the story gift with us

Jackie Kerin

Jackie has a saying: ‘Before there were books, there were stories.’

She is the only storyteller to win the Port Fairy Festival Storytelling Award three times and is a winner of Australia's most prestigious award, The Spirit of Woodford Original Stories and Yarns.

Trained as an actress, Jackie now relishes her place in the Storytelling Australia (Vic). As a traditional storyteller she only tells the stories that give her pleasure.

Jackie takes pride in her ability to engage listeners of all ages. She is happy to work in a variety of settings: schools, kindergartens, museums, art galleries, literary, folk and community festivals.

Jackie breathes life into:

• Traditional folk tales from around the world
• String stories
• Rhymes, chants and finger stories (for little people)

She also:

• Recites verse and tells original tales, historical tales and tall stories

Jackie offers workshops in storytelling for childcare workers, teachers, children – anyone who wishes to develop their craft.

Jackie is a published author. Phar Lap the wonder horse, illustrated by Patricia Mullins (pub: Museum Victoria) was listed as notable by the CBCA in 2008. Her next book Lyrebird! a true story, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe (pub: Museum Victoria) will be out before the end of the year.

SHARK! is an original tale based on a true incident and recited here by Jackie for your enjoyment.

Jackie is planning her festival and other public appearances for 2012 where she will be performing and speaking about the art of traditional oral storytelling and her work as a writer for children.

pic: Newport Lakes Bush Dance: kamishibai storytelling

Jackie’s website contains a blog with regular posts so you can see the breadth of her activities.

Contact Jackie: Jackie Kerin

Bookings:

Storytelling Garden

Creative Net

Storytime Channel 31: Gael Cresp

Vic Guild Tellers spend many hours of the year working with very small children and their families. Keeping the stories, rhymes and songs alive and passing them on to the next generation, enriching young minds linguistically and conceptually and of course having lots of fun ... its not such a bad job!

Here is a clip of seasoned teller and author Gael Cresp recording an episode of Storytime for Channel 31. Hosted by Tall Ted, Storytime is designed for preschool children. Check the Tall Ted website for times and details Tall Ted has a fabulous website with loads of information and activities for small people.

Storytime is being shown in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria with other states soon to follow. Imparja in the Northern Territory and a community channel in Canada have also expressed an interest in Storytime. Channel 31 say that the show has proved to be very popular and would like another series.

Bookings for Gael: Storytelling Garden

Other Vic Guild tellers who contributed to the Storytime project include: JJ Sheills, Jackie Kerin and JB Rowley.

Stories that must be told: The Flowerdale Tattoo. JB Rowley

ABC Radio National is again joining with the Sydney Festival to present the 2011 Sydney Festival's Keynote Hope 2011 – stories that must be told.

JB Rowley, a long time member and supporter of The Storytelling Guild (Vic) has been selected to join other artists, thinkers, dreamers, leaders and citizens on the stage at the City Recital Hall. Hosted by Wendy Harmer, the purpose of the evening is to share 'stories that must be told', stories of hope. JB is one of two storytellers from around Australia who have been selected to to share their stories.

The Flowerdale Tattoo

In the aftermath of the bush fires that swept through Victoria in February 2009, JB offered her skills as a storyteller hosting a series of free dinners for the Black Saturday Communities in the Murrindindi Shire. It was during this time, she heard the story of the Flowerdale Tattoo.

You can listen to JB telling this story that honours the people she met who survived the fires.

Radio National 621AM broadcast the event live across Australia, and it's streamed live on the web: JB Rowley: The Flowerdale Tattoo

For story lovers, we also recommend that you listen to John Bell's speech about storytelling.

If you would like to listen to the entire program: Stories that must be told.

Learn more about JB Rowley

The Vic Guild are proud of you JB!

Storytelling Australia Vic: Membership

click on form once to enlarge and print

Joining Storytelling Australia Victoria is as simple as printing out this form, filling it out and sending it to our treasurer.

Membership entitles you to a concession to our events, your name will go into our data base and you will be informed as to any events, workshops or gatherings where the Storytelling Australia is involved.

And of course you get to meet all of us!

Enquiries: Anne E Stewart: anne@anneestewart.com.au

Ph. 0408 550 945

President: Matteo

Public Officer: Gael Cresp

Secretary and Media Liaison: Anne E Stewart

Facebook: Beth Cregan

News and events: Jackie Kerin

InterimTreasurer: Graham Davey

Best wishes to all from the Vic Guild 2010

Its been a busy year for the Storytelling Guild (Vic). We've had the pleasure of rolling out the welcome mat for several overseas guests: Naomi Wilds (Adverse Camber UK) and Susan Gilchrist from Ohio.

Our storytellers have clocked up the miles, visiting kindergartens, schools, cultural institutions and festivals. Several were involved in the Melbourne Writer's Festival as part of the Children Book Council event as well as the Williamstown Literary Festival. The Hills tellers staged their first storytelling theatre piece, The Colours of Hope and The Ballarat Storytellers ran the successful Story Swap for the Daylesford Words in Winter Festival as well as telling tales at the Community Garden and and the Artisans fair. One of our members organised a national gathering of tellers for the Darwin Festival and of course there was our foray into Children's Television with the inaugural season of Storytime.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Click through our blog archives for more.

Our final gathering for the year was in Emerald in the Dandenong ranges. Some of us city folk met on platform 3 at the central station and travelled in comfort past the cramped suburban streets and up onto the slopes of Mountain Ash and fern gullies. The Hills Storytellers had the bar open and the heaters on when we arrived. After whipping through our AGM, we then settled down to some hilarious storytelling.

By the time this photo was taken, several folk had left for home. Soo... here are the stayers ... wishing you all (wherever you are in the world) a peaceful festive season and joyous 2011.

Diane Wolkstein: NGV Great Hall 30 January 2011

Journey to the West is one of the three great Chinese epics.Written by Wu Cheng'En in the sixteenth century and based on the historical Xuanzang, the epic recounts the many poignant and humorous adventures of the impetuous, all powerful Monkey King, whose concerns are himself, and the pure-hearted determined Tang Priest, who wants to help others. Together they struggle not only with demons and ogres, but also with one another as they travel from China to India to bring back the Buddhist scriptures.

With unexpected movement and song, Wolkstein breaks open the text, encouraging the audience to question the path of goodness (the Tang Priest) vs. the path of power (Monkey King) and how they might be integrated then -- and now.

Whether recounting epics, trickster stories or fairy tales, Diane enters and speaks from the heart. Throughout her more than 40 years as a storyteller she’s been known for her meticulous research, as well as her great range in repertoire.

In 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg named June 22nd of that year “Diane Wolkstein Day,” in honor of Diane’s 40 years of storytelling.

Since 1967, Diane has occupied a unique place in the world of storytelling and literature, and has played a major role in the renewed interest in mythology and the modern storytelling movement.

Where: The NGV International I80 St Kilda Road

When: Sunday January 30th at 2 pm

Cost: FREE

The Vic Guild Welcomes Diane to Australia

www.dianewolkstein.com