The Woodford Folk
Festival (Queensland) is a five-day event packed with music, lectures,
workshops, poetry, storytelling, dance … Visitors arrive from around the world
to participate.
In recent years the Storytelling Award has been managed by David Hallett
who does everything in his power to make sure that the trip is smooth – getting
the short list out before the cost of air travel spikes, organizing a shuttle
from the airport and generally being available and supportive.
I was thrilled to learn that Rachel Welsh had been shortlisted this year.
I first heard Rachel tell a story at the Sydney International Storytelling
Conference in 2012 and was hooked. This Woodford was particularly poignant for Rachel
as 18 years prior, she had arrived at the first Woodford Festival with her
eight day old daughter. At the time Rachel was on the organising group and in
those very early days, hand wrote hundreds of festival tickets. She also managed
a bar and venue called ‘The Club’ for a few years in the same spot that is now
the ‘Duck’ (the storytelling venue this year).
The Spirit of
Woodford Storytelling Award is the most generous offered in Australia. Even
being shortlisted has its rewards which this year included a seasons camping
ticket and two free tickets to the festival. This amounts to about $1000. For
the lucky storyteller who wins the award, another $1000 plus a beautiful etched
glass trophy is theirs to take home.
As a Victorian,
these incentives are significant. I simply wouldn’t be able to afford to go
without the free tickets and this year I had the fun of sharing the festival
with my daughter.
I’m pleased to
say that I was the 2012 recipient of The Spirit of W. I thank David Hallett and
the Woodford team and sponsors. I have returned to Melbourne full of stories
and ideas.
The Storytelling
Award is promoted by Storytelling Australia (Vic) but of course information is
available on the Woodford Website with the application form. Stories are
between 5 – 10 minutes and the only stipulation is that the stories should, in
some way, ‘lift the spirit’. This year the performance poets made a great splash;
a few more classical storytellers would have provided a terrific balance.
Soooo ... Storytellers … get on board in 2013!
