Storyteller Kate Lawrence will lead our Dreaming and Planning Day 2 March 2014

Kate Lawrence is many things …

At the heart of Kate’s work and life is community: a community lawyer for almost 20 years, development officer with local government and a community disaster preparedness worker and community recovery worker. Knowing this is central to understanding Kate’s focus as a storyteller.

‘In law I discovered a world of stories and it became my great honour to interview people to understand their story and then fit it into a legal solution.  My favourite law from an early stage was criminal law, no prizes for guessing how that connected to my love of story!  I spent a while teaching criminal law to prisoners but really I would just become enthralled in their stories…”And what happened then…?”’

Spending time with children has a way of reigniting a love of storytelling.

‘When I had children, I was reawakened to aspects of my own childhood that I remembered fondly.  And so in 1998 I began to explore the art of oral storytelling.  But I was still terrified to leave the printed page …’

Kate set out to learn the art.

‘I knew there was a Storytellers Guild* in Australia but there seemed no clear way to learn how to become a ‘storyteller’– there were no courses I could find and the choice of books was overwhelming. Then I discovered a podcast called The Art of Storytelling Show.  This had an amazing effect on me.  Each program, and there are over 100, is an interview with a storyteller, mostly from North America. The interviewee tells a story and then there is a wide ranging conversation about their storytelling practice, what they do, how they got into etc.’

*now Storytelling Australia (Victoria)

And Kate was hooked!

Kate will be leading the STORYTELLING AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA) DREAMING AND PLANNING DAY: to explore the why, what, how and who of advancing storytelling in Victoria (and Australia).

WHERE: *Boyd 207 City Road, Southbank

ROOM: The Assembly Hall

DATE: Sunday 2 March

TIME: 10.30am – 4.30pm

Melway reference: Map 1D, M6
 Tram: 55

Kate has been teaching storytelling to children throughout 2013 and has much to share about this experience. We look forward to interviewing Kate about this work in the future but in the meantime, visit Kate’s BLOG.

Kate has a terrific website where you can browse her current projects which include:

• Happy and Whole
• Coaching
• Group process

Christine Willison (Wales) is visiting Melbourne

Hello, I am a storyteller based in Wales (UK) I will be in Australia during December and January (December 7th until January 14th) visiting family and (of course) sharing stories. I would love to hook up with your membership at one of your sessions and can do a performance or workshop session or simply join in. Have a look at my website www.christinestories.co.uk. Also I have attached an image of the front cover of my book "Pembrokeshire Folk Tales" published by The History Press

I will be telling stories at Footscray Library, at a family session at 2pm on Thursday January 9th. I will have a few copies of my book (as baggage allowance determines) at this session. I would be grateful if you could circulate this to your membership.

I am a Trustee of the Society For Storytelling (UK) and hope that I can forge some good links with you.I look forward to meeting with you.  

I will get a simcard for my mobile when I arrive and let you know the number. In the meantime please get in touch by email which is on my website.

Best wishes

Christine Willison
http://www.christinestories.co.uk/

We look forward to meeting you Christine.
Storytellers if you have trouble contacting Christine, email me and I will forward her details. 
 jackiekerin.com.au

Niki na Meadhra announces the cancellation of Enchanted Evening November 2013

A message from Niki ...



I'm sad to announce that our final Enchanted Evening for 2013 has been cancelled. 

Thanks for all your support for this event over the last two years! 

Keep an eye out in 2014 for new storytelling events from Hearth Tales.

Niki na Meadhra
Hearth Tales: HERE

Congratulations Niki on a wonderful two years of Enchanted Evening. You have introduced many of us to stories we had never heard before and showcased some wonderful musicians and storytellers. And a special thanks on behalf of the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club for co hosting with Kate Lawrence,  Stories by the Fire for the Newport Festival in the depths of winter.

  

Griffith REVIEW 42, Once Upon a Time in OZ 2013

pic: Louisa John-Krol and Anne E Stewart

A number of Vic Storytellers gathered at the Trades Hall Bella Union Bar for an event to celebrate the publication of Griffith REVIEW 42, Once Upon a Time in OZ.

The panel of writers was asked to ponder the question: Is there any Australian fairy tale tradition?

I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and was glad I made the trip into the city however I was disappointed that the panel didn’t pick apart the question, rather they discussed the substance of their essays in the Griffith REVIEW and these were not necessarily related to the topic. Or perhaps it was that my expectations were not met, a slip between what was on offer and my anticipation. I imagined I would learn something about the two Olgas - Olga Cohn, Olga Ernst and Katie Langloh Parker and perhaps some exploration of Bunyips? Did you know William Buckley claims to have seen several during his 30 years in the bush in the early 1800s - the first being in Lake Modewarre?

I understand that the REVIEW is a literary publication, but I was in attendance with four of Victoria’s finest storytellers working in the oral tradition. We have a tendency to leap between tales with roots in the oral tradition and the literary.  I would loved to have unpacked the dilemmas we face when attempting this with old Australian tales.

I bought a copy of the REVIEW and I’m devouring it with pleasure.  The essays, in particular have provided me with some substantial food for thought. Now I’m looking forward to the inaugural Australian Fairy Tale Conference in NSW in June 2014. And there, I’m sure I will get my dose of some serious Bunyip and Banksia Men analysis.

 Panel L- R Carmel Bird, Lucy Sussex, Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario, Jane Sullivan, Ali Alizadeh

One last thing,  JB Rowley’s version of the The Hobyas can be read HERE. If you don't know the Hobyas, I urge you to investigate.

Jackie K

Jan Wositzky. Congratulations: Historical Interpretation Award and NLA Folk Fellowship 2013

pic: (L-R) Jan and John Ellis)

I'm off to Canberra at the weekend to put a couple of weeks in at the NLA (National Library of Australia) finishing my research on WE (Bill) Harney. I've been awarded the 2013-14 National Folk Fellowship to do this research and to put on a piece of storytelling theatre, to be titled 'Bilarni', at the National Folk Festival next Easter. My focus in the show is to be black-white relations in Australia through the life of Harney. So finally I will be bringing this project to bear fruit - it's been going since 1987.

The Monster Meeting CDs also won the Historical Interpretation Award at the Victorian Community History Awards this year, which is a nice bit of acknowledgement, and we're moving that project towards a short documentary.

Learn more about The Monster Meeting HERE

Storytelling Vic tellers spotted at The Village Festival 2013

The Edingurgh Gardens came alive with mayhem and madness: music, food, dogs, discos, storytelling and so much more. Storytelling Vic tellers were out in force. Teena Hartnett (co creator of Ladders to the Moon),  Niki na Meadhrea (Enchanted Evening), Andrew McKenna and Jackie Kerin were all there telling stories and hanging out with Village visitors.

There were stories for young and old: sweet, rude, heartfelt, ridiculous, global and local. We are a versatile bunch of wordsmiths. The storytelling rolled on from Friday through to Sunday - not only are we versatile, we are indefatigable.
Learn more about The Village HERE

Pics from north to south:
1. Andrew describing how it feels to be half human half echidna.
2. Niki ready for action
3. Teena had them enchanted inside the black plastic inflatable thingy
4. Jackie posing in front of the Storytelling Vic banner ready for some Aussie tales. She loves that banner!

The inaugural Reading Trail Picnic 2013

The inaugural Reading Trail Picnic went off without a hitch. Hosted by The Melbourne Library Service in the Carlton Gardens, the weather threatened us momentarily but in the end, the morning was perfect. Dotted under the old trees was a trail of storytellers, authors and illustrators. Almost two hundred primary school children had the opportunity to savour the story makers in small groups; loads of questions and many laughs. Storytelling Victoria tellers included Niki na Meadhra, Julie Perrin and Jackie Kerin.

Melbourne Library Service is  a great supporter of traditional oral storytelling and Storytelling Australia (Vic). Visit their website HERE

Pictured here: Niki na Meadhra and Jackie Kerin. (Some might say, 'Double trouble!)