Ladders to the Moon: plans for 2014

Ladders to the Moon is currently the only monthly night of traditional storytelling in Melbourne (we know of) that is open for experienced and beginner storytellers to exchange stories. The tellers gather from around Melbourne and beyond, and in a cozy and welcoming space, and in front of an audience curled up on comfy couches, the magic takes place. Although this is a night for adults, all are welcome.  MC Simon Oats and the Ladders team could not do more to make both the audience and tellers feel at home.

 Simon explains the Ladders vision for 2014.

Check for DATES and TIMES and for Ladders to the Moon: HERE

WHERE: 303 High street Northcote

COST: $10

EMAIL: storyladders@gmail.com

Pic: December Ladders marked the end of a wonderful year of traditional storytelling featuring storytellers from around Victoria, and some from as far away as Ireland, Wales and Berlin.

Celebrating Marriage Equality in Australia 2013

At midnight last night, the first wedding took place when West Australian politician Stephen Dawson and his partner Dennis Liddelow exchanged vows outside Parliament House in Canberra. These marriages may be short-lived, as the High Court of Australia will rule on the constitutionality of the law on Thursday.

But in the meantime, many families and friends are celebrating this step towards marriage equality in Australia.

Here’s a little story I recorded for my storytelling friend Gael Cresp who requested a story gift for her grand daughter who is being lovingly raised by two happily married woman in America. Production values are a little rough but sometimes you just have to get the story out there I think!

Congratulations from me to all who are celebrating Marriage Equality in Australia.

Jackie Kerin

The Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past: Conference 20-23 March 2014

SSCIP Seventh International Conference: 
Telling Tales - Children, Narrative and Image. Melbourne, Australia 


SSCIP is an international, multi-disciplinary society to promote the study of childhood and children in the past, from earliest human society to the twentieth century. 

La Trobe University is delighted to host the 2014 conference of the Society of the Study of Childhood in the Past. The timing and conference theme is designed to coincide with the 2014 Children’s Book Festival (late March: dates tbc) in Melbourne.

The Children’s Book Festival, organised by the State Library of Victoria and the Wheeler Centre, is a major festival which attracts over 10,000 members of the public to its various events and displays.

A centrepiece of the 2014 Festival will be an exhibition of works from the Scholastic Dromkeen Children’s Literature Collection, recently moved to the State Library of Victoria. The Collection consists of some 7500 original artworks from Australia’s best-loved children’s books.

The SSCIP international conference will add an academic component to the Festival and aims to bring together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines including literature, anthropology, history, sociology, archaeology and art history to consider the forms and roles of narrative, and its evolving nature, in the lives of children from antiquity to the modern period. Major conference themes HERE

CALL FOR PAPERS

Travelling storyteller Dorte Hentschel has arrived from Berlin

Melbourne! 

For such a long time I was longing to get to know this other end of the world. As I was following the Storytelling Australia (Victoria) and their activities via the internet I got keen to get to know the people of the scene.

Since about four years I work as a storyteller in and around Berlin. I told stories in schools, kindergardens, libraries, galleries and at festivals. As well I do give workshops for storytelling and try to find out as much as I can about how to bring storytelling in its rural form into the world.

After four days of my stay I already was introduced to tell a story at the  Newport Fiddle and Folk Club. It was a great adventure and fun for me. Thank you!

The next three months I would be glad to meet storytellers who like to share experiences as well as stories. Since I have not made any fixed travel plans yet I'm open for every idea and direction to follow.

I'm happy to get messages from those who are interested in meeting. You can contact me easily via e-mail: doerte_hentschel@freenet.de

For those who might not have time for meeting but still want to know more about a part of my background I recommend the following web-page:

http://www.erzaehlzeit.de/index.php/en/

Hi Mum!

David Doyle would like to say thank you 2013

Irish storyteller David Doyle arrived in Melbourne in April 2013. His journey along the east coast to Brisbane, across to New Zealand, down to Tasmania, over to South Australia and back to Melbourne took the best part of 8 months.

All the way David has exchanged stories and songs at festivals, gatherings, in folk clubs, parks and the homes of Australian storytellers. He has probably met more Australian storytellers than any of us!

David currently lives in Plymouth in the UK and is part of a storytelling company called Stone Soup. If you are travelling in that direction look him up HERE