Fabled Nights in Newport August 17

Fabled Nights in Newport is an open-hearted space for people who want to learn to craft true tales, traditional stories, tall tales and yarns; heart to heart and without notes. We welcome beginners and experienced folks. So come and strut your stuff, share what you know, try out a new story or tell a tale for the first time.

There's room for around 10 storytellers and we ask that stories be no longer than 10 minutes, give or take. We ask that stories be said not read.

We reserve 2 - 15 minute places for people who want to try out longer stories.

Let kind hearts and commonsense prevail: racist and homophobic stories hurt people so please don't bring them to Fabled Nights.

WHEN: Friday 17 August. 7.30pm - 10.00pm
WHERE: Newport Community HUB 13 Mason Street, Newport
COST: $5.00 or $3.00 (Storytelling Vic and Newport Fiddle and Folk Club members). No Booking required.

*WHEEL CHAIR ACCESS
* FABLED NIGHTS is an intergenerational event. Children welcome at parent/carers discretion

Fabled Nights in Newport is a partnership event with Hobsons Bay Libraries and is supported by the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club.

PARKING: There is free parking at the rear of the building. Coming from Mason Street, turn left at Durkin Street then left into the car park. Entry to the HUB is from the park.

Digital image by Rex Smeal

RAW Garden Storytelling: September 2nd

RAW Garden Storytelling is a partnership event with Mariam Issa and the RAW Garden and Storytelling Vic. The Garden celebrates the uniqueness and aspirations of multicultural women through gardening, storytelling, crafts and cooking.

Durgah Devi Palanisamy (Dee) from Storytelling Vic is our host. Dee will have a mix of special guests and story games and there is always a space for friends to tell a tale.

THEMES: Sometimes we have a theme but we are not strict about this and will let you know if there is something in particular we would like to explore.

We value listeners and storytellers equally and take pride in welcoming newcomers to RAW.

WHERE: 325 South Road, Brighton East
WHEN: September 2nd 12.00pm - 3.00pm
COST: Free Bookings are not necessary. Enter by the drive way gate.

*photographs supplied by Tatiana Scott 

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: Peace of Heart 22nd September

Hello Storytellers,

I live in Macedon and have long coveted the lovely 100-seat Mountview Theatre just up the road from me, as a great venue for stories. Recently the Mount Players Theatre kindly agreed to allow Storytelling Australia Victoria (SAV) to host a storytelling evening at the theatre on 22 September.

This is a call for expressions of interest from storytellers to participate. The idea for the evening is that half the tellers will be local to the Macedon Ranges and the other half will be from SAV membership.

The 22 September is not only the equinox, but it is also the International Day of Peace and so we have chosen this as the theme. Tellers are invited to:

• Tell us a story about peace.
• Tell us a story about a struggle for peace - the challenges, fears, and wars that rage when peace is gone.
• Tell us a story that looks peace in the eye - a story that asks the tough questions. Is this peace resting on justice? Does this peace negate another story? Does this peace lie?
• Tell us a story about where peace can be found—in the world, your country, state, community or family.
• Tell us a story with glimpses of peace, its beauty and love, as it swings by in our lives.
• Or tell us a story about the place it all begins—your heart. 

Selection of the storytellers will be based on the different genres of stories and the various styles of storytelling within our membership. You will need to be a current member of Storytelling Australia Victoria. Kindly ensure that your membership is active.  Membership HERE.

The story should be between 5 and 10 minutes long, (with 10 minutes being the strict maximum) and any genre of story - true and personal, folk or traditional, made up or historical.

If you are selected as a storyteller on the evening, you will need to be a member of SAV. However once you are a member of SAV, we can offer to pay you $50 as a token of appreciation for your efforts - we know this in no way represents adequate compensation for your time and talents.  SAV membership is $20, so after joining you would end up with $30, and a years membership of SAV. 

This promises to be a wonderful night of storytelling. We are really keen to showcase the rich and diverse storytellers within the SAV community and the Macedon Ranges.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any queries and I will send you the EoI, full storytelling brief and promotion request. 

E: kate@storywise.com.au before Friday, 17th August 2018.
*Members, who wish to participate in Peace of Heart but are unable to send information via Internet, can call me (Kate) (on 0402 080 445).

Warm regards,

Kate Lawrence
Vice President
Storytelling Australia Victoria
 

Gael Cresp: Stories for Grown-ups Wonthaggi Library

August 8th was the final session in my current series of story sessions for grown ups held in Wonthaggi Library.

Gael Cresp (from the archives - library unknown)

I had an astonishing turnout: not only the majority of my usual listeners, there were several groups of people who just turned up out of the blue. All in all, there were 23 people (extra chairs had to be fetched more than once!) including one older man and three men in their twenties.

The topic I'd chosen was 'Politeness'.

The first story was 'The Lion's Whisker' an Ethiopian tale about a woman taming her step son.

Second, I told the 'Legend of Knockgarten' an Irish story about a man with a hump who had his hump removed by the faeries and a man who was rude and had his hump doubled.

Various versions of both of these can be found via a quick internet search.

The final story was 'The Toy Princess' by Mary de Morgan.
This story is about a country where everyone  'became so polite that they hardly ever spoke to each other. And they never said more than was quite necessary, as "Just so," "Yes, indeed," 'Thank you," and "If you please".'

No one spoke about feelings, likes or dislikes or anything of that nature.

When the King married, the new Queen died of a broken heart, but not before she'd given birth to little Ursula.

The crux of this story is that Taboret, the fairy god mother replaced the child with a doll who suited the kingdom most wonderfully well and took Ursula to a fisherman's cottage where she grew up with his sons and daughter.

Well you can guess the outcome - the eldest son and Ursula fell in love and when Taboret discovered it she endeavored to re-place the doll with the living princess.

She could not believe it when the entire kingdom voted to keep the doll, much to Ursula's relief as this left her free to marry her beau and live a normal life.

My version of this story came from 'The Hamish Hamilton Book of Princesses' first published in 1963. (This book came to me via the good offices of Susan Pepper when she was having a clean out - for this I thank her very much as I find much inspiration in its pages.)

What occurred to me last night as I did one final read though - just as I got to the end where they choose the toy who ALWAYS says the predictable thing -  is that the whole story could be seen as an analogy for the voters of the US and their choice of  their current president.
I didn't share this thought with my listeners but offer it to you all to ponder as it reinforces my belief that the old stories have so much to offer us as we attempt to make sense of our world.

Search and you shall find your stories....

Gael Cresp
w: HERE

Thank you Gael for this generous post on storytelling for adults in the Wonthaggi Library. Ed

TRENTHAM - WORDS IN WINTER: Peter Fernon 18 August

Click on poster to enlarge

Susan Pepper

Sometimes a story is so huge, it is impossible to tell and all you can do is experience the wonder

When I started storytelling I did a workshop with the American storyteller Harriet Mason who sadly died soon after she arrived home. One thing that she said stayed with me during my storytelling career – ‘if you can’t say what your story is about in one, or maybe 2, words, then you don’t know the story’. I found that discerning the one word or theme that encapsulates a story to be a useful thing to do when preparing it for telling. I was often surprised by the themes hidden within seemingly simple stories.

Recently I have been reflecting on the nature of stories in the light the epic rescue of the 13 soccer players in Thailand. Like many others, I have been absorbed in the story and overwhelmed by its hugeness. I have been considering it as ‘story’ rather than ‘news’, if I can make that distinction. From the perspective of a storyteller, this is a story overflowing witharchetypes - 

• Lost boys, and adventure

• Heroes risking their lives

• Desperate mothers and fathers

• Frog(men) – now renamed as seals

• Hundreds of helpers

• Storytellers (media)

• Witnesses - from all over the world

• Water, and rain, and more water

• Air, lots of air

• Fast running currents

• Jungle

• Warriors (soldiers)

• Dark – total blackness, and light

• Guides; experts

• Letters and messages

• A mini submarine

• Death, life, induced sleep

• Priests, religious rituals, prayers, meditation

• Doctors, helicopters, nurses, ambulances

• Food

• Promises and vows

• A princess (according to Thai legend the mountain range was the body of a reclining princess)

• And the King of Thailand*.

The range of emotions we have witnessed, or imagined,includes everything from deep fear, dread and grief to ecstatic jubilation. 

So where do you start to work out what the story is about?The value of life, the inevitability of death, love, rebirth, survival, being lost, risk-taking, heroism, international collaboration. All of the above, and more. I think the themes highlighted depends on which group of heroes you focus on, and there is a surfeit of heroes to choose from. It will be interesting to see what Hollywood makes of it. 

For me, I’m still overwhelmed by the wonder of it all. One word to encapsulate it all? I can’t find it,  not yet anyway. 

Susan Pepper
Sometime storyteller

* Not an exhaustive list!

Roslyn Quin: You’re never too old for a story!

We’re all great at recognising the benefits of story time for our children, but we neglect to notice how much good it could do for us too! So get cosy with us and beat the mid-week, mid-winter blues with a Winter Solstice storytime and free hot chocolate.

Roslyn Quin is a long-time member of Storytelling Australia Victoria and our gal in Eltham Libary. Loved for her thoughtful and respectful children's storytimes, Roslyn has something on offer for the grow-ups.

WHEN: Wednesday July 18
TIME: 4.30 pm - 5.30pm
WHERE: Warrandyte Library, 168 Yarra St, Warrandyte
 COST: Free

Noa Baum is coming to Australia April 2019

 Greeting Storytellers,

We have been contacted by Noa Baum who is planning a trip to Australia and would love meet you all. Please read her message and feel free to pass on.

Hello Storytellers of Australia,

 I'm an Israeli-American storyteller & author living in the Washington DC area.

I’m planning a trip to Australia for the first two weeks of APRIL 2019 and writing to ask for your help.

I’m looking for opportunities to work - offer a performance and/or workshop and would very much appreciate your suggestions.

Enclosed below is a small sample of programs and workshops as well as link to my recent TEDx talk. for video samples and more program descriptions and offerings for families and children please visit my website, my FB page and some information on my award winning memoir:
Author: A Land Twice Promised - An Israeli Woman's Quest for Peace

Any suggestions are welcome - I’m happy to offer house concerts too. Please contact me directly:
noakrbaum@gmail.com

Thanks so much! I look forward to connecting with you!

Noa

Watch Noa's TEDx talk, Beyond Labels - Bridging Differences through Storytelling


SAMPLE OF STORYTELLING PROGRAMS

Dolls in My Pocket
At the crossroads of Jerusalem and Baba Yaga’s hut, a journey into timeless tangles of mothers, daughters and secrets of dolls.

Impossible to Translate But I’ll Try - Personal, True-Life Israeli stories

A Land Twice Promised - Palestinian and Israeli women's stories - My personal story of friendship with a Palestinian woman and the stories of our mothers. see excerpts.

A Taste of the Garden of Eden - a celebration of the Jewish tradition with tales of wonder, magic and faith.

SAMPLE OF WORKSHOPS

1. COME ON IN – WELCOMING AND UNDERSTANDING THE STRANGER
Building bridges of understanding and tolerance in communities and organizations

2. STORIES OLD AND NEW - A PATH TO HEALING AND RESILIENCE ***
Interweaving traditional and personal stories to foster connection and transformation.

3. BEYOND LABELS: BRIDGING DIFFERENCES THROUGH STORYTELLING
Opening a path to dialogue, collaboration and peace.

4. THE ART OF STORYTELLING
Introducing the power of the oral language and tradition.

5. MORE THAN WORDS - WAKE UP YOUR EXPRESSIVE POTENTIAL
Developing performance skills and creative expression.

6. HIDDEN TREASURES: YOUR STORY AS A GIFT
Using storytelling to build community and develop skills for personal growth and transformation.

Kim Billington: THERAPEUTIC STORYTELLING WORKSHOP 21st September

Suitable for counsellors, psychologists and teachers

WHEN: Friday 21st September, 9-4pm
WHERE: Ashburton
REGISTRATION, LOCATION and other DETAILS: HERE
 
About the Workshop
Learn storytelling methods and explore folktales which can help children (and adults) who are facing challenges. Enrich your therapeutic relationships and create opportunities to explore the effects of trauma and loss and create hope and healing.

Course overview
Learn how the ancient art of storytelling can help to understand and tolerate the stresses of life. Experience first-hand a method to enrich therapeutic relationships and create opportunities to explore the effects of trauma and loss.
Stories contain hidden messages about possible ways of overcoming adversity. Stories use metaphors that can change the way we see ourselves and our world. They help to connect us to each other and help in finding meaning and hope.  Storytelling encompasses both external therapeutic input and child-directed healing.


Workshop Facilitator
Kim Billington - Masters in Counselling; Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work.

 












 Included in the workshop price

• 6 CPD points/hours (12 hours for AASW members)
• Comprehensive Bound Seminar Workbook
• Certificate of Attendance
• Lunch, Morning & Afternoon Teas
• GST
• 9am - 4pm Training
• Early bird savings for bookings made two months prior to training.

Storytelling Melbourne - Expressive Art Therapy
www.artandplaytherapytraining.com.au

Thank you for for sharing with us Kim

Kate Lawrence

Fantastic Feminist Folktales

Congratulations to Kate Lawrence on the launch of her first one woman show.


On a freezing Friday night in June, to a packed house, Kate had the audience laughing, crying and feeling everything in between.

In the folktales Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty are given a thoughtful, contemporary make-over; the transitions and twists are seamless and the language rich, powerful and at times poetic. The story of Joan of Arc, as researched and told by Kate, is both a revelation and heart-wrenching.

Kate runs the only women's only storytelling night in Melbourne; she also offers workshops and coaching.

To learn of all the storytelling work Kate offers visit her website and sign up for news.

And a big thanks to Kate for all the time she puts into Storytelling Australia Victoria as vice president, website and public officer. We'd be lost without you Kate.

INVITATION: Udaipur Tales Storytelling Festival

Dear storytellers and lovers of a good tale, 

Rananjay Singh Bhandari has contacted Storytelling Australia Victoria with an invitation to you all to learn about the Udaipur Festival. 

Durgah Devi Palanisamy and I had a lengthy chat with Rananjay and as a result he has sent us some information to share and also recorded a video message for you.

Please read and watch the video. And if you wish to follow up, Rananjay's contact details are included.

Warm wishes to you all,
Jackie Kerin



I am Rananjay Singh Bhandari, the Creative Director at Udaipur Tales. Udaipur Tales is a storytelling platform, based in India, that has a passion for the oral tradition of storytelling. 

In Feb 2017, we organised the 1st Udaipur Tales Storytelling Festival in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, where storytellers from India and abroad came to the city of lakes to take the audience on a journey of tales from the present and the past.  

We are currently looking for storytellers for the 2nd Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival which will take place in Udaipur between 30th November - 2nd December. I would be very interested to know more about the work you do and would also like to discuss the possibilities of future collaborations. 

Please visit our Facebook Page for information, videos and photographs of the storytellers and events featured at out inaugural festival.

Please contact me for any further information you need about Udaipur Tales and our work.

Rananjay Singh Bhnadari
(Creative Director)
Udaipur Tales Pvt Ltd.
+91 9871591116 udaipurtalesstudio@gmail.com  

WORKSHOP: July 15

The AKA (Australian Kamishibai Association) 

Kamishibai Workshop for Tellers, Writers, and Illustrators. 

Already caught the Kamishibai bug? Want to up your skills a notch (or two) in telling, writing and/or illustrating kamishibai stories? This is our first workshop for adults.

 

SPOTS AVAILABLE for 10 people

TO SAVE A SPOT: please text us a message: 0412 210 098 or if you are on Face book you can message us via that platform.

TO CANCEL A SPOT: please send us a message so we can let others in.

FEE of $10 goes to room rent and the AKA workshop kit materials. 

YOU MAY BRING

• Kamishibai stories you're working on
• Snacks and drinks

VENUE: The City Library Group Study Room  253-265 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. 

 *wheelchair accessible

Join us as we share: 

• our individual styles of approaching kamishibai
• workshop Dani's "Sally the Sea Turtle" story
• see how picture book stories can translate to kamishibai format 

Don't worry if you don't have a kamishibai stage. We'll take time to talk about stages: the various sizes (pros and cons), how to make your own or buy one on line.

This workshop is organized by the AKA moderators - Jackie Kerin, Anna Manuel, Dani Bücheler-Scott, and Tetsuta Watanabe. 

The AKA is a member of Storytelling Australia Victoria. We thank SAV for their support.

We have a Facebook Group where we connect and share ideas.

And a Page where you can follow our events.

Stories Stories Stories: by the fire and in the garden

What a weekend of stories it has been.

Much has been shared on Facebook but for those of you who couldn't be with us and who don't subscribe to that platform, here are some photographs of both events to enjoy.

Stories by the Fire on June 30th

On Saturday evening storytellers gathered as part of the Newport Folk Festival. In the Old Scout Hall, with the fire blazing and soup and chai simmering, the stories found wings.

The old Newport Scout Hall

Edith , the youngest storyteller

The evening was supported by a team from Storytelling Australia Vic who not only hosted (thanks Matt McArthur), lugged lights and baked gluten free cake (thanks Kate Lawrence), tweaked soup, baked cake, buttered bread and remained unflappable in the kitchen (thanks Cameron Sharp), and crossed town in with soup and sweets (thanks Mariam Issa and Devi Palanisamy). And thank you No Worries Curries for donating the chai.

James Howard channeling Henry Lawson

Jackie and Cam dishing up the soup

Stories in the RAW Garden on July 1st

The cold didn't dampen the spirits of the RAW regulars. Normally hosted by Durgah Devi Palanisamy, Dee was unavailable and Daniela Bücheler-Scott stepped into Dee's shoes. Storytellers never shy away from celebrating a birthday. Happy birthday Dani!

Daniela Bücheler-Scott

Mariam Issa in conversation with young storyteller

Children are always welcomed into the circle at RAW.

RAW Garden Storytelling is held February - November on the first Sunday on the month. Check the calendar on the HOME page of our website for details. HERE

RAW Garden Storytelling Sunday 1st July

Its the middle of winter and the garden is looking bare. Rug up: hats, gloves and a warm coat. The stories continue whatever the weather.

Daniela Bücheler-Scott (photo: www.anthonycheung.photography)

This month Daniela Bücheler-Scott is holding the story space for us. Dani is the recipient of the Storytelling Australia Victoria scholarship to the NSW International Storytelling Conference. She will be full of news to share about this biennial gathering.

Dani has a particular passion for storytelling for children and especially kamishibai storytelling. On her return from NSW she launched into the Williamstown Literary Festival as a participant in a display, a workshop and all-ages friendly group show.

The kamishibai storytellers are growing their numbers and Dani is a co-administrator of the newly launched AKA (Australian Kamishibai Association) Page.

RAW Garden Storytelling is a partnership event with Mariam Issa and the RAW Garden. The Garden celebrates the uniqueness and aspirations of multi cultural women.

We have a mix of special guests, story games and there is always a space for friends to tell a tale. Make sure you let the Dani  know if you are carrying a story that wants to be shared.

THEMES: Sometimes we have themes but we are not strict about this and will let know if we have something in particular we would like to explore.

We value listeners and storytellers equally and take pride in welcoming newcomers to RAW.

COST: FREE
Bookings are not necessary.
Enter by the drive way gate.

WHERE: 325 South Road Brighton East
TIME: 12.00 - 3.00

Nibbles provided 

Stories by the Fire: 30th June

For more years than we can count on one hand, Storytelling Australia Victoria has been hosting this evening of Stories by the Fire as part of the Newport Folk Festival. 

This year our MC is Matt McArthur. Matt is a versatile storyteller but is particularly known for his science stories (Laborastory); he is also a Moth storyteller, a regular at Fabled Nights and contributor to World Storytelling Day, urn boiler, cup washer ... you name it!

Matt has been spending a considerable amount of time in the Antarctic and clearly enjoys the fashions! You can subscribe to his podcast Iced Coffee and enjoy stories of the history and human activity in Antarctica.

Stories by the Fire is a casual open event; we set up a chalk board and invite storytellers to put their names up and share a tale of around 10 minutes or less. We will have a bell! We welcome all genres, ask that you tell not read , and we request that kind hearts prevail. Racist and homophobic stories hurt people.

Storytelling Australia Victoria takes pride in welcoming new comers to the hearth.

So mark it in your diary, and while you're at it, keep an eye on the festival program. The Newport Folk Festival is a grass roots celebration fueled by the passion of the local folkies.

This is an inter-generational event but not suitable for the very young 12+.

Soup, cake and chai are served by the Storytelling Australia Victoria team on the night.

WHEN: June 30
WHERE: Newport Scout Hall Market Street opposite The Substation
TIME: 6.00 pm
BOOKINGS: HERE

Return of the Sentimental Bloke: 1st July

C.J. Dennis' character 'The Sentimental Bloke' has delighted audiences for over 100 years. Dave and Alan Davies bring all the humour and drama of 'the Bloke' to life with four poems, recited in character. The poems are linked with narration that gives the background of the poems, and music from the period. With Nicola Johnson on fiddle.


Dave is a member of Storytelling Victoria and regular at Fabled Nights in Newport. He brings Australian Bush verse to the evenings as well as tall stories, Shakespeare, and occasionally something from the Russian classics.

As part of the Newport Folk Festival.
WHEN: Sunday July 1
WHERE: Newport Scout Hall (Market Street Newport opposite the Substation)
TIME: 2.00 pm
TICKETS: Try Booking

AKA (Australian Kamishibai Association)

Kamishibai (paper theater) is a Japanese way of telling stories. Once popular in the 1930s - 1940s, it was swept aside with the introduction of television.

But kamishibai is back and new stories are being published and there are festivals and gatherings of kamishibai storytellers popping up around the world.

Bernard Caleo

Bernard Caleo (comic book maker, actor, storyteller) and me (Jackie Kerin,  Storytelling Australia Victoria) formed a Facebook Group a few years ago, and calling it the AKA (Australian Kamishiba Association), we hoped to gather kamishibai enthusiasts from around Australia to share ideas and grow skills.

Daniela with her kamishibai stage and stories

We now have members from Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia as well as a few overseas guests.

Tetsuta Watanabe's 1940s Japanese tale of 'Mr Carrot' was a favourite

With growing confidence, we decided to go public and so pitched ourselves to the Williamstown Literary Festival 2018 offering: a display, two shows, introductory session and workshop for children.

Anna telling a story to an enchanted crowd

The plan was hatched when Anna Manuel said, 'Let's do it!' Anna shouldered a huge amount of the planning and arrangements with the festival organisers: curated the showcase of Kamishibai Stories for Kids and facilitated the workshop. Together with her partner Anthony, she also designed our flyers and banner.

L-R: Alex Kharnam, Daniela Bücheler-Scott, Jackie Kerin, Matt McArthur,Tetsuta Watanabe, Anna Manuel

And I would like to express gratitude, on behalf of the team, to those members of Storytelling Victoria who so kindly gave up their time and helped us with the display table. We were overwhelmed by your willingness to down tools and lend us hand.

And please, if you would like to be part of the fun, don't hesitate to join our group and follow our Page.

Find us on our AKA PAGE HERE

Fabled Nights in Newport and Stories by the Fire

Fabled Nights is back and this month our host is Cameron Sharp.

Cam is a valued member of Storytelling Australia Victoria, famous for bringing tears to our eyes with heartfelt personal tales that have taken us to the Oodnadatta Track, New York and back stage of musical theatre where he revealed to us the secrets of the quick change!

At Fabled Nights we encourage folks to have a go, not only telling a story but with hosting, kitchen duties, setting up and packing down. The night belongs to all of us, its a safe place to learn new skills and confidence in running story gatherings.

If you have a gig on the horizon and you want to test out your story, come along!

We enjoy true, fictional, traditional and rhyming verse.

We ask that stories be 8 - 10 minutes. We have two longer spots on offer if you would like more time.
Please don't read, unless you are working on an oral piece.

Let kind hearts and common sense prevail: homophobic and misogynistic stories hurt people. And we ask that if you tell someone else's personal story, you assure us, you have their permission. You can read out values statement HERE.

WHEN: June 15

WHERE: Newport HUB. 13 Mason Street Newport. *all access venue
Enter from the park side of the building. Car parking at the rear of the building.

TIME: 7.30 - 10.00 pm

COST: $3.00 for Storytelling Australia Victoria and Newport Fiddle and Folk Club members or $5.00

The urn will be boiling and cake and nibbles ready for half time.

Why not come to Fabled Nights and practice a story for Stories by the Fire.

 Stories by the Fire 
our annual event at the Newport Folk Festival

This is an open floor for storytellers at the Newport Folk Festival.
Stories 8 - 10 minutes (we will ring a bell).

Soup, cake, chai. Every year, without fail, No Worries Curries donates delicious chai.

WHEN: June 30

WHERE: Newport Scout Hall. Market Street Newport. The old wooden hall comes alive with an open fire and candles.

TIME: 6.00 - 8.30

COST: Information HERE

Federation of Asian Storytellers

Congratulations to all who have been working so hard for several years to create a body that will connect storytellers across Asia.

 

The first FEAST conference will take place in November in Singapore and will be followed by a festival of story sharing.

The announcement of FEAST's incorporation is hot of the press and there is still much to be done, so keep and eye out and when we hear news, we'll share via this blog.

FEAST has been inspired by FEST, The Federation for European Storytelling.  

There are festivals sprouting up just to the north of us and the membership of Australian storytelling organisations is increasingly being enriched by storytellers steeped in Asian oral traditions.

Just recently we have enjoyed connecting with  Udaipur Tales in Rajasthan. Storytelling Victoria's Devi Palanisamy is planning a skype with Rananjay to learn more.

In Singapore, Kamini Ramachandran has just completed her second StoryFest International Storytelling Festival. Located between Australia and Europe, Kamini brings tellers together from  around the world. Cheaper to fly to Singapore from Melbourne than to Western Australia, its an exciting chance to catch some of the best.

And if you can't make it to the StoryFest, there is the 398.2 Storytelling Festival.

There are also storytelling festivals in Korea and Vietnam and many other counties besides.

So thank you to the team who is creating FEAST. Now it will be easier for us here in Australia to  track events.

We look forward to sharing the website when its live and exploring ways to collaborate and connect across Asia through story and best of all, storytellers across Australia will find it easier to independently build relationships and create networks for their work and enrichment.

NSW International Storytelling Conference 2018

The NSW International Storytelling Conference has won a place in the hearts of storytellers around the country and overseas.

Held every second year, the space between creates a sense of anticipation. Quite often the overseas delegates return and the excitement that accompanies their arrival is palpable. Relationships are commonly maintained, if not nurtured, through social media, and when at last, virtual soul mates connect, the joy is infectious.

This year storytellers from the USA and Korea were made welcome and from closer to home: Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT, NSW and Queensland.

Young and old mixed  in the fun. Some of the elders were over 80, knowledgeable and still telling stories; some on stilts and some on sticks!

This year Lyn Ford gave the keynote as well as sharing superbly crafted tales from her heritage. Other American delegates included the energetic Donna Washington and the remarkable thinker and wordsmith David Novak. DAvid 

David stayed on in Sydney an delivered his one man story: Gilgamesh.

We were blessed to enjoy the stories and good company and beautiful costumes of Seung Ah Kim.

Storytelling Australia Victoria was there in force, telling stories, delivering workshops, mcing, holding story circles and generally pitching in to help the organisers.

Anna Manuel, Susan Hall, Gael Cresp, Lee Foyster, Jackie Kerin, Dani Bucheler-Scott, Devi Palanisamy

 A heart felt thank you from all of us at Storytelling Australia Victoria to Christine Carlton and the NSW Conference committee.