Workshop for Uni business students

Aug 9, 2008 saw me leading 40 final year Bach of Business students of the Uni of Newcastle in an Organisational storytelling workshop. Combining the theories of Knowledge Management and Communities of Practice with practical storytelling examples meant that the students could see the application of stories in realistic settings. I had some great feedback from the lecturer and some of the students, about how they enjoyed hearing the stories as well and the more factual material. I had a business student approach me just recently this year who had heard about the workshop and wanted some info about Org storytelling for a presentation she had to do.

WriteNow 2008 Workshop

After not being able to do this at Challenge Ranch last year when Glenn had a serious work accident on the day, and my storytelling buddy Jo Henwood valiently jumped in at the very last minute, I was really thrilled to be invited to be part of the WriteNow 2008 activities at Challenge Ranch.
Only students in 5th and 6th grade who have string creative writing abilities get selected to attend the WriteNow camp. My job is to get their creative juices flowing with storytelling, and to set them a story creation task for the following evening.
I did this in a much more structured way this time, and sent a detailed outline to the co-ordinator of what stories I would tell, the issues we would discuss about each of them, and the follow-on activities that I would ask of the students. It was a great night, and we worked solidly for almost two hours. The stories used were 'Heaven and Hell'; 'Bedd Gelert'; and 'Sukkhe and the White horse.'

A dry spell

Between April and August was a dry spell for storytelling, although that allowed me to concentrate on my daugher, who was very ill for the first half of 2008.
I had a few storytelling inquiries during this period, but I either wasn't available on the date required, or the gig just didn't eventuate after the initial inquiry.
It did allow me to concentrate on my study in the times when my daughter didn't need me.

Catching up on storytelling activities

Apologies for not posting any news for such a long time. I've been doing the odd storytelling job here and there, but have really been focussing on my study. So the following few posts will be about each of the gigs I've done, every single one of which I've thoroughly enjoyed.
So first up, back to one of my favourite places to do storytelling, Challenge Ranch at Somersby.
On a balmy summer's night, I told stories to nearly 200 kids at Challenge Rach for a holiday Camp. Over two sessions, we shared stories in the stand alone huts on the far edge of the paddock. The walk through the night air added to the adventure of the experience, and made it something special after they cleaned up from dinner. The teachers/cousellors are always so welcoming, and these were a more lively bunch than I usually tell to at the Ranch, probably because it wasn't a school camp.
I had several volunteers in each group who asked to share a story with the group. I love it when that happens spontaneously. I have to confess to making several audience members cry, for the first time ever in one of my storytelling sessions. I told my reworked version of the Mongolian version of the 'Horse-head fiddle' and children cried in both sessions. I noticed a few of the adults tearing-up as well. A good result for a tragic story I'd say.
I also told the 'Riverside Riddle' a slow, languid tale that speeds up dramatically at the end and has a twist.

St Patrick's Day storytelling

With a bunch of fellow storytellers from the Australian Storytelling Guild, I enjoyed a great day on February 16 at the National Trust property Vienna Cottage, at Hunter's Hill.

Being the day before St Patrick's Day, the theme was obviously Irish stories, and some great tales were told, incorporating humour, tragedy, rollicking yarns and interactive tales. I shared two string stories with a healthy audience of young children and their parents, then was able to listen to other tellers weave there magic.

My hubby Glenn came along, and being the tallest one amongst us all, was soon put to use constructing screens and backdrops. My daughter and her friend were "volunteered" as honorary Leprechaun's and soon got into the spirit of things, dancing jigs and speaking to young children with an irish lilt.

In a day of great variety and highly skilled tellers, the highlight for me was Reilly's storytelling debut. Her version of 'The selkie' was incredibly moving and evocative. What a brave choice for her first publicly-told story.

Days like this one convince me of the need to involve myself more in Guild activities. There is a danger in doing my PhD of becoming very isolated and introspective, which is hardly healthy for a storyteller.

Challenge Ranch

It's been a busy week for storytelling.
On Monday evening I went up to the beautiful Challenge Ranch at Somersby to share stories with a very attentive group of 6th graders. 58 children from a Catholic school in northern Sydney were the perfect audience as we cracked codes, laughed at eccentric tailors, cried over Mongolian tragedies and marvelled at the brazen audacity of a cheeky cook who tricked her boss and his gullible guest.
The Mongolian story is a new one in my repertoire, and is one of the most challenging ones I tell. It is long and involved, but is also heart-breakingly sad at one point. The challenge in telling it comes with seeing children in front of you crying (at one school, a boy in front of me with tears pouring down his face), or even worse, when the adults in the audience are crying. I then have to swallow the lump in my own throat, and complete the tale. I have asked an audience of kids if they thought the story was too sad to tell, and 2 girls gave me a great reply: "Somtimes it's good to have a really good cry, and besides, the ending is so good."
I now end the story with traditional Mongolian music, which completes the story beautifully.

Tonight is my turn on the radio program "The Bridge."
I will be on between 9 - 10pm, talking about my experiences as a storyteller, and a student of storytelling.
The program is streamed live on http://www.coastfm.org.au/site/

Radio program

I have been invited to take part in the Storytelling Guild's new venture into community radio.
My fellow storyteller (and back-up extraordinaire when I can't make a booked gig) will be first cab off the rank tonight.
The link for Coast FM 96.3 is
http://www.coastfm.org.au/site/

and you can listen live from your computer.

My session will be Friday 29th Feb.