Updates
The Blue Mountains Story Circle recently held its second meeting. All present were welcomed to the BM Story Circle, under the auspices of the Australian Storytelling Guild, run by Jill and Kiran to provide an opportunity for Blue Mountain storytellers to share their craft, resources and learn from one another through stories and discussions….
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a Kingdom hidden deep within a lush valley where a fire breathing dragon turned the very rock to molten steel. It was here, at the centre of the dragon's lair, that the clans would gather each year at the changing of the season when the leaves streamed red and gold from the trees, and the breeze scattered their richness across the land.
This magical valley was called The Kingdom of Ironfest.
Kanoon’s 21st Storytelling Festival in Tehran Iran 16-20 December 2018
I received confirmation of my acceptance to this festival when I was in Singapore in November. It was quite a surprise as I’d initially missed the September deadline (not entirely satisfied with my story based on the theme that was given – “My life story”). I then decided more than a month later to send my best wishes to Minoo Abdollahi, the organiser, and she replied asking me to send all my details (cv, photo, text and video of a story for children with a moral). This was sent in a real rush and I thought nothing of it.
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly.
If you're reading this, there's a fair chance that like me you want to make our world a more socially just and ecologically thriving world. Getting there will take superhero actions at multiple scales and spheres of influence - inside ourselves; in our homes, families and social lives; in our neighbourhoods and communities; in work and industry; and in governance, politics and social norms.
Welcome to Chennai
What a spectacular welcome to the Under the Aalamaram Storytelling Festival! Our International team of storytellers was met with trumpets and drums and beautifully dressed children in their traditional clothes. Flower lays were draped around our necks and our foreheads daubed with red vermillion as we were ushered into the school like visiting royalty.
Escape into Magic
Fairy tales allow us to escape into magic while still identifying with ordinary things: family, work, food. Most fairy tales show a happy ending, offering hope in times of darkness - at least for some characters. They reassure us that evil can be contained and destroyed. It lives within witches, step mothers and monsters. Or does it? Perhaps what fairy tales really do is enable us to journey into the darkest most disowned parts of our psyches.
#1 in the series, Mixing Magic: the secret sauce of humanising an industry that 's possibly the dullest on the planet with the greatest potential to reverse global warming
It’s the end of a long day at a rather dull conference on urban design with just too many panel sessions populated with Very Important People. I’m slouched in my chair. When will formalities close so we can move onto the pub and networking? Then a man in flowered Doc Martens, Mark Shayler, excitedly bounces onto stage and invites us all to become super heroes. Bizarre.
