Tall Ted: Channel 31. Making television programs for early childhood

Storytime with Tall Ted is the brain child of Bret Dalgleish. Bret has dreamed of making a series of programs for television for the very young for years. His dream is finally becoming a reality. Channel 31 was impressed by his pilot program and have given him the go ahead to make his first series. Using the skills of storytellers and librarians Bret sets the scene for each episode as Tall Ted then invites his guests to tell stories, sing and demonstrate craft activities that can be downloaded from TT's website and tried out at home. The series will go to air in November and

will be seen around Australia.

Several storytellers from the Storytelling Guild (Vic) have contributed to Storytime including JB Rowley, JJ Shiells and Gael Cresp

Recording took place in the RMIT studios in Swanston Street.

Here are some pics of Claire Saxby and myself on the set with TallTed.

Those puppeteers were having a lot of fun: Nick Spunde, Steve Rossiter and Tessa Irwin

Edith's Lyrebird: the work continues

The work continued this week on the story of Edith Wilkinson and the Lyrebird that lived in her garden in Ferny Creek in the 1930s. Thanks to the wonderful education officers at the Melbourne Zoo, I was directed to return to The Agus Newspaper website and search for Edith. I had of course done a search a few years ago but had been unsuccessful. However my new best friend, Zoo Anne, suggested I narrow my search by using inverted commas. WHAMO!!! Here she is: February 6 1936.

The film project with Malcolm McKinnon is drawing to completion. We are just waiting for some archival footage and my friend Greg O'Leary (walking archive of Australian Bush tunes) is recording the music.

The book project is moving along slowly. Retelling a true story is a dance and I am enjoying myself immensely. I never tire of this beautiful tale.

Newport Folk Festival Saturday 3 July 2010

Words Words Words and more words. The spoken as opposed to the sung. It was my pleasure to organise and mc this event for the Newport Folk Club for the second year in a row. Wearing my Club hat and my Storytelling Guild (Vic) hat, I had two hours to invite as many storytellers, poets and reciters to mic as I could fit. This year we were overwhelmed by the interest in Words. Our venue was packed to standing room only. There were so many memorable moments and performances. Pictured is Dave Davies in full flight. Dave is an NFFC member and a regular reciter of the great Australian poets and story writers of the the nineteenth and twentieth centuries including Lawson, Patterson and Dennis. Pictured also is Claudette D'Cruz wearing her apron with the Storytelling Guild (Vic) logo. Claudette is the backbone of the kitchen when the Guild are involved, tireless and generous. Once again she donated not only her time but packets of curries and chai which were were able to give away to the audience as door prizes. Claudette is the creator of No Worries Curries

http://www.noworriescurries.com.au/

Thanks to all who contributed to such a great event. See you all in 2011.