Kamishibai goes to the ABC Melbourne Studios.

This Kamishibai needs its own blog!

Still sharing with Bernard Caleo who started the whole fascination with one word, "Kamishibai", I was up at sunrise and on the train with the K to meet Bernard in the foyer of the ABC studios at Southbank.

I love microphones and soundproof studios and all that tech stuff. Here is ABC arts journalist Michael Shirrefs twiddling dials in preparation for a Kamishibai performance. I will say no more because very soon the performance will be available for all to see on you tube. I'll say this ... there is a snail, a narrow escape and ... well you'll just have to wait.

The Kamishibai is now off to Daylesford for Words in Winter. One of my favourite regional arts festivals. Myself with some kamishibai tales, a digital tale and possibly a ballad about race horse will be on a panel with Jan (Yarn) Wositzky, Matteo and Anne E Stewart.

More info : Words In Winter August 2011

original Kamishibai artwork by Bernard Caleo

Tango Tangents: La Mama 28 August 2011

Today I have been rehearsing Tango Tangents with Alison Richards and Faye Bendrups. (pic Faye at the piano and Alison singing.)

Faye and Alison have been busy composing a lively mix of original, tongue twisting, acerbic and moving songs. The songs are woven into a short story by Argentinian writer Luisa Valenzuela which Faye has translated.

Myself and Alison have collaborated on a spoken piece for three voices, Last Tango in Brunswick, echoing the tango sensibility.

Much hilarity along with some serious rehearsal and a fashion crisis. We would love to see you at Tango Tangents.

Artists: Alison Richards, Faye Bendrups, Jackie Kerin, Guillermo Anad with special guests Tango Mundo.

Tickets and Bookings and info: La Mama

Storytelling Australia. South Australia 2011

Storytelling Australia (the national body of storytellers) celebrated the 2011 Gathering in South Australia. It was extraordinary!

I arrived on Thursday in order to have time to catch up with SA friends - I lived there for 10 years and have some very special people I love to see when I visit.

On Friday night the Gathering 2011 launched into full swing with a concert of stories.

Tellers from around the country held the audience spellbound with diverse and dynamic performances. Encouraged by Graham Ross from SA, I told the story of the the foundation of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. You can read this story here - its called No horse, no cart, no shoes.

The following day we were locked in discussion with storytellers from around the country, linked into the dialogue via skype. How cute is that map with the microphone in the middle - it says it all. Opinion was beaming in from WA, Q'ld and NSW. Present were reps from the ACT, Vic and WA. The outcome is that the National body of storytellers will soon have a new logo, and a user friendly welcome page to all the member story groups around the country. Hopefully this will make it easier for those of you overseas to contact us and share stories. Watch this space for developments! Gael Cresp, Anne E Stewart (pictured) and myself represented Victoria.

The final day was a day of workshops - a vigorous and exhausting exchange of ideas and resources.

It would be remiss of me if I did not share this new resource, revealed to me over the weekend.

Montgomery Kelly's book Out of the Storyteller's Hat is the book all of us working in the 3 - 7 zone have been waiting for. Generously illustrated by Siovan Kelly, spiral bound for easy photocopying and tracing, this is a resource for both the experienced and the beginning storyteller.

I will be promoting this book wherever I go!

A website for this book is still a work in progress but you can learn more here

order:

• Out of the Storyteller's Hat
• $49.95 plus postage.
• Email: Monty: monty@montgomerykelly.com

Lyrebird! A book from the heart.

Twelve years ago I visited the Healesville Sanctuary with my family and we were held captive by 'Nova' the resident male lyrebird. He danced and sang at our feet as if his life depended on it. And I suppose it does. Well ... the survival of his genes depends on his performance skills as it is through his singing and dancing he persuades a female to mate with him.

Since that time, and like a new convert, I have wanted to tell the world about this magical bird. And so now ... years later, I am doing just that.

I work very slowly - each word is polished, each sentence sounded. You can't write about a musician without attending to the musicality of your own language. The text for a picture book is almost done but I needed to visit Nova one more time and revisit the mountain home of the bird I'm writing about.

We drove up the Black Spur Road and turned down Archeron Way. Lyrebirds scuttled in front of the car. Every time we stopped and switched off the engine we could hear their full-throated singing. The Mountain Ash, the tallest flowering trees in the world, disappeared into the cloud and at times we found ourselves in a monochrome scene.

We called into Healesville and visited Nova. He was dancing when we arrived. When his keeper entered the enclosure with a bucket of wriggling food, he strode impressively passed us before taking to a branch and resuming his singing.

I'm counting the days until I can share with you my new book but in the meatime if you would like to hear a Lyrebird story and enjoy some archival footage of the first Lyrebird recorded and broadcast on the wirless click here.

Bernard Caleo: Melbourne Writer's Festival. 1 September 2011

Ted Smith's Kamishibai is off to the Melbourne Writer's Festival.

Ted, if you have been following the story, is my mate from the Newport Folk Club. Ted made this beautiful Kamishibai theatre to further my practice and to grow the storytelling scene in Melbourne.

Kamishibai, or 'paper theatre', is an old Japanese form of visual storytelling using beautiful illustrations and skilful narrative techniques.

Here's Bernard Caleo respectfully borrowing the Kamishibai for his presentation at Readings, No 4 in a series of talks and stories : What it is?

Details: Readings July 25

And then in September you can see him at the Melbourne Writer's Festival. In this session, Bernard Caleo will present kamishibai tales and share with the audience how to make and perform kamishibai back at school.

Details: Melbourne Writers Festival September 1

Workshops for Child Care workers

How does one teach confidence and repertoire?

Well after a bit of a chat about storytelling we brainstormed as many rhymes and chants as we could remember and one at a time participants took to the chair and shared their knowledge.

Sitting on cushions and with the perspective of a small child we clapped, nodded and stomped away 2 hours.

As facilitator I was challenged keeping up with the pace and taking notes.

Several of the participants were new to this centre and fearless in their willingness to have a go.

To an outsider we must have looked quite nutty but there is no doubt in my mind that PD days like this are a fabulous time to refresh and expand.

These workers are passing on some of the oldest pieces of our oral culture and adding new bits on the way.

My head felt like it had been in the washing machine when it was all over!!!

WORDS WORDS WORDS. Newport Folk Festival 2011

It was my happy task to organise and co host with Greg Jenkins, WORDS WORDS WORDS 2011 for the Newport Folk Festival.

This was the fourth festival - a celebration of music, dance, spoken word and visual art - a truly embracing event.

Three writers groups were represented in the throng - Western Union, Newport and TISSG (The Incredibly Supportive Songwriters Group) as well as individuals with no group associations.

Gerry Nelson attended to the music - warming the room and making our guests welcome. This year Gerry invited Tiffany Ball to join him and together they are known as the G and T.

We enjoyed presentations fromm children's

authors - Claire Saxby and Lee Fox. Pictured here is Lee

reading from her latest Ella Kazoo Will Not Go To Sleep illustrated by Cathy Wilcox.

We had Michael Reynolds step up to the mic. Michael has hosted Passionate Tongues Poetry every fortnight in Brunswick for nearly 12 years. He also is a photographer for poetry and music events, has published a book of poetry in 2008 and received the Sandy McLeod Award in 2009 for services to Melbourne poetry.

Michael has been a supporter of WORDS since the beginning advising and guiding us.

There were so many who contributed to make

this event a happening thang - too many to mention. But I have to share these beautiful pics of James Howard

(Henry Lawson). James brought a tear to our eyes with a piece about drinking - being drunk in fact.

And finally my mate Dave Davies. Dave is a regular reciter of verse and prose at Folk Club events and no Festival would be complete without him.

Michael Reynolds kindly took these photos with my pocket digital - his beautiful camera was out of action. Thankyou Michael. The Pic of Mike was supplied by Claire Saxby