Saturday April 28, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Claremont Friends Meetinghouse (727 West Harrison Avenue, Claremont, CA map) is the 29th Annual Southern California Story Swap Festival. Registration starts at 8:30 AM. This is the annual gathering of all of the storytelling groups in Southern California. There are workshops, small group story swaps, food, 60 second stories, and a closing concert which starts at 2:30 PM with a representative from each storytelling group telling a story. Admission is $20 for all day if mailed by April 14, $25 thereafter. Admission is $10 for the closing concert at the door.
To get the early registration discount you will need to download the registration form; fill it out listing first, second, and third choices for the workshop you want to attend; and mail the registration form with the $20 to:
John St. Clair
1161 West 5th Street
Ontario, CA 91762
Make checks payable to John St. Clair
Click here to download the registration form.
If you are interested in only attending the closing concert, you don't need to fill out the registration form and there is no early discount. Admission is $10 for all. The concert will start at 2:30 PM and we will begin seating people at 2:00 PM.
A) Karen Rae Kraut - Great Movement and Music Activities for Storytellers, Teachers, Librarians & Parents
In this workshop you will learn story hour stretches and traditional singing games that will energize, harmonize and prepare your groups for further listening, learning, engaged dialogue or all of the above! Kraut, who holds a Masters Degree in Storytelling from East Tennessee State University, shares audience favorites culled from 21 years exploring with children and adult learners and her work in brain-based teaching, creative dance and Orff education. Come in comfortable clothes, and get ready to try out some serious new moves!
B) Nick Smith - Telling Tall Tales
Tall Tales are a form of folktale which have become part of American culture. Some are based on historical figures like Davy Crockett, others on profession-based archetypes like Paul Bunyan, and still others on ad campaigns which caught on so well that they advertising characters became part of folklore, like Joe Magarac. This workshop will be on the care, feeding and even creation of tall tales, and the ways you can present them for audiences of varying ages. Nick works with children and teens at the Pasadena Public Library and has given workshops at storytelling festivals. He has been a storyteller for over 20 years, is the leader of the San Gabriel Valley Storytellers, and has organized storytelling threads at various events.
C) Angela Lloyd - Coming To Our Senses: Bringing the Story to Life
This workshop is geared to all levels of experience: teller, librarian, counselor, novice, parent and teacher. Fairy tales and folktales offer us a structure we can depend on. They hold us as we make our way. Participants are asked to bring the text of a folktale, fairy tale, or story of their choice so they have a point of reference for the activities. Bring writing materials and paper. We will explore the role of the Narrator, and a variety of ways to bring the story's imagined world to life. Landscapes, events and characters are drawn closer when we use our experience and the palette of our five senses. Often, "hearing" a place gives rise to "seeing" the place; "knowing" the character could be smelling his cologne. Making our way to the heart of a story is a sensory experience. Wear comfortable shoes, as the workshop will include a brief walk in the immediate neighborhood. Angela has been a featured teller several times at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN.
Contact John St. Clair at 909-983-8501 or john@inlandstorytellers.org if you have questions.