World StoryTelling Day

Last Sunday I went in to The Library at the Dock for world storytelling day.

I had joined this group after seeing Jackie Kerin and Sarah Pasquale at the Willy Lit Festival doing their story Tales from the Flyway. Tales from the Flyway
So I attended Fabled Nights in Newport Hub (library rooms) a few times then told a story myself Well twice actually. One about meeting a tree climbing man in a Japanese garden, the other about my first week at Halls Creek and treating a Hereford Bull.

The story telling day was great with videos  from people overseas doing a story.
A cute one was about man who dropped his buttered toast and it fell butter side up.!! Unheard of , so all the scientists and elders spent years trying to work out how it happened. And after 10 years they realised --the man had buttered the wrong side of the toast!
I had seen a few of the presentations at practice at Fabled Nights. There is an older man John who recites Australian poetry At Newport he did The Play; CJ Dennis and at The Dock he did When McDougall Topped the Score  Maybe I'll do Matilda!
One woman has a whole act not just the story, playing a ukulele and wearing a story telling hat
Her original story she has made into a book

Leo's Pet Bug 

jackie's table drew a lot of interest 

Well the interesting thing about 3 of the stories is that they used a Kami Shibai box and cards. I had not heard of this Japanese style story telling, but was really taken with it. What is Kamishibai
Kami paper Shibai theatre/play. I struggled with not correcting the pronunciation; should be Kaamee Sheebye not ka MISH eebye.

 I met a Japanese man Tetsuta Watanabe  who does it in Japanese for children in his area both learning and Japanese speakers His wife does the illustrations.
Most of the stories are Japanese folk tales but there is interest in doing eco education and perhaps Australian stories
Currently you can buy sets of cards, or make your own A5 is the size, and buy the stage or make your own. You can buy it plain or paint it like Jackie did.
She and Anna do storytelling professionally Not sure how much, but at schools and bookshops etc.

At the end Rex Smeal had been drawing the performers on his Ipad then ran a quick slide show of the people. Peoples skills never fail to amaze me!!

Anna Manuel