2010 Workshop

Saturday, June 5th

9:30-11:30 am

 "Speaking Story"
with Dan Yashinsky

Main Floor of the St. James Anglican Church Hall

65 Church St. South, St. Marys

(Entrance & parking at rear of church)

This workshop explores the many ways oral storytelling has power in our lives. From family lore to traditional folktales, from proverbs to schoolyard rhymes, we will rediscover the way stories provide a framework for understanding difficult relationships, connecting to hereditary wisdom, and imagining possible futures. Participants will enrich their storytelling repertoire, learn to feel comfortable telling stories out loud, and enjoy the experience of listening thoughtfully to each other's stories. A special focus of the workshop will be on stories that enhance the leadership skills of participants. You will take away at least one new story ready for you to tell in your own leadership setting.

Dan Yashinsky is a Toronto-based storyteller, radio host, author, and community organizer. He received, in 1999, the first Jane Jacobs Prize for his work with storytelling in the community. He founded the Toronto Festival of Storytelling (in 1979) and co-founded the Storytellers School of Toronto. He also began the longest-running open session in North America: 1,001 Friday Nights of Storytelling (in 1978). He has performed and taught at festivals in Israel, Wales, England, Germany, Brazil, Austria, France, the U.S., Singapore, Ireland, and across Canada. He is the editor of four acclaimed collections of Canadian storytelling and the author of Suddenly They Heard Footsteps — Storytelling for the Twenty-first Century. He developed and hosted Talking Stick, a national storytelling radio show on CBC. His work in schools includes creating the Telling Bee, a story-based curriculum project that has taken place in more than 40 Ontario schools. Dan has an M.A. in Sociology in Education from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. in Literature. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for UNICEF Canada, Queen's University, and Toronto Public Library. In 2006 he created, with composer/musician Brian Katz, a piece called Talking You In, exploring the experiences of a family in the neo-natal intensive care unit.

"Personal Narrative, Culture and Myth"

with Jim May

Basement of St. James Anglican Church

65 Church St. South, St. Marys

(Entrance & parking at rear of church)

This workshop will encourage participants to examine their own individual and family experiences as sources for stories. As these memories are recounted, stories emerge that tend to instill a profound sense of integration, understanding, and pride in family and culture, despite past histories that may range from imperfect to tragic. The telling of these stories within the group process can foster healing, new perspectives on one's own family and culture, and an increased willingness and openness to appreciate and celebrate the cultures and family/life histories of others.

Our own life stories can also be seen in relationship to world mythology. The great traditional stories from a variety of cultures can be viewed as a compendia of the life experiences, dreams, and imaginings of millions of people who have lived through the ages and who were able to artistically transmit their reality, wisdom, and spiritual experience and longings to successive generations via the oral tradition.

 Our own life stories, when seen through the prism of these myths and other traditional narratives, take on new meaning and provide grounding and guidance. We see our lives and our journeys ahead in mythological terms. This can provide spiritual depth, strength, comfort, and vision to our own lives.

Using a flower as a metaphor for the act of storytelling, as well as for the act of living, this workshop will not so much address "performance technique" or "behavior", what might be considered the pruning and arranging of the flower display, but rather we will explore the flower's roots, and the soil which feeds it--the black earth of our souls, the humus and perhaps the decay that give life to the organism and determines the health, vigor and beauty of the bloom.

Stories retrieved and crafted through this process can have the originality and insight that represents the very best of artistic expression.

Registration is now open

Workshop fee: $35

Please register by calling Carol McLeod at 519-229-6468, or by emailing events@stmarysstorytelling.org

Payment is due the morning of the workshop by cash or cheque only

Pre-registration is required

Limited spaces available