Anna Jarrett

The Travelling Storyteller

"Celebrating life and learning through creative arts & storytelling"

STORY NEWS & PHOTOS

An occasional newsletter of storytelling highlights, reviews, profiles and thoughts

Autum 2011

Issue 9

I love this time of the year! The first quarter of this year has been full with a fun mix of outdoor recreation work & storytelling. I’m enjoying finding new ways to integrate my dual passions for working outdoors with kids and being a traveling storyteller. The school camp season is quietening down now so I have a little more time to be working with stories.

Outdoor Recreation with Schools

In my work outdoors with kids, I’m creating new short stories with the activities and enjoying watching how stories make the activities more meaningful. The Outdoor Recreation Certificate IV which I’m studying doesn’t teach anything about working with stories, but I’m finding it to be an amazing teaching tool. I look forward to growing a new body of stories relevant to working outdoors, playing games, making rafts, bushwalking, canoeing…Oh I love the adventure!

Storytelling with Children & Families

I’m really excited to be doing regional tours out west again. I love working in the country, in small towns surrounded by a wide open landscape.  

The Bogan Bush Mobile Tour in April was a big success. Our visits to some communities was especially exciting because the towns have been isolated by the floods and after 3 months, the roads in & out are finally open again. The country looks so rich after the rains and despite flood losses, many people are seeing bumper wheat & cotton crops & the sheep are doing well too. A positive time to be in the country which has just endured 10 years of drought.

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I’m honoured to be working with a few community service providers who have invited me to bring storytelling to children & families in the north west of NSW.

In May, Lightning Ridge & Brewarrina are celebrating the opening of their new centres for children & families with a community festival & storytelling performances.

In June, I’ll be heading to Wilcannia to do shows & workshops in the school & preschools.

I feel at home out west and have made a wish to return to this country as much as possible – so here goes!

Bohemian Fairy Tales

Lenka & I will be bringing the Bohemian Fairy Tales puppet show to the Tilba Festival over Easter. It’s a beautiful local community festival on the south coast and I’m looking forward to bringing the Forest Maiden story to life again. I love the Bohemian Fairy tales & look forward to doing more shows with Lenka. Stay tuned!

See Issue 2 — Feb '08

See Issue 3 — Aug '08

See Issue 4 — Dec '08