Thursday, November 26, 2009

Storytelling Event in Halifax

Storytellers Circle of Halifax

Meeting Friday December 11, 7-8:30 pm
in our new location

Just Us! Cafe
5896 Spring Garden Road, corner of Carleton
www.justuscoffee.com

It’s a busy season, but why not take a few minutes to
relax with a hot drink and a snack, and let the stories
take away your cares. You can just sit back and listen,
or share your own favourite holiday memories.

It’s always a treat to see what stories emerge!

“What good is a tale told to the wind,
if there are no ears to hear it?” -Anon


The Storytellers Circle invites
-anyone who loves a good story
-new tellers who seek a supportive environment
-tellers working on new material
-storytellers and writers, for networking, refining ideas,
and extending repertoire
-anyone who wishes to use stories
with their class, group, or business.

Open to the public. Please join us!

Contact: Cindy Campbell
storysong@ns.sympatico.ca
Ph: 902-466-0157

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Kiviuq’s Journey Told Again

If you missed the wonderful performance by Kira Van Deusen last night, there is another chance to hear the tale of Kiviuq’s Journey. Linda Winham will be hosting a house concert on Sunday, November 15th, 3-5:30 pm at her place in Bedford, NS.
Contact Linda at 835-3180 for details.
Linda's Comments:
"What a wonderful evening, and a masterful storytelling we had with Kira Van Deusen on Friday night! Her telling of the Inuit Kiviuq story, with cello and song too, took us to the mystical world of the far North."

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Kira van Deusen Comes to Halifax!

Kira and her Cello are telling at Just Us Cafe: www.justuscoffee.com
on Spring Garden Road in Halifax on Friday, November 13th from 6:30 to 9:30pm.
Hosted by The Storytellers Circle of Halifax, contact Linda Winham at lwinham88@hotmail.com, 902-835-3180.
Check out Kira's website at: http://www.kiravan.com/

She will be telling a fascinating Inuit tale:

Kiviuq’s Journey—An Inuit Hero’s Epic Quest
One of the most ancient and beloved legends of the Inuit people. The great shaman hero has inspired generations with his terrifying adventures at sea, his meetings with strange beings, kindness to orphans, service to community, and his marriages with animals and birds. In 2004, traveling in Nunavut, Kira listened to forty Inuit elders, each telling this great epic in an individual way. Every telling was full of depth and humour and illuminated this ancient story in new ways. With the blessing of the elders, she has created this performance from the richness of material they offered her, adding cello music inspired by this story of epic adventure and by the great landscapes of the Canadian north. Two and a half hours with break. Also available in a shorter version for schools.

Marathon a Success!

For 5 Hours, stories were told. The tellers were mostly from the Halifax Area: Linda Winham, Betty Skonnard, Liz Newkirk, Claire Miller, Sarah Davis,Donny Macdonald (gaelic teller) and Cindy Campbell.
Joanna Crinion and her fiance, Pat came from Digby area...and the farthest CFA was an Irish seanachie, Batt Burns! All proceeds went to the Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club, who were part of the Bluenose Ghosts Haunted Sculptures Project. The Haunted Sculptures were lit up in the Alderney Landing Parking Lot and did they look spooky!
Helen Creighton would have been proud!

Ghostly Gala on the Farm

Last night the Storytellers Circle of Halifax held a Ghostly Gala at Cole Harbour Farm Museum. Ghostly, Spooky, Eerie tales were told by 6 tellers: Linda Winham, Betty Skonnard, Claire Miller, Nancy Muzzatti, Liz Newkirk and Cindy Campbell. All proceeds went to the Farm Museum. It was the fifth annual Ghostly Gala.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Storytelling Marathon in Dartmouth!

The Storytellers Circle of Halifax presents a Storytelling Marathon. Non-stop storytelling from 6pm to midnight!
Saturday, October 17th
Alderney Landing Market (the blue building attached to the ferry terminal)
Alderney Drive, Dartmouth

Featuring Bluenose Ghost Stories, World tales, Cultural tales, Family and Personal stories for all ages.
Featuring Professional and Novice Storytellers:
Liz Newkirk, Linda Winham, Claire Miller, Cindy Campbell, Joanne Crinion (from Digby, NS), Donnie MacDinald (gaelic teller)Sarah Davis, Betty Skonnard, and perhaps some surprise tellers!
Batt Burns, irish storyteller, a seanachie, from Ireland may stop by along with his musician wife, Moira.

This event is part of the Nocturne Arts Festival and Bluenose Ghosts Festival.

They've outgrown local jo!

The Storytellers Circle of Halifax has outgrown the local jo cafe and has moved to a larger coffee shop. The new location is at Just Us Cafe on Spring Garden Road and Carleton Street. The cafe has a lovely lounge area upstairs.
The Circle usually meets on the second THURSDAY of every month with the exception of the next two months. For November, the Circle will meet on Friday, November 13th and will feature a special guest storyteller from Vancouver, Kira van Deusen. More to come on Kira!
For December , the Circle will again meet on a Friday...the 11th.

Batt And Moira Burns were Fantastic!

Last night Batt Burns told at the Waegwoltic Club in Halifax. He told Irish tales, recited poetry, humorous anecdotes and jokes. His wife, Moira, played traditional tunes on the concertina.

Next Batt and Moira will be performing at the Alderney Gate Library in Dartmouth on Sunday, October 18th at 2:30 pm. This show will be more family oriented.

Batt may also drop by to tell at the Storytelling Marathon on Saturday, October 17th at after 6pm. The Storytelling marathon is part of Nocturne Arts Festival on the Dartmouth Waterfront at Alderney Landing. The Marathon will be non stop storytelling from 6pm to midnight and is hosted by the Storytellers Circle of Halifax.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Irish Storyteller in Dartmouth!

An Irish Storytelling Event with
Batt and Maura Burns



This unique show features the ancient art of the Irish seanachie( storyteller) who related great tales around Irish firesides for centuries. Batt’s tales about old Irish wakes and weddings have a strong content of humour, and his repertoire also encompasses hero tales, adventure stories, encounters with the Wee Folk and tales of enchantment.
The show is laced with snippets of Irish history, folklore, excerpts from Irish writers and some very evocative poetry from Irish poets like William Butler Yeats, Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Kenneally, Seamus Heaney and many others. All of this is complemented by great traditional music on the concertina by Maura Burns, a member of the O’Dwyer family of musicians from The Beara Peninsula in Co. Cork.
This show, which is steeped in Irish tradition, has been presented all over the USA by this talented husband and wife duo and they will be featured at The Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on St. Patrick’s Night 2010.

Alderney Gate Public Library
60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, NS
Sunday, October 18, 2:30 pm
All ages

Thursday, September 10, 2009

TellinNS or tellings in Nova Scotia

Here is what is going on in Nova Scotia that has anything to do with storytelling:

Groups:

Storytellers Circle of Halifax: contact Linda Winham at lwinham88@hotmail.com

Gatherings:

Storytellers Circle of Halifax presents an evening of stories on every second Thursday of the month from 6:30-8:30pm at Just Us Coffee Shop on Spring Garden Road in Halifax - http://www.justuscoffee.com/springgarden.aspx

WTF: What the Folk
The Helen Creighton Folklore Society presents
Folksongs, Folktales, Folkart, Folklore

The second and fourth Fridays of each month.
7 - 8:30pm at Just Us Cafe on Spring Garden Road in Halifax
http://www.justuscoffee.com/springgarden.aspx

Berwick Storytellers, Berwick/North Mountain area (contact info TBA)

Festivals featuring Storytelling:

Festival Acadien de Clare/ Clare Acadian Festival
http://www.festivalacadiendeclare.ca/

Museums Featuring Storytelling on Occasion:

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax - www.museum.gov.ns.ca/mma

Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum, Cole Harbour - www.coleharbourfarmmuseum.ca

Highland Village, Iona Cape Breton - www.museum.gov.ns.ca/hv

Libraries featuring storytelling on occasion:


Halifax Publlic Libraries, Halifax Regional Municipality - www.halifaxpuliclibraries.ca

Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Annapolis Valley - www.valleylibrary.ca/

Coffee Shops featuring storytelling:

Just Us Coffee Shop, Spring Garden Road Halifax.
http://www.justuscoffee.com/springgarden.aspx

Chatterbox Cafe, 10163 Durham Street,Pugwash,NS. 902-243-4059

Storytelling Symposium:

Cape Breton University
Folklore (Community Studies)
P.O. Box 5300
1250 Grand Lake Rd.
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada B1P 6L2
Afra Kavanagh

Sponsors the annual UCCB Storytelling Symposium http://faculty.cbu.ca/afrak/storytelling/default.htm

Cultural Projects featuring Storytelling:

Eilean nan Òg
Eilean nan Òg (Island of Youth) is one of the most popular projects now organized by Comhairle na Gàidhlig. Hosted by the Highland Village Museum, this apprenticeship program gives youth the opportunity to learn Gaelic language and cultural skills, such as singing, storytelling and dancing, while introducing them to tradition-bearers from the local community. Coordinated by noted Gaelic singer Mary Jane Lamond, this year's program saw ten young people between the ages of fourteen and eighteen take part in the two-week paid program.

Bluenose Ghosts Haunted Sculptures Project
Storytelling, Drama and Scultpure Workshops based on the book Bluenose Ghosts by Dr. Helen Creighton
Alderney Landing Cultural Convention Centre, Dartmouth Nova Scotia - www.alderneylanding.com/