Stories in the Club: Drawn from Life

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‘STORIES IN THE CLUB: Drawn from Life’ 2018

Welcome to our ‘Stories in the Club’ page. We gather monthly in Mullumbimby to hear tales from community members. Last year our theme was ‘Stories of Place: Stories of Hope’ and this year’s theme is ‘Drawn from Life’. I curate the stories and we generally have five to six tellers telling 8-10 min tales on the second Sunday of the month from 4pm to 5.30pm at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club. (Read about February’s huge event here.)

Audience listening to Ollie Heathwood

Why Stories in the Club?

Through stories we aim to reconnect people to themselves, each other and to place.

We don’t just share personal stories: we share tales that are true as well as stories that have truth in them, even though they may speak in the language of metaphor. Through stories we celebrate transformation, wisdom, community and rekindle connection to country. We feature tales that evoke the awareness that we ARE nature: we are animals, intricately enmeshed within the web of life on this exquisite planet.

Gabby le Brun

The tellers are not chosen for their performance ability or speaking experience, but rather because they are an inspiring, generous, community-minded person doing something to help make the world a better place on large or tiny scale, who we believe has a story to share relevant to our themes.

Good stories can be road maps for a life well lived. In these times of rapid change and widespread loneliness, such ancient, simple soul food can be sorely needed. Stories of place deepen our connection to country as well as strengthening the weave of our community. Tales of hope, courage and resilience foster and inspire those qualities in us. Tales will be told orally, that is, except for beginning tellers who may have a few cards to help them. They will not be written stories read aloud, but oral stories told by a teller who connects deeply and personally to the story they are telling: whether it is their own personal story, someone else’s true story, a folk tale or myth or a weave of fiction that fits the theme.

Jenni Cargill-Strong

If you live in or near Mullumbimby, love listening to heartfelt tales, you are invited to join us to sit in community and feast on a rich banquet of ‘Stories Drawn from Life’.

Stories can be factual, fictional or factional – which is a blend of the two. Stories in the Club is supported by The Ngara Institute and Mullum Magic Toastmasters, which means they distribute information about our events through their e-newsletters. The Story Tree Company and Stories on Foot are Jenni’s businesses.

Doors open 3.30pm and food available at the Club ‘Old School’ restaurant afterwards.

WHEN: Second Sundays 4.00- 5.30 pm.

ENTRY: Suggested donation $10

Subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date or

check the ‘Stories in the Club’ FB Page.

PREVIOUS EVENTS

To read about our previous events, go to Jenni’s blog page . To hear some September tales, click on this soundcloud link.

Teeya Blatt’s original ‘Hymn to Persephone’ starts at 13.57mins and Franks wonderful talk about women of Byron from the 1930’s to 60’s starts at 30 min.

To hear Susan and an interview from October teller Gabby le Brun, click here:

ENJOY!! HUGE thanks to Dionë Natasha Green and Laz Hartley of ‘The Middle Man’ show of BAY FM for recording our September tellers.

If you would like to tell a story of place or a story of hope but need a prompt, below are a few ideas. Remember it can be fact, fiction OR faction!

Stories of Place

• My favourite place
• My favourite local: neighbour, friend, relative, stranger…
• The quirkiest local I have known: neighbour, friend, relative…
• Storms, tempests and lucky escapes
• Nature and outdoor stories: fishing, surfing, swimming, kayaking, boating, bushwalking, dancing, whale watching, cycling
• Encounters with wildlife: sharks, whales, turtles, birds, snakes
• Protecting country
• A local love story/ ghost story/ birthing story/tragedy/dream/wish
• Sacred ground, mystical place based experiences
• My first visit to this area/ why I settled here
• Where I come from (if not here)

Stories of Hope

• Angels, spirits, guides and ancestors
• An inspiring person I have known
• A turning point in my life
• Transformative experiences
• Thresholds, transitions and liminal spaces eg: from day to night, from visitor to local, from married to single, parent to empty nester, from life to death
• Wisdom from ancestors, elders, folktales

STORY COACHING: If you feel you just need a little bit of help to get started with your story- or to polish a story you have written, call 0403 328 643 or email jenni@storytree.com.au.

contact Jenni for her rates. Read about Jenni’s teaching qualifications at the About page and workshops at the Programs page.