jenni cargill-strong

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Story Magic at Ipswich Story Arts Festival

by | Aug 28, 2024 | Folk Tales, Japanese storytelling, Public Performances, Storytelling

Storyteller, Jenni Cargill-Strong tells the Three Magic Paper Charms, a kamishibai or Japanese paper art story.

Jenni tells a magical Kamishibai story

When my colleagues and I told stories at GOMA’s Fairytales exhibit, we got another delightful invitation. Jenny Stubbs, the hard working organiser of the Story Arts Festival in nearby Ipswich, asked us to tell on Saturday, 17 August.

Anne E Stewart, Sue Robin and I accepted the invitation and we told stories most of the day: five sessions on the half hour from 10.30 to 2.30pm. We called the concert ‘Story Magic’ because this year’s Book Week theme was ‘Reading is Magic’. As we told, we experienced a strong culture of listening in the Ipswich families. It was a thoroughly delightful storytelling experience. Thirty years of Story Arts Festivals and other literary activities would have contributed significantly to that. Though Jenny is now retired from her position as Librarian and Coordinator of the Ipswich District Teacher-Librarian Network, she still runs Story Arts. She is in the process of handing over the baton, but her passion and vision for the festival is still vibrant. Jenny seems to be always busy working on something wonderful, usually to do with literacy and imagination.

Jenni with Sue and Anne E ‘Story Magic’

We told in the small community gallery annex just near the main Gallery, which has the feeling of a cosy cottage. It was decorated with artwork of several well loved Australian illustrators who were a part of the festival, as well as the very sweet artwork of children who had worked with those illustrators. You can see the children’s work behind us in the group shot.

Storytellers, Ann E Stewart, Tanya Batt and Jenni Cargill-Strong

Anne, Tanya Batt and Jenni

Earlier  in the Festival, Anne and I went to listen to Tanya Batt, storyteller and author, tell stories with her musician partner, in the massive Ipswich Children’s Library. Tanya is from Aetearoa (NZ) and I hadn’t seen her since a Storytelling Conference in Brisbane 20 years ago. She is magnificently vital and delightfully earthy and playful. Check out her website. She is a wonder!

After our concert, we had time to check out the Ipswich Gallery, which is currently hosting many stunning works by First Nations artists. I highly recommend, seeing Ipswich Gallery, ‘I, Object’ a QAGOMA Touring exhibit. There were also a phenomenal series of photos set in the outback, with women elders who were painted up, in a series of surreal images with babies. Absolutely beautiful and thought provoking.

We hope to tell again in story loving Ipswich.