1 The Chennai Storytelling Festival is presented by the World Storytelling Institute (an NGO based in Chennai, www.storytellinginstitute.org ), and Partners and Sponsors. Venue Partners of Chennai Storytelling Festival 2015 include: 1) British Council, Chennai. 2) School of Fine and Performing Arts, University of Madras. Chennai Storytelling Festival 2015, "Storytelling for Teaching and Training", would feature Workshops, Panel Discussions, and Performances, and would primarily concern: A) Using Storytelling for Teaching. B) Using Storytelling for Teaching and Training in Relation to Challenging Conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, Autism, Dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, and Downs Syndrome. C) Using Storytelling for Training, especially regarding Soft Skills. We would compare and contrast these three uses of Storytelling, and by doing so we would hopefully contribute to the development of these fields. Chennai Storytelling Festival 2015, "Storytelling for Teaching and Training" 6-15 February 2015 Schedule of Workshops and Panel Discussions (For Adults, unless otherwise noted.) 14 items are listed so far. Day 1) Friday 6th Feb -- 9:30am Opening Program. 1 Workshop: "Training through Storytelling: Corporate Training for Decisionmaking, Delegation, Teamwork, and Leadership". Workshop Leader: Mohan Krishnan. Day 2) Saturday 7th Feb -- 2 Panel Discussion, with Demonstrations of Activities: "In Tune: Evolving Patterns of Storytelling for Children with Special Needs". Panelists would include Special Educators from Sankalp: The Open School Learning Centre, and others. Students of Sankalp might tell a story. Panel Chairperson: Asha Sampath. Timing: 11am - 12:30pm (90 minutes). Admission is Free. Venue: To be announced.
2 Day 3) Sunday 8th Feb -- 3 Workshop: "Art and Storytelling Workshop: Painting and Telling Stories to Teach Moral Lessons". Workshop Leader: Archana Krishnan <ak11feb@gmail.com>, 95000 06299. Workshop Description: The Workshop Leader would introduce numerous artforms, such as Madhubhani painting, Nib painting, Cone painting, working with Plaster of Paris, and making puppets. She would explain about how these artforms originated and have developed, and would show examples along the way. The Workshop leader would then begin to train Workshop Participants to create in the styles of some of these artforms. Traditional artworks in these artforms may depict stories such as 1) Panchatantra tales, 2) Jataka tales, 3) Stories about Krishna, 4) Stories about the Buddha, and 5) Stories represented in sculptures in the Ajanta and Ellora caves. In the Workshop, some of these stories would be 1) Observed in already-created artworks, 2) Told (by the Workshop Leader and by Workshop Participants) using body language and voice modulation, 3) Discussed, and 4) Created in new artworks (using the traditional styles that would be taught). Timing: 10am to 12:30pm (2.5 hours). Workshop fee: Rs 250 (art materials provided). This Workshop is designed for children, ages 8 years-and-up. Parents of child participants are welcome to observe, for no additional fee. (If the parent might use art materials, an additional Rs 250 fee would apply). Teachers and others unaccompanied by children who might be interested to observe or participate in this Workshop are requested to contact the Workshop Leader. Venue: Let's Do Something, No. 322, Velachery Main Road, Velachery, Chennai - 600 042. Landmarks: Near Ramana Clinic, Opp Ceebros Apartments, Above Cafe Tapas. Day 4) Monday 9th -- Day 5) Tuesday 10th -- Day 6) Wednesday 11th -- Day 7) Thursday 12th -- 4 Workshop, and Panel Discussion: "Using a Variety of Media to Teach with and about the Legend of Ponnivala". Workshop Leader and Panel Chairperson: Dr Brenda Beck (from Canada), www.ponnivala.com.
3 Day 8) Friday 13th -- 5 Workshop: "Using Storytelling for Teaching -- with Emphasis on Breathing, Voice Modulation, and Singing; and on Gesture, Posture, Movement, and Dance". Workshop Leader: Sheila Wee (from Singapore), www.storywise.com.sg. Timing: 11:30am-1pm (90 minutes). Venue: University of Madras (campus at Wallajah Road and Marina Beach). Admission: Free. To request to register for this event, please e-mail to info@storytellinginstitute.org. The date is tentative. 6 Workshop: "Using Words and Movement to Tell Stories about 1) Trust and Empathy in Social Interaction (in the Workplace). 2) Self-image, Self-worth, and Acceptance by Self and Others. 3) Expression and Communication." Workshop Leader: Chetna Mehrotra (from Mumbai), www.chetnamehrotra.com. Drama-Based Learning Facilitator, and Performer and Trainer of Dance-Drama Storytelling. This Workshop would be for women only -- but there would be a post-workshop performance and discussion open to all adults. Day 9) Saturday 14th -- 7 Workshop: "Sensory Storytelling: Creating Stories around Objects from Daily Life; Using Props, Puppets, Pictures, and Objects to Accompany Storytelling; and Creating an Enhanced Sensorial Experience for Children." This Workshop involves ways of helping to develop Cognitive Skills in children, as well as Emotional Literacy and Socio-Emotional Skills. The Workshop might be of interest to Special Education teachers, other teachers, parents, storytellers, and anyone else. Workshop Leaders: Sowmya Srinivasan and Aparna Athreya (from Bangalore). Sowmya Srinivasan -- www.about.me/sowmyastoryteller, www.ssstoryteller.blogspot.com. Aparna Athreya -- Kid and Parent Foundation, www.facebook.com/kiddywiki, www.kiddywiki.com. 10) Sunday 15th -- Closing Program.
4 Dates not yet set: 8 Workshop: "Teaching-and-Learning English as a Foreign Language, and Storytelling: From Parents' Perspectives". Venue: British Council, Chennai. Admission is Free. Day and Timing: To be announced. 9 Panel Discussion, with Demonstrations of Activities: "Ways Traditional Stories can be Used to Foster Analytical Skills in Children". Panel Chairperson: Dr Sandhya Ruban. Including open-ended stories, and stories involving riddles. Event Duration is 2 hours. Day, 10 Workshop: "Using Storytelling to Teach Academic Subjects". This Workshop is designed for teachers (1st Standard through College). Workshop Leader: Deeptha Vivekanand (from Bangalore). Stories can be used to heighten interest even in subjects that may at first glance seem "dry". Examples of personifying abstract elements to make principles and processes of subjects like Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography adventurous and fascinating would be given. Regarding Social Studies / the Social Sciences (History, Anthropology, Sociology, etc): Workshop Participants would be taught ways of creating stories featuring characters who experience what people in given cultures and time periods were/are experiencing. Ways of embodying in stories the Ideas, Questions, and Conflicts in particular societies would be demonstrated. Story-creation techniques, and sample lesson plans, would be presented. Workshop Participants could raise the topics/lessons they might be interested in teaching about, and individually and/or in small groups they could develop stories in relation to these topics. Then in the final section of the Workshop, all could share. Event Duration is 2 hours. Day, 11 Panel Discussion: "Storytelling and the Other Arts in Education". This discussion would cover, 1) Storytelling (defined as "conveying stories primarily with body and voice"), 2) Other ways of conveying Stories (writing, drawing, and multi-media), and 3) All of the other Arts. Panelists might talk -- and show photograhs and video recordings -- regarding their experiences, and give recommendations. Panelists might include: Storytellers, Researchers in Teaching-and-Learning (Education), Educators, Teachers, and Students. Objectives of the Panel Discussion might include -- 1) To evaluate the merit of including Storytelling as a component in the Education Curriculum. 2) To explore ways Storytelling might be relevant to today's education system. 3) To discuss ways of leveraging traditional Indian Storytelling culture in today's Education System. Day,
5 12 Panel Discussion: "Ways NGOs, and Corporate Social Responsibility Depts, Have Used, and Could Use, Storytelling in Community Projects." This Panel Discussion might be especially interesting to Project Managers, CEOs, and Business Owners. Panel Coordinator: O. Arivazhagam. Venue: International Institute of Project Management, Kassim Plaza, No 19, Dhandapani St, 2nd Floor, T. Nagar. Day, Timing, and other details: To be announced. 13 Workshop: "Using Storytelling to Teach Maths to Special Needs Children". This Workshop is designed for Teachers and Parents of both Ordinary Children, and Children with Challenging Cognitive Conditions (Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, Dyslexia, etc). Workshop Leader: Sheetal Rayathatha. Venue, Day, Timing, and other details: To be announced. 14 Workshop: "Using Storytelling to Teach Soft Skills and Life Skills to Children and Teenagers". This Workshop is designed for Counsellors, Teachers, and Parents. Workshop Leader: Magdalene Jeyarathnam, Director, East-West Center for Counselling and Training. Venue, Day, Timing, and other details: To be announced.