Please contact me to discuss workshops and residencies: these can be for half days, full days, week long, or several dates throughout a month or the year.
WORKSHOPS: For School Students
In all of my workshops for students, I encourage diversity and inspiration for retaining ethnicity and culture through their writing, storytelling and singing. I believe it is essential that individuals embrace their ethnicity by sharing their specific cultural language, musical expression, heritage, and instrumentation with their peers and community, for a better understanding among us. This can be done very effectively through the arts.
*Storytelling and Songwriting can apply to media studies, history, and social justice issues, as well as many topics of study that relate to curriculum.
STORYTELLING & WRITING: Writing & comparing stories to “tell” with written stories. Examining sequence of events and patterning in story. How to write using your own “voice” based on a ‘really’ good model story and how to get ideas!
SONGWRITING: Young adult or Teens / Writing for your target audience – Songwriting vs. poetry – How to Write a “really’ good song based on a really good model song
- Getting ideas through writing activities – Working it out to reveal your “voice”. –Lyricist at work vs. singer/songwriter.
Songwriting can apply to media studies, history, and social justice issues, as well as many topics of study that relate to curriculum.
ArtsSmarts Student Success Program with the Durham District School Board:
Past experience:
Finding ‘Your Voice’, Gaining Confidence in Oral Presentation. Following rehearsals and practice, the students had a full professional studio visit and recording session.
2008 – 2009 Vincent Massey Public School. Teacher: Stephanie Pokulok.
Grade 8 class facilitating students with oral presentation skills and learning respectfully how to tell First Nations legends, and learning to use a microphone. Students presented orally to grades 2 & 3 and recorded a compilation CD entitled Circle of Stories, Native Legends Across Canada at a professional studio.
2007-2008 Sinclair Secondary HS. Teacher: George O’Toole
Grade 12 University Writer’s Craft: – students developed comfort and confidence in delivering personal poetry orally through fun, interactive storytelling exercises and activities, guest speakers, use of microphone, coaching, and non-threatening open in-class critique discussions and produced the CD Passionate Voices, a collection of their personal poetry.
——————————ArtsSmarts Comments——————
“What we both recognized was how the classroom dynamics from the beginning of the year had changed for the better. The students were all mingling and talking and laughing, and writing from the heart.” Gr. 12 ArtsSmarts presentation, by Heather and teacher George O’Toole at Arts Retreat in Barrie.
“Thank you sooo much for all your help. I remember in the beginning I would hardly say my story, but now I can say it no problem!” Michelle Grade 8 (an extremely shy girl who looked down and turned red)
“It (the recording studio) was the most fun trip I will ever take and probably one of the only times, this opportunity will ever come!” Emily Grade 8 (a very talented artist and adaptor of story)
WORKSHOPS : For Adults
The Art of Booking, Preparing & Performing for Gigs! Going Forward Professionally with Confidence for Performing Artists, musicians, storytellers.
Focusing on the following and more!
*How to format your unique program to a target audience for a 30 minute performance
and how to expand for longer sets.
*How to establish a comfortable fee scale, using well thought out contracts, telephone agreements, and emails that will contribute to a positive outcome.
*What to expect when making arrangements with schools, libraries and community events before, and upon arriving at the gig.
*How to conduct yourself and be prepared to give the organiser what they want and get
what you want.
Comments:
you, of course, but also from the other participants - just what a workshop
should be!” Diana Karrandjas, Storyteller, writer, musician
“I am still somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of work I still have to do, to go
forward with this. But I also know that it’s something I do want, so it’s one
step at a time. So, thank you for giving me a goal and a path that I intend to follow in storytelling.” Irene Johnston, Storyteller
| “Thank you for the helpful workshop and bountiful hospitality. You provided a nice range of practical information.” Bonnie Thomson, Writer, musician |
“Thanks for a most informative workshop. It certainly gave me some new ideas.” June Brown, Storyteller
