Category: Past Events

  • Storytelling in Schools Workshop for Storytellers Sunday Nov 18

    Facilitator: Shoshana Litman Date:  Sunday November 18, 2018 Time: 2-4 p.m. Venue: In Shoshana’s home at 1250 Rudlin Street. Cost: This workshop is a gift to VSG members and is free. Advance registration: Secure your place by emailing Shoshana  litmanshoshana@gmail.com Workshop description: To celebrate our Guild’s 30th anniversary in 2019, we’re planning to bring our…

  • The Audience You Want, The Audience You’ve Got: Saturday 15 September 2-3:15

    Facilitator: Rachel Muller Date: Saturday, September 15, 2018 Time: 2 – 3:15 pm Venue: 2811 Prior Street, Victoria (on #4 bus route)   Cost: This workshop is a gift to VSG members and is free. Advance registration: Secure your place by emailing Jennifer ferris.stories@gmail.com Workshop description: A great storytelling experience requires three elements: a skilled teller,…

  • Call for tellers for October 5th, 2 – 4 pm at the Duncan Library

    Some tellers from VSG and from Nanaimo told a few times at the Duncan Library last year.  It worked out well enough that I’m extending an invitation to all of you to participate … it is the usual format – a story of any length up to 12 minutes.  There is a general theme for…

  • Confessions of an Operatic Mute

    Briane Nasimok, Toronto storyteller and comedian, will be appearing in Victoria Fringe Festival http://intrepidtheatre.com/shows/confessions-of-an-operatic-mute/. We have the opportunity to meet Briane and share stories: Tuesday, August 28 at 7:30 pm at 2811 Prior Street, Victoria. Please join us with a story and/or a listening ear, a small dessert. Please RSVP ferris.stories@gmail.com or 250 818 3389  

  • Root Cellar Open House 5 Sept

    September 5th,from 7 pm, Shoshana is hosting an open house/open Cellar at her house for members to gather to check out the library and perhaps share some comestibles and some recommendations. For more information contact Shoshana at litmanshoshana@gmail.com or stories@maggidah.com.

  • Helmckin House

    April 21st – Helmcken House at the Museum – Catherine Sheehan and Moira Walker will be telling stories from 2 – 3 pm and again from 3 – 4 pm. This is the last of the Helmcken House Saturday afternoon sessions for this season.

  • Marta Bruno Singh (click for details)

     

  • Marva Blackmore’s Workshop

    April 21st – Marva Blackmore’s workshop – “Telling What You Know” – finding and crafting personal stories. – 9 am – 4 pm – $75 (half the usual price of this workshop) at Fern St. – register with Lee Porteous – leeporteous@shaw.ca – This workshop is now full but you could have your name added…

  • Songs & Stories of Transformation

    An inspiring workshop featuring music and stories by Buddhist Storyteller, Author & Hang Player, Margo McLoughlin, Classic Folk Trio, The Lake Men and Canada’s First Ordained Maggidah (Jewish Storyteller), Shoshana Litman. • Sunday April 15, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to noon • UVic’s Multifaith Chapel • Admission is Free The Lake Men live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy3B4kARGX4 Margo’s…

  • West Shore Summer Speaker Series

  • Have We Got a Story to Tell: Domesticated

    “Did I ever tell you about the time…” Helmcken House is filled with stories. And for this Have we got a story to tell, we’ll be adding some new ones to the mix. Each room of the house will be animated with domestic storytelling of everyday magic and mishap. On this BC Day, in partnership with the…

  • The Game’s Afoot: Stories from Sherlock Holmes

    Featuring Ottawa Storytellers Kathie Kompass and Mary Wiggin Polished, accomplished, filled with energy and wit. Hope Conan Doyle is grinning delightedly from wherever he is currently situated!! Jan Andrews, Storyteller and Author Step out of the shadows and plunge into the fog-damped streets of Holmesian London where violence and danger abound. In The Dying Detective,…

  • House Concert with Mary Dessein – Storyteller/Harpist

                                 Sunday, February 22nd, 2015 at 1:30 pm Mary has been a storyteller and musician for 19 years and the host of Global Griot, a weekly radio program of stories and music from around the world for 14 years. She will be…

  • Margaret Murphy is coming to Victoria…

    Show: A house concert of stories performed by the always wonderful Margaret Murphy Date: Friday November 14, 2014, 7:00 pm Cost: $10 For more information please contact Shirley at sroutliffe@shaw.ca or 778 977 0800 Workshop: Join professional storyteller Margaret Murphy in a fun, relaxed and interactive workshop on the craft of sharing story. Learn where…

  • Improv Storytelling Workshop with Jennifer Ferris

    TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF IMPROV… a workshop presented by Jennifer Ferris   DATE: Sat Nov 23rd TIME: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm LOCATION: 657 Harbinger Avenue COST:  $20.00 REGISTRATION & INFORMATION: Shirley Routliffe – sroutliffe@shaw.ca – 778-977-0800 Imagine standing in front of a group and telling a story that is totally new to you –…

  • Moby Dick: a storytelling adaptation

    Wednesday October 23rd, 7:30 – 8:30 pm at Merlin Sun, 1983 Fairfield Rd, Victoria. Dean Verger’s one man show… Moby Dick: a storytelling adaptation. For information and tickets please contact leeporteous@shaw.ca

  • Upcoming events

    Check here for major events   March 20, 2018 – World Storytelling Day – Theme: Wise Fools March ~ 25, 26 or 27th – Kathy Kompass and Mary Wiggin – Oat Cakes and Heartaches: stories from Scotland Storytellers of Canada – Conteurs du Canada – Conference – July 4-8, 2018 in Peterborough, Ontario    …

  • World Storytelling Day 2013

    This year’s theme for World Storytelling Day is Fortune and Fate. The regular March Meeting of Stories at Fern will be dedicated to this theme.

  • October News

    Many thanks to members who faithfully described the stories told at past Stories at Fern. These write ups are still available. Fear not! Although we are no longer providing these, we will continue to keep you up to date on items of interest to storytelling enthusiasts.

  • September 2012 Stories at Fern

    Hosted by Sandra Johnson, the season’s first gathering welcomed a goodly number of first-time listeners from near and far and a fine variety of stories. Cat Thom and her sister Megan – dba. “Juniper Tree” – combined their talents of storytelling and song to the accompaniment of a guitar to present the story of Magus…

  • Forest Storytelling Festival

    Early Bird registration is now open for the Forest Storytelling Festival in Port  Angeles October 19th, 20th and 21st, 2012 Peninsula College Port Angeles, WA A Special Pre-Festival Workshop Telling Personal Stories Two-Time Grammy Winner Bill Harley Details and the registration form can be found at: http://www.dancingleaves.com/storypeople/

  • May 2012 Stories at Fern

    Hosted by Diane Gilliland, the May gathering of the Storytellers’ Guild  had a full roster of tellers both guild members and newcomers who brought added poetry and forceful delivery to their offerings.  Diane’s lively outgoing way added much to the enjoyment and Margo McLoughlin once again enhanced the atmosphere by playing her hang between stories.…

  • April Stories at Fern

    Our April meeting, hosted by Jacquie Hunt, had a full roster of tellers.  Their lively presentations kept the audience engaged with both laughter and food for thought. Jaya Scott, a young teller who is competing in the Performing Arts Festival opened the meeting with a spirited story of a young girl’s way of countering her…

  • May Stories at Fern

    Please join us on Monday, May 21, 2012  for another round of wonderful stories at Fern.  1831 Fern St. (Park on Begbie) Doors open at 7:15 P.M..  Stories begin at 7:30 with a tea break complete with delicious cookies and goodies around 8:30 and another round of stories until about 10:00. Admission $5.00 non members;…

  • April 2012 Stories at Fern

    Please join us on Monday, April 16, 2012 for another round of wonderful stories at Fern.  1831 Fern St. (Park on Begbie) Doors open at 7:15 P.M..  Stories begin at 7:30 with a tea break complete with delicious cookies and goodies around 8:30 and another round of stories until about 10:00. Admission $5.00 non members;…

  • March 2012 at Fern

    Forming part of our Tree Festival and being just one day ahead of  World Story Telling Day, the March meeting was nothing short of phenomenal in the stories presented and the fine example of spontaneous collaboration – setting up for some 85 guests in the audience, donors and helpers coming forward with generous gifts of…

  • Storytelling for Re-inventing the World

    Friday, March 16 – Sunday, March 18 – Storytelling for Re-inventing the World, a weekend workshop with Margo McLoughlin at the Haven Institute on Gabriola Island.

  • Victoria Proclaims Mar 20 World Storytelling Day

    The VSG is proud of its participation in World Storytelling Day 2012. Jennifer Ferris and her WSD team arranged for the city to declare March 20th World Storytelling Day!  Events were held on 18 and 19 March.

  • Next Stories at Fern – 19 March 2012

    Celebrate Stories! Special World Storytelling Day Evening The Victoria Storytellers Guild welcomes you to hear and tell stories. MONDAY, February 20, doors open at 7:15 p.m., stories start at 7:30 p.m. 1831 Fern St. (Park on Begbie.) Admission: $5.00 Students $3.00 (includes tea and goodies) If you would like to tell a story please contact…

  • World Storytelling Day – March 18-20, 2012

    Celebrate Trees in Story and Song Victoria Storytellers’ Guild and partners are joining tellers around the world to celebrate World Storytelling Day with a World Storytelling Festival March 18 – 20, 2012. Read on for information about concerts and community outreach. Three great concerts: March 18, 2012 – First Metropolitan United, Quadra & Balmoral.  Entrance…

  • February 2012 Stories at Fern

    With the spirit of St. Valentine’s Day still upon us Shirley Routliffe hosted an evening of stories in which love and honour were well represented. Jennifer Ferris opened the meeting with her story of “Lazy Jack”, a dreamer, who  produced a surprise ending that saw him  lead a donkey laden with baskets filled with gold…

  • Call for tellers – 2012 EPIC STORYTELLING WEEKEND

    Listener, tellers… hear the call!For the past several years, a small group has gathered to breathe life into epic tales from around the world. We’ve traveled from Russia through China to India and Persia to Ghana, Guatamala and beyond. This year, we are back at it, with the Norse Epic. Many stories have been selected,…

  • January 2012 Blog

    Katherine McGinnis, the Guild’s talented stage setter, not only “cosied up” the seating for our first gathering of the year, but played the roles of  host, warmly welcoming newcomers, and that of storyteller as she closed the evening.    Chile was the setting of “The short happy life of Pudu” told by Lina deGueverra. The…

  • December Stories at Fern

    Presiding over a very full house, Sylvia Olsen hosted our December meeting.  After giving a warm welcome to a good number of newcomers, she managed some last minute shuffles of the story roster with good cheer as nine tellers made their Christmas offerings.  As always, stories and fairy tales were glittering with intricate details lovingly…

  • Next Stories at Fern 20 February 2012

    Celebrate Stories! The Victoria Storytellers Guild welcomes you to hear and tell stories. MONDAY, February 20, doors open at 7:15 p.m., stories start at 7:30 p.m. 1831 Fern St. (Park on Begbie.) Admission: $5.00 Students $3.00 (includes tea and goodies) If you would like to tell a story please contact  Shirley Routliffe.  sroutliffe@shaw.ca   For…

  • Stories at Fern November 21, 2011

    Hosted by Patricia Houston, the November 21st meeting was a cornucopia of fairytales told with verve and skill that kept bringing the house down.  Patricia started the meeting by giving newcomers a brief history of the Guild and Pat Carfra introduced the Annual Retreat to be held in March of 2012. As the November stories…

  • PowellsWood Storytelling Festival 2012

    Mark your calendars now for the PowellsWood Storytelling Festival 2012. It will be held at PowellsWood in Federal Way, Washington http://www.powellswood.org/a-northwest-garden/ July 13-14. Workshops on Friday, July 13 by Donald Davis and Eth-Noh-Tec. Telling on Saturday by Donald Davis, Eth-noh-tec, Alton Chung, Joe Hayes, Debra Harris-Branham, Norm Brecke, and The Whitman Story Sampler. 10-4:30 each…

  • World Storytelling Day 2012

    Check out all of the details by clicking on World Storytelling day on our main menu.

  • Embracing Diversity -Workshop for Beginners

    Comfort Ero and Jennifer Ferris are doing a workshop on storytelling for beginners as part of the Puente Theatre symposium on Embracing Diversity and the Practice of Inclusive Theatre in a Changing Society. 17-21 Nov 11. For more details go  to  http://www.puentetheatre.ca/

  • The Practice of Story: Building Community in a Storytelling Circle

    The Practice of Story: Building Community in a Storytelling Circle – (Nov) TAEA2660 Date: Weds, Nov. 2, 16 , 30, Dec 14, 2011 Facilitator: Margo McLoughlin www.margostoryteller.net Length: 4 evenings Times: 6:30pm – 8:30pm Cost: $80 + applicable taxes The Practice of Story: Building Community in a Storytelling Circle In this four-part course, gifted storyteller…

  • October Stories at Fern Review

    The October 17 meeting of the Victoria Storytellers’ Guild was hosted by Lee Porteous and featured seven tellers. Margo McLoughlin’s story “Hugging the Corners”, a  family saga of father’s car racing and mother being the family photographer to capture all the excitement, opened with the terse and exact instructions father gave when teaching Margo to…

  • After Grimm: Fairy Tales and the Art of Story Telling 6-8 Sept 2012

    CALL FOR PAPERS by 31 Jan 2012 2012 is the bicentenary of the publication of the first volume of the Kinder- und Hausmärchen [Children’s and Household Tales] by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. As this groundbreaking collection moves into its third century, this conference explores the trajectory of the Grimm phenomenon in Britain and the English-speaking…

  • Esquimalt Children’s Festival 2011

    October 1  from 10:30 – 1:30 At the Esquimalt Branch Library. Peg hasted, Faye Mogensen and Jennifer Ferris are telling.  

  • September Stories at Fern Review

    Our warm host on Monday evening, September 19, 2011 was Anne Forester. Margo McLaughlin provided gentle music on her Hang drum between stories.Jacquie Hunt led off with a Spanish story told in the first person so effectively that we felt transported to Madrid, where it took place, to witness, with her, the distress of the…

  • Storytellers Conference in Yellowknife, NWT

    It was my great privilege to represent the Victoria Storytellers Guild (VSG) at the recent 19th Storytellers Conference in Yellowknife, NWT called Story North. Here are a few of the highlights. As the Air Canada flight began it’s decent into Yellowknife one could see large snow covered areas and it was apparent we had arrived…

  • VSG ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC Sunday August 7, 2011

    The countdown is on towards the VSG annual summer picnic for Guild members and their guests. WHERE? The home of Andrea and Richard, 3910 Finnerty Road (We’re about 150 yards from UVIC. (250 294 5790) WHEN? August 7, Sunday, from 3-7pm. ROUGH PLAN: 3-4 PM: Relax and chat in the garden, Walk through Haro Woods…

  • VSG ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC Sunday August 7, 2011

    The countdown is on towards the VSG annual summer picnic for Guild members and their guests. WHERE? The home of Andrea and Richard, 3910 Finnerty Road (We’re about 150 yards from UVIC. (250 294 5790) WHEN? August 7, Sunday, from 3-7pm. ROUGH PLAN: 3-4 PM: Relax and chat in the garden, Walk through Haro Woods…

  • VSG Founder Barbara Hutcheson Passes Away

    Storytelling in Victoria and the establishment of the Victoria Storytellers Guild began thanks to the work of Barbara Hutcheson and Margaret Toakley. They were senior in the Central Library’s Children’s Department. Twenty-two years ago they brought in tellers ‘from away’ for performances and workshops. The first to come were Nan Gregory and Melanie Ray. Those who…

  • Storytellers Conference in Yellowknife, NWT

    It was my great privilege to represent the Victoria Storytellers Guild (VSG) at the recent 19th Storytellers Conference in Yellowknife, NWT called Story North. Here are a few of the highlights. As the Air Canada flight began it’s decent into Yellowknife one could see large snow covered areas and it was apparent we had arrived…

  • June Stories at Fern

    Our host, Dianne Gilliland, who presided over a full house and a full slate of tellers, opened with a surprise poem setting a fine example of humour and good storytelling before introducing the first teller of the evening. Lee Porteous’ Chinese tale, “The Living Queen,” showed virtue rewarded by the Goddess Kuan Yin and along…