Education and Inspiration through the ancient art of storytelling!
We had a wonderful event this year and are already beginning to plan for next year! A hearty thank you to all who helped and please mark your calendar for the last weekend in March 2009!
10:00 am - 12:00 Workshop: Learning to Tell Our Story
1:00 - 5:00 pm Performances and Panel Presentations
5:15 pm A Multicultural Feast!
6:30 - 8:00 pm A Special Concert with our Featured Guests
(Scroll down for details on schedule, workshop, performers, and sponsorship.)
Call 309-689-8000 for more information
FREE! Family Entertainment!
Featured Tellers: Garry Moore, WEEK Morning News Anchor
and Brian “Fox” Ellis, Storyteller, Author and Educator
There will be special guests from the Peoria Prairie Tellers and Twin-City Tale Spinners, a morning workshop and a multi-cultural dinner!
* Pimiteoui is the Native American name for this region. Translated poetically, it means place of abundance, fat lake, land of promise, or land of milk and honey!
9:30 am Registration
10:00 am Workshop (Advance Registration is encouraged 309-689-8000) Learning to Tell our Story with Brian “Fox” Ellis
12:00 Lunch for workshop participants
Throughout the afternoon there will be two concurrent sessions.
In Room A there will unique multicultural dialogues where you get to hear three or four storytellers tell a tale from similar themes and then in a panel discussion with the audience field questions and discuss these stories from their cultural perspectives. Who know, maybe an audience member will be inspired to tell a tale as well!
In Room C there will be Family Oriented Performances where you get to hear some of the best storytellers in the world, who happen to call Central Illinois home!
1:00 - 1:45 Showcase Featuring the Peoria Prairie Tellers
2:00 - 2:45 Area Youth Tellers More than an open mic for young, up and coming storytellers
3:00 - 3:45 An Hour withGarry Moore and Brian “Fox” Ellis
4:00 - 4:45 Showcase Featuring Twin City Tale SpinnersBloomington-Normal’s Best Raconteurs!
1:00 - 1:45 Fables From Around the World: Animal stories from many cultures.
2:00 - 2:45 Trickster Tales: Coyote, Anansi, Loki and Bugs Bunny are a few of the tricksters you might meet!
3:00 - 3:45 Climbing the Mountain: Personal Stories from the Journey
4:00 - 4:45 Creation Myths: African, American Indian and Biblical Stories from the beginning of time!
5:15 DINNER A Multi-Cultural Feast! With story themes at each table.
This feast will include delicacies from around the world and around the block! Several of Peoria’s favorite restaurants are donating their best dish so we can all break bread together!
6:30 Evening Concert - Featuring Garry Moore and Brian “Fox” Ellis
Learning to Tell Our Story - Through theater games and vocal exercises we will sharpen the skills of storytelling. With pantomime and movement we will learn to bring folktales to life. Moving through the concentric circles of the personal narrative, family tales, and the stories of our culture of origin, participants will learn to speak their heart and listen to each others stories as a path towards cultural dialogue.
Lead by Brian “Fox” Ellis, this workshop is geared towards parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, ministers, rabbis, parish priests, community leaders, politicians, and anyone else who might use stories to convey a point, wants to better understand their own cultural heritage or seeks to learn about the diversity of cultures in the Peoria Area!
Please bring a favorite folktale or fable from your culture of origin, a few family photos that tell the stories of your youth or your ancestors, paper and pencil to gather your thoughts and your enthusiasm for discovery. If you cannot bring any of these items they might be provided for you!
Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally renowned storyteller, author and educator. He is the Artistic Director for Prairie Folklore Theatre, a unique theatre company that celebrates ecology and history through original musical theatre. Fox is the author of nine books including the critically acclaimed Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, (Libraries Unlimited, 1997), and The Web at Dragonfly Pond, (Dawn Publications, 2006). Many of his stories are also available on one of nine award winning CDs.
Garry Moore is the morning news anchor on WEEK 25. He is the author/director/producer of several plays. He has studied drumming and dance in Africa. This talented drummer and gifted storyteller brings depth and mirth, music and magic to every tale he tells.
Arthur Avery began telling stories around the campfire at the age of nine. Since that time he has told Native American stories on a regular basis at a variety of Historic Reenactments. In February of 2006, Arthur won the High School Division of the National Youth Storytelling Showcase in Pigeon Forge, TN. Arthur is an Apprentice Storyteller and board member with the Twin City Tale Spinners (Bloomington-Normal, IL).
Evan Swiech, an eighth grader at Holy Trinity Junior High School, likes to write and tell original stories based on true events. Evan, 14, has won awards for story telling and public speaking at the Illinois State Fair, McLean County Fair, and Literary Festival.
Amy Popp is the director of religious education at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria.
Patti Erwin, a retired teacher, has enjoyed sharing tales with her students, family, friends, and audiences for many a year. One of her greatest telling honors was receiving permission from the former Peorian chief to tell his tribe's stories at the first Return to Pimiteoui Pow Wow. It has been an honor to tell their stories at every pow wow since.
Mick Henneberry grew up as part of a touring eight member family troupe performing unicycle, magic, drums, trumpet, and juggling. Mick, a practiced orator with over 25 years practicing law as private attorney and public defender. He was the 2005 Lairs Contest winner. His Irish heritage combined with tales of the road makes his first fifty years fertile ground for tales to be shared in the future. Mick is a member of Peoria Priaire Storytellers.
Carol Holding, a Psychology teacher at ICC, will tickle you with her stories of animals and folktales as well as historic characters. She is known to switch in the middle of her lectures to go into "storytelling mode". Carol is a member of Peoria Prairie Storytellers.
Carol Johnson is a member of Peoria Prairie Storytellers. Carol, a teacher of 100 years, has a great ability to bring alive stories of the past both folktales, and historical characters. Laughter and audience participation are guaranteed.
Kay Price can bring stories alive with a basket full of tricks, costumes, and props, to fill a room with laughter and joy. She has been performing in central Illinois with her nonsense and wisdom for fifteen years. Kay is a member of Peoria Prairie Storytellers.
Lynn Furness didn't start storytelling until she retired five years ago when she took up her guitar (after a 20 year absence) learned to play autoharp, and became a member of the Peoria Prairie Storytellers Guild. "Retirement is a wonderful thing," is her mantra. She enjoys mixing music with her tales. She also does Reader's Theatre with her granddaughter's third grade class at Charter Oak Elementary School and helps Kay and Carol teach the after-school 3rd grade storytelling class at the same school.
Tricia Kelly, that 100% Irish lass (County Cork), hails from Ireland but was raised in Oglesby, Illinois. She has performed at schools and libraries, and at Starved Rock Lodge. With her fast tongue and contagious smile, Tricia's all-original tales are sure to "bring the Blarney" a little closer to your heart.
Vivian Carter enjoys telling audience-participation folktales as well as original stories. She recently retired as the Director of Children’s Services at the Normal Public Library and is a member of the Twin City Tale Spinners.
John W. Kirk is professor emeritus from Illinois State University where he spent thirty one years teaching in the theatre Department. Since his retirement ten years ago he has become active as a professional story teller. His credits include movie roles in "Life on The Mississippi" and "The Awakening Land" and a leading role in "Notes From a Lady at a Dinner Party." He has played many roles on the stage and is currently directing "Bus Stop" at Heartland Theatre.
In order to keep this event free we are seeking sponsors who wish to support our efforts to build bridges between Peoria’s diverse cultures.
Sponsorship Levels & Benefits
$1000 PATRON - Full page Ad in Program, Logo on Poster, Flier, Five Free t-shirts, and Mentioned From Stage
$500 SPONSOR - Half-page Ad in rogram, Logo on Poster, Flier, Three Free t-shirts, and Mentioned From Stage
$100 CONTRIBUTOR - Quarter-page Ad in Program, A Free t-shirt
$10 FRIEND - Listed in the Program
As a Patron you are covering most of the costs of bringing a nationally renown storyteller to Peoria to share his or her talents with our community. As a Sponsor you are covering the costs of hiring local storytellers. As a Contributor you are supporting one hour of programming allowing us an opportunity to hear the olio of voices from our Youth Tellers! We could not survive without the support of our Friends. Thank you!
We are also looking for volunteers to help with logistics, help seat guests as an usher, help to set up for dinner, help to serve food, help to arrange the room or clean up after a meal. If you would like to help please contact Brian “Fox” Ellis at 309-689-8000.
