School Program Story by Tyrion Perkins Sandy brought props to show – a gong, which a couple of children got to hit, a Shakuhachi flute, and a Bokken which everyone thought was an actual sword until she said the penalty of touching the blade was death. It was a Bokken which was wooden for practice like the ones used by her characters in her Samurai Kids series, and also used by the Greatest swordsman in the world, Mitsuka Minamoto. She told us about her research into Japanese history and surprised the class with the fact that young Samurai students were expected to learn poetry and flower arranging along with fighting. Her love of Pokemon lead to the spirit animals of her series. She had known many disabled people and decided to make her character more interesting by him having only one leg. But what happens when you try to do a one-legged kick? The audience guessed right, except she fell forward and did a face plant. She went on to do sword fighting classes where her son stayed on the other side of the room so not to be embarrassed, and also did hands on research when she came to write “Polar Boy.” No, she didn’t go to the pole. She filled the bath with ice and sat in it! She gave tips on writing which included: close your eyes and notice other senses; be mean to your characters and make something awful happen, then something worse; use the best words ever; and practice lots. For more information http://www.sandyfussell.com/
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Family Program Story by Tyrion Perkins The Book Gig is where drama students bring a book to life. Final year students from the University of Southern Queensland were given the book “White Crane,” the first in Sandy Fussell’s Samurai Kids series. Rather than act out the book, they decided to use it to inspire new scenes that explored similar themes. They performed four pieces. In the first, two tigers trained for a Samurai competition. One boasted she’d be first, and looked like she would, leaping up the mountain, until she froze, frightened of heights. The other tiger who was not likely to win, saw her fear and carried her on her back so she could win. Moderator Alan Cockerill then lead a discussion with the audience and author Sandy Fussell. The young audience was able to find links of themes with Sandy’s books including working together; everyone has some sort of strength even if you don’t see it; and forgiveness, through a scene with rat being charged in court for chopping off gecko’s arm. Sandy was surprised that forgiveness came out as one of the themes, as it was not clear in the first book, but became a major theme of the series. School Program Story by Tyrion Perkins The first thing you notice about Tanya is her amazing dresses. She also loves stories and came all the way from Waiheke Island, Aotearoa, New Zealand to share them with prep and year 1 students in Ipswich. She began with a song, getting the kids to copy her. She told her own story of how she first grew up in a caravan on the side of a mountain. At school she loved to dress up and do plays. Now she goes all over the world telling stories. She now lives with fruit trees which she fertilises with what she collects from her “princess poo tower” (see photo). She told a story from Mongolia and Siberia and had the children laughing at her funny voices and sound effects. The scary character made them jump in fright then scream in laughter. She then read from her book, “My Dad is a dragon Catcher.” Find out more about Tanya Batt - http://imagined-worlds.net/ School Program Story by Tyrion Perkins The final of the 2017 Reader’s Cup for year 5/6 was held on Wednesday evening as part of the Story Arts Festival in Ipswich.
Eighteen school teams battled it out. The teams of four, plus reserves, represented their regions from all over Queensland, and parents and teachers came to watch. The questions were taken from five books: “A most magical girl” by Karen Foxlee, Wombat Warriors” by Samantha Wheeler, “White Crane” by Sandy Fussell, “Quest of the Sunfish” by Mardi McConnochie, and “The Outcasts” by John Flanagan. They must have read them very thoroughly, because those questions, read by the authors of the first three, were extremely hard. After each round, the winners got to chose a book, and we saw video responses from the different teams to the books. They ranged from a dramatisation of “A most magical girl” to Lego “White Crane” characters, to the team members discussing what their favourite book was. After six rounds of five questions, that involved much deliberation, discussion, and straining to remember answers, St Andrew’s Catholic College from far north Queensland were declared the winners. For more information on The Reader's Cup - http://readerscup.org.au/ School Program Story by Tyrion Perkins Trace Balla, winner of the 2017 CBCA Book of the Year in the younger readers category for her latest book “Rockhopping,” took the class out into the park for her sessions. She showed them photos and drawings from her travels. She always took paper and notebook, as well as binoculars, books like bird identification books, and a magnifying glass for finding detail no one else sees. An advantage of drawing people instead of taking a photo, besides that some didn’t like to be photographed, was that they would often tell her about what they were doing, like how they make baskets. She could write the names of birds, languages, or the sounds things made down beside the image. When she had an experience like diving under a waterfall, she would draw it afterwards, and many of these images made their way into her books. She likes to remember it is Aboriginal country and always puts something into her book about the local people. The children sat spellbound as she went through the year long process of making a rough version of a book. She makes practice pictures before doing the final versions. The children spread out through the park with clipboards and magnifying glasses where they drew plants and birds, and had a go blending watercolour pencils. For more information about Trace: http://bookedout.com.au/find-a-speaker/author/trace-balla/ School, Adult and Family Program Story by Tyrion Perkins The exhibition of an illustrator’s work is always a highlight of the Story Arts Festival in Ipswich, but this year it took on new meaning as Narelle Oliver passed away during the planning stages in October last year. Jenny Stubbs, organiser of Story Arts, had first talked with Narelle about the exhibition in 2015. Jenny suggested focusing on her book “Rock Pool Secrets” that was due to come out in 2017, but Narelle said she was working on a new book that would include some of her artwork from past works. Thus the exhibition focused on “I want to be in a book.” When you walk into Ipswich Community Gallery, the character Cecil guides you through the exhibition of Narelle’s original artwork from the book, complete with handmade notes. He was a little outline drawing that sat on Narelle’s wall for many years, watching her make book after book. One day, she felt, he wanted to join in and be in a book himself. Thus, the book (and exhibition) shows his adventures as he has a go entering many of her other books, but eventually gets to have his own. You can take part with interactive elements by downloading an app to your phone or tablet. When you hover it over small pictures on the wall, Cecil starts to move about. This Augmented Reality component was created by Activate Entertainment, led by Tyronne Curtis. Watch Cecil move around the room, swim, and even blast off in a rocket. The exhibition was curated by Lee FullARTon who had first met Narelle in a festival ten years ago. They did an artist in residency together at Riverview State School with Darryl Bellingham. She has a lot of affection for Narelle and it was a work of love to put together the exhibition. Narelle’s husband, Greg, daughter Jessie Oliver and friend Megan Daley helped put together a replica of Narelle’s studio, complete with actual furniture, tools, and bits of artwork.
Also on display are some of her lino prints, and Lee showed students the painstaking process of carving one out. You can also flip through books of many recognisable art from her other books. Lee spent the week of Story Arts leading school students through the exhibition, and asked each what memory they would take with them? They said “The artwork,” “books,” “the studio,” and “how amazing Narelle must have been.” The exhibition also includes animations outside the gallery at 6.00-7.00pm each evening. These are drawn by students from Bethany Lutheran Primary School and Blair State School, and animated with elements of Narelle’s own work by Miles Blow and Jules Pitts. The exhibition will continue until the end of September with children’s workshops on 20th, 21th, and adults on 24th September. To book into the workshops go to idtl.net.au. You can even get to know the exhibition in detail, as Lee is also looking for volunteers to help for a day or even half a day. Shifts are 10am-1.30pm and 1.30pm-4.00pm. Email Jenny at [email protected] if you would like to help. Adult Program Story by Tyrion Perkins Saturday 9 Sept 2017 I dressed in my costume that I had brought for the steampunk-themed dinner to introduce two experts on the topic: Avril Sabine and Clive Peterson. Avril has been writing speculative fiction for children and YA from a young age. She has published more than 50 of them since 2014. Her Rosie Ranger series is steampunk in a wild west setting. Her husband Clive likes to make things, and has made many of the creatures and gadgets found in Avril’s books. Avril showed us a slide show of pictures that inspired her work and said how Steampunk is usually 1800s England, or Wild West U.S. It is Science fiction that uses the technology of that time. The genre began with books from that time such as “The Time Machine,” “Frankenstein,” and books by Jules Verne, but the term was first coined by science fiction author K. W. Jeter in the 1980s. There are many more recent titles, more famous ones include “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and “Northern Lights.” Similar books set in the future are termed cyberpunk, such as Lance Balchin’s “Mechanica.” They showed us the steam powered wings from book 1 of Rosie’s Rangers. The wings actually go in and out, though powered by battery rather than steam. The snake is from book 4, and Clive wore an outfit that resembled one of the character’s mech arms and leg. They began making these things to display at book events, and I’m sure every passing person will be impressed enough to stop and have a look. Clive also makes many of the little insect-like creatures out of metal and recycled materials. They have a scientist check all the sci fi aspects, to see if the technology is realistic. Their daughter, who accompanied them today, checks all their horse facts, as well as doing the graphic design for the book covers. For more of Avril’s books: www.avrilsabine.com See more of Clive’s creations: www.brokengatepublishing.com/rcw Family Program Story by Tyrion Perkins How do you write a book with a virus as a main character? That was the question Ailsa Wild confronted when agreeing to help her scientist housemate get his work out to the world. He was writing papers about microbes, but hardly anyone was reading them. Ailsa had found science boring when at school, but working on this book changed her mind. She showed the small group of us the space-invader-like virus that attack bacteria. Together with the help from another researcher, an artist and graphic designer they came up with a story of a nurse in WWI who contracts dysentery, and is helped by the virus. They decided to do it as a graphic novel. Ailsa wanted minimal text, and the pictures to show a sense of movement. They spent two and a half years researching, writing as a script, storyboarding and discussing the artist’s sketches, right up to self publishing. I think all of us were amazed and excited how in-depth science could be told in comic book form. Ailsa then got us to have a go writing a script or storyboarding. Find out more at: https://theinvisiblewar.com.au/ Creators: Briony Barr & Gregory Crocetti Author: Ailsa Wild (with Dr. Jeremy Barr) Illustrator: Ben Hutchings Family Program Story by Tyrion Perkins Boys, girls and parents gathered to “Dance, Skip, Sparkle and Twirl through Stories” with author Natalie Jane Prior.
They made wands, lanterns and other craft, and heard a couple of stories from her book, “The Fairy Dancers.” A highlight was joining in a dance class with ballet teacher, Sam Lloyd, accompanied by ballerina, Ella. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and I think a few families may be watching some ballet shows soon. School Program Story by Tyrion Perkins Gregg is a descendant of the Kamilaroi and Yuwalayaay people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. He likes to keep the stories he was taught alive in his books, and sharing them with others. He started by joking with the Prep-2 classes, “Hi, I’m an awful.” “No!” they yelled. They knew the word author! He told them how he often sings with his daughter in feathers and his son in kangaroo skin doing the dance part – the story of a duck and water rat and how they became the platypus. He showed the children the version of Tiddalik the Frog that he illustrated. They had all heard of it. He taught us the proper pronunciation, and said how the frog is actually brown, but the publisher wanted it green so people didn’t confuse it with toads. He then taught them a kind of dance that would wake the frogs should they ever be in need of water when in the desert. But only drink a bit of the pouch water, so the frog has enough to last until rain. He ended with the stone game – where children danced as an animal, but only when the music went, or they would be out. Going on the laughter and jumping about at the end of a long day, they really enjoyed it. |
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