Continuing to focus on the many different

ways a story can be delivered to its intended audience, I took a five year old and a two and a half year old with me to see the children’s opera, Rather Beastly at the State Library of Western Australia. What a great show!

The five musicians from The Lark Chamber Orchestra engaged and involved their young and not-so-young audience in the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel and an original tale involving a monkey trying to escape from the stealthy panther, the wide-jawed crocodile and a very unusual hairy beast of some indeterminate species. In the best pantomime tradition the audience was persuaded to warn the monkey whenever one of these creatures came too close. Of course these stories were all told in song and the audience was invited to echo some of the note-patterns that were an integral part of the telling. Finally the soprano, who had been keeping her trills within a manageable range, could not resist letting loose an amazing sequence of notes ending with a high that any diva would be proud of. Since there was no way the audience could repeat it everyone collapsed with laughter.

After such a funny, entertaining and intriguing show how could anyone not be hooked on opera?

A different story being presented as opera - Black Jack Anderson

The all-pervasive internet has certainly

provided some new ways to deliver stories

to the waiting audience.

This week I have been struggling with a

story that I was asked to write by a children’s

charity group. The story is, I hope, destined

to be sent out, in ten parts, to bloggers!

These bloggers are also mothers and the

idea is that their children will be inspired to

add their own illustrations. Once all ten parts

of the story have been illustrated the whole

thing will be put back together and published

– with the illustrations. Brave new world!

The second annual Telling Tales in Balingup Festival  was bigger and better than the first – which is really saying something! In this tiny town in the south west of Western Australia there is such an amazing buzz of excitement as children and their parents flock in from hundreds of kilometers away to participate in workshops run by West Australian authors, illustrators, storytellers and film makers.Of course it is not only the children who participate. The cafes, gift shops, art and craft galeries – in fact every business in the town also becomes involved. There is a street parade of book and story characters each day. And it is not only the children who are dressed up. Members of the community get right into the spirit of things with the Queen of Hearts handing out free tarts and the Pied Piper attracting a crowd of followers, young and old. This year there was also a very cheeky mouse trying to nibble at the visitor’s lunches was they sat at the outdoor tables.

During the weekend I ran four writing workshops for 8-12 year olds (and a couple of adults). Everyone wrote something. One boy and one girl just wrote and wrote and wrote! What a joy to be able to write for a whole hour – uninterrupted.

It was great to see so much enthusiasm and commitment to the art of telling stories, from everyone involved. My admiration and heartfelt thanks go to the organizers for their vision, their imagination and, of course, their hard work! Thanks Helen, Alison and Deb.

Young writers

Some characters from the street parade

What a lot of fun we had at the opening of the new Performing Arts Centre at North Woodvale Primary School.

Mark Greenwood and I had been Writers in Residence at the school in May/June and were invited back to see the fruits of our labours and to watch a terrific variety show, performed by the students on their brand new stage. A particular highlight was the NWN TV Newsroom segment scripted and performed by the students from Room 8. A wide variety of ‘news’ was presented and there was even a weather report! What a clever way to involve all the students, show off the very professional sound and lighting equipment and emphasize the theme of the Assembly which was ‘Celebration’.

The writing produced by the students, across all age groups, in response to the workshops that Mark and I conducted was also on display. When we go into schools as writers we see the early stages of the student’s writing, but rarely the end products. Thank you, North Woodvale, for inviting me to join you.

Some of the writing produced by students

Elaine Forrestal and Henry de Freycinet examine the map in the Archive de Laage

Two weeks ago, Henry de Freycinet, the last male descendant of the sea-faring brothers, Louis and Henri de Freycinet, met with the Governor General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, and presented her with a copy of the first complete map of Australia.

A few days later, on the 19th June, Henry took part in a symposium at the Australian National LIbrary in Canberra to mark the 200th anniversary of the compilation of the map by his great, great uncle, Louis de Freycinet.

The map is among the treasure trove of items relating to Australia’s early maritime history, now held in the Archive de Laage in Quimper, France. While I was in France earlier this year researching the story of Louis de Freycinet’s wife, Rose, Henry, who is the curator of the Archive, very kindly allowed me to read Rose’s letters and to examine many of these unique and valuable artefacts for myself.

If you would like to read the article published in the Canberra Age about Henry and the celebrations surrounding the 200th  anniversary of the map go to:http://www.ambafrance-au.org/