Photos from a week's tour with HOO's Tales in India, 2010
Hippocampus Reading Foundation is an NGO working to encourage literacy in Karnakata and Tamil Nadu. One of their many activities is the HOO's Tales storytelling festival.
In February 2010 this started in Bangalore and finished in Chennai.
The storytellers were both local and international - pictured here are Jeeva Raghunath of Chennai and Craig Jenkins of London.
During the eight days over 4000 listeners and participants attended a series of performances and workshops in the two cities.
The photos below reflect just a little of the wonderful variety of the festival.
Day 1
The festival opened with a day of performance and storytelling in Cubbon Park, Bangalore.
Energy in the audience always leads to energetic telling.
Help from one of the children.
There were families with children and teachers with their classes.
Read an article from the Indian Express.
Later that evening, there was a presentation to head teachers of Bangalore schools about the work of the Hippocampus Reading Foundation.
There were stories and also a Q&A session on the role of storytelling in schools.
Days 3
& 4
A teacher-training workshop in Bangalore.
62 active teachers keen to learn ...
... keen to work on their own storytelling skills ...
... keen to try out new methodology.
Day 5
A free day.
An opportunity to do some bird watching as well as seeing the tigers at the Bannerghatta National Park.
Then the six-hour drive to Chennai.
Days 6 & 7
The second teacher-training workshop, in Chennai.
The group may have been smaller but the participants were just as keen and active.
Moreover, we were able to enjoy working in the most beautiful veneu: Chandralekha Spaces, right next to Elliot Beach.
On the second day, the group received an unexpected addition when Claudia (far right), a teacher-trainer from London, stopped by to ask directions to a nearby beauty spot and decided to stay for the rest of the workshop.
Discussions ...
... and stories ...
... and quiet partner work ...
... in the beautiful garden.
Read some of the workshop feedback
Day 8
The closing show was held in Nageswar Rao Park, Chennai.
Read more about the HOO's Tales festival
and
about Hippocampus Reading Foundation
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