The Heart of Storytelling

Rachel Hedman competed in storytelling as a sophomore high schooler in 1994. Everything went wrong with her first telling, and she considered quitting. By senior year, she received 5th in State (Wisconsin) for Storytelling. Rachel launched the BYU Storytelling Club as a freshman; it earned the Service Award. She became the first recipient of the J.J. Reneaux Mentorship grant from the National Storytelling Network, training with Don Doyle. For 15 years, Rachel mentored California high school tellers and received the Arne Nixon Storytelling Award from them. She has been Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance Co-Chair, National Youth Storytelling Showcase Board Member, and Utah Storytelling Guild President. Rachel received the national ORACLE Award for service and leadership in the Western Region and the Karen J. Ashton Award for storytelling service specifically in Utah. For eight years, she served the WSU Storytelling Festival, became Storyteller Chair, and started the Annual Youth Teller Reunion. Meanwhile, she completed her Storytelling Masters from East Tennessee State University. The adoption folktales thesis was defended two days before adopting two boys with her husband, Casey. They have since adopted a girl. She kickstarted Story Crossroads, a Salt Lake county storytelling festival in 2016 and continues to expand it with the dream of an Olympic-level six-day event called World Story Crossroads no later than 2030. Currently, Story Crossroads holds year-round events from live to virtual shared in the form of performances, workshops, camps, and trainings for youth to adults. Go to Story Crossroads at http://storycrossroads.org.

Jeff is a storyteller from the edge of the known world or, if you prefer, a small town on the South Coast of Western Australia called Denmark.  He  runs a monthly community storytelling circle and is involved in running rights of passage ceremonies, in men's work and gatherings at which he has been known to tell a story or two.  Jeff has a keen interest in the intersection of story, myth and ritual.Jeff spent twenty years telling small stories with finely honed words often serving questionable ends.  Hitting middle-age and embarking on the inward journey that often begins at that time of life, he has come to understand that his calling is to spread bigger, grander stories in service of the goal of re-enchanting the world by re-kindling our imaginations.You can find out more about Jeff by emailing him at greatsouthernstorytellers@gmail.com

Vanessa is “London’s resident storyteller” her trailblazing story events for adults have led to a partnership with TimeOut Magazine, a TEDx talk in Stormont NI and many TV /radio performances. She’s founder and lead storyteller of Connection With Wonder (previously London Dreamtime) programming training and projects as well as very popular live events. She’s founder of Space for Storytelling a free crowdfunded support for London’s storytelling community.You can find out more about her on Instagram

Uncle Ken Jones, NAIDOC Male Elder & Proud Boandik ElderUncle Ken is founder of Bush Adventures, a family company that takes guests on personalised tours of the Limestone Coast, telling the stories of Boandik Country. He has He has dedicated over 50 years of his life to conservation efforts , including on the state Aboriginal Heritage Committee, which oversees and advises on the preservation and protection of Aboriginal sites and remains.Pulan the Spirit Bird and the Bunyip is the story he shares.info@bushrepair.com.auwww.bushadventures.com.auFacebook: Bush Adventures

Karmit’s work history spans diverse experiences, interests and competences from the healing arts, and the arts & crafts world. Her unique skill-set provides a deep perspective for transformational work, and in working with soul searching questions. Her studies encompass human ecology and earth healing modalities as well as energy healing systems and shamanic practices. Karmit is the founder of Earth speaks, an educational initiative combining earth energy work)and creative expression. Earth Speaks offers seminars and journeys, where people explore holistic connections to the landscape, build a renewed relationship with Place and experience its sacred aspects. Participants develop sensitivity to living systems in nature – cultivating an awareness of the wild, the unseen, and the conscious aspects of the earth.Her work explores the sacred sources of story in the realms of the imagination where everything is possible. She is passionate about creating new narratives that combine ancient, nature based thinking with contemporary forms and needs. She believes the Oral Tradition acts as a healing salve; helping us to stitch together our fragmented perceptions of the world.https://www.earth-speaks.net/IG earthspeaks https://www.instagram.com/earthspeaks/?hl=en

Jennifer Ramsay is a professional storyteller. She has told stories in more than 2,000 events including several international festivals. She also trains people in the art of storytelling.Jennifer is trained in Gestalt therapy, expressive arts therapies, Psychodrama and ecotherapy.She works with story medicine in private practice and as a group facilitator working creatively with stories in unique workshops, weaving tales with Gestalt therapy, psychodrama into the seasons of the year.The heartbeat of Jennifer’s stories is the rhythms of nature as the Celtic wheel of the year turns and the lunar cycles wax and wane. She is committed to using her creativity to help with the environmental policrisis that we are facing and is part of the global network of Earth Storytellers.She has a degree in Biological Sciences and is studying the ways of the Druids. She is fluent in English and in Spanish.Jennifer offers regular courses in her online school: Dancing with Death: Storytelling, Creativity and Ritual to talk about Death and Connect with Life. The Fairy Tale Journey; a year and a day through fairy tales.You can find links to the recordings of a selection of Jennifer’s story-based creative workshops hereHow to find her: Website of Story Arte www.storyarte.com https://www.storyarte.com/ Facebook Story Arte https://www.facebook.com/storyarte/ Facebook StoryArte https://www.instagram.com/storyarte/?hl=en Facebook Story Arte Online school on Teachable https://storyarte.teachable.com/ e-mail: info@storyarte.com

Fran Stallings is a lifelong storyteller who enchants audiences with her distinctive voice and music. A recovering biology professor, as “Earthteller” she specializes in stories of plants and animals, our ecosystems and the solar system. She performs nationwide and overseas at storytelling festivals, in schools and libraries, and on Zoom.Her website is franstallings.com

In this episode, I speak with U.S. storyteller Marilyn McPhie who has travelled internationally to tell stories. We share a love of ancestry and sharing family stories and dive into a rich conversation about this. We discuss working with people with dementia, running a storytelling organisation and being online and so much more.

Rachael Harrington is a storyteller whose work has taken her around the globe, presenting imagination infused performances and workshops in arts venues, schools, community settings, and as a guest lecturer at Rutgers University. She presents workshops, stories, and talks at conferences including The National Storytelling Summit, The American Association of School Libraries Conference, New Jersey Education Association, New Jersey Association of School Libraries, and New Jersey TESOL Conference. Publications: Storytelling Magazine, School LIbrary Connection, Voices Journal. Performance Highlights: The Sugarhill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling, The Uptown Arts Stroll, The Story Center at Mid-Continent Public Library. Member: The National Storytelling Network, The New Jersey Storytelling Network, North East Storytellers, Clutch Full Circle, StateraArts.Her website is here

Kelli Dunham is the nonbinary ex-nun storytelling nurse comedian so common in modern Brooklyn. Kelli has appeared on Showtime and the Discovery Channel, PBS Stories From the Stage, the Moth Mainstage, NPR, nationwide at colleges, prides, fundraisers, oh so many nursing conferences and even the occasional livestock auction. Kelli's award-winning but dubiously named Second Helping: Two Dead Lovers, Dead Funny was called "a love letter to the power of community" by the Bechdel Theater, and "drop dead funny" by Go Magazine, was featured in last year's Edinburgh Fringe and is touring internationally. Kelli was one of the faces of nonbinary fashion prominently featured in the recent New York Times piece on nonbinary people in the workplace. This is true even though no one before that time (or since) has ever accused Kelli of being fashionable. Kelli is the author of seven hilarious nonfiction books about not humorous subjects including puberty, grief and death and you can hear Kelli chat with an eclectic group of guests about these very subjects as well as LGBT health, caregiving, mutual aid, and knock-knock jokes on her forthcoming podcast Second Helping. Former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio once called Kelli a show off. To her face.You can find her website here

Talia Levy is an emerging storyteller.She is a woman who follows the flame of passion and inspiration. She is in service to life, authenticity and harmony.She is a teacher of children, a way-shower for women and a guide for those exploring deep nature connection.Her depth and breadth of experience across these fields have found their co-habitation in Storytelling.Through the art of storytelling Talia explores the deep questions of belonging, connection and longing.Storytelling has given her a way to connect to her ancestry through the untold stories of women. She hopes to support others to find belonging through uncovering stories from their own ancestry.You can find her website here

Jamie J, Executive Director of First Person Arts, is an artist/activist using storytelling to build community and catalyze dialogue around important issues, especially those issues impacting the unheard. Brunson was named a 2022 NEA/ Delaware Division of the Arts Established Artist Fellow in Literature: Playwriting. Her creative body of work includes produced plays, published poetry and stories for the stage. She has brought storytelling to audiences across multiple platforms for over a decade, including: executive producer of two documentary films, producer of 12 annual First Person Arts Festivals of memoir and documentary art, host of WHYY’s Philadelphia Revealed Podcast (July 2024); WHYY’s Commonspace Radio Hour and Podcast series (2018), and COVID Stories – A Digital Memoir (2020). She is a Creator of FPA’s Applied Storytelling division where storytelling activities are customized to build communities. She serves as board, committee or steering committee member of: Strategic Planning Committee of Philadelphia’s Dept. of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities Services Engaging Males of Color Initiative; Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Avenue of the Arts, ArtPhilly and Stories to Grow By. She has lectured at Bryn Mawr College, University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. She is currently working on a memoir and solo show.Brunson holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and BA from Temple University.

Jim Brulé is a transformational storyteller, end-of-life doula, and educator. Drawing on a blend of cultural, spiritual, and academic experiences, he brings a unique perspective to his work with advanced degrees in Family and Systems Therapy and Artificial Intelligence. Jim’s workshops explore themes of healing, multicultural wisdom, and end-of-life support. For over a decade, he has trained spiritual storytellers from a variety of traditions. Known for his collaborative spirit, Jim has co-developed and led dozens of workshops with storytellers worldwide.You can learn more at https://TransformationalStorytelling.org/ or jimbrule@gmail.com

In June 2025, I went to the Sydney International Storytelling Conference and had an incredible time. While I was there, I chatted with a bunch of great people and this mini-episode is the result of that. Adam Booth was the keynote speaker at this event, hosted by Australian Storytellers. You can find out more about it here.

Christine Carlton is an Australian Storyteller and Educator who has performed and facilitated workshops throughout Australia, New Zealand, USA and Asia. She loves how stories challenge, heal, entertain, inform, develop and delight both the tellers and the audience. For over 40 years Christine has conducted workshops with groups of children and adults, organisations, and lectured in Story and Drama in Education at the University of Western Sydney. She also provides individual coaching and mentoring for people keen to expand their storytelling skills. Christine has been the Convenor for all of the Weaving Stories Together - Sydney International Storytelling Conferences and is President of the Australian Storytelling Guild NSWaustralianstorytellers.org.au/christine-carlton

Laura Packer knows that the best way to the truth is through a good story. For over 30 years she has told, taught, ranted, raved, consulted, and considered storytelling around the world. When she isn’t telling, she runs venues, coaches, writes, and helps people and organizations find their stories, hone their vision and use their voices to make the world a better place. She has won many awards, including induction into the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence for standard bearers of the art and craft of storytelling; Best in Fringe in many fringe festivals; the New England Storytelling Brother Blue Award; and others. Her books have been recognized as seminal works.Laura is also the sole proprietor of thinkstory organizational storytelling. She has helped for- and non-profit organizations around the nation identify, hone, capitalize upon, and celebrate their stories. Previous clients include NASA, iRobot Corporation, Quest Diagnostics, Dreamfar, Unbound, and others. For her story and more, go to laurapacker.com. For her blog go to patreon.com/laurapacker. And to learn more about her organizational storytelling work go to thinkstory.com.

Daniel Abercrombie is the Head of Programming at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh and the Associate Director for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, which takes place throughout Scotland each October. He has over 15 years of experience in events programming, working in partnership with a wide range of artists and cultural organisations in Scotland and internationally, focussing his work on collaboration and shared creativity. Daniel also hosts and curates the storytelling podcast Another Story. https://www.instagram.com/dannyabercrombie/https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/another-storyhttps://www.sisf.org.uk/https://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com/

Marcus Pibworth is a storyteller who uses story to entertain, explore the magic of the world, and facilitate change. Two years ago he moved with his wife and two young daughters to the foothills of the Black Mountains just on the English side of the Welsh border, where he has been working tirelessly to explore the intersection between story and the natural world, rewild and restory 10acres of land, and use the ancient wisdom of story to bring groups of dads together to explore fatherhood in the magical Rock Cottage yurt, and provide a peaceful rural haven for storytellers. Marcus is also the host of The Grey Wolf Story Cafe, a monthly storytelling night in Hay-on-Wye. You can find him on Instagram here

Lucia L. Luckett-Kelly , solopreneur, the founder and owner of Phantasy Staircase Education is an Educator, Creative Dramatic Instructor and Storyteller.She has been teaching students of all ages and backgrounds for over 30 years and has been performing for even longer.Lucia has made appearances at schools, park districts, libraries, churches, museums, bookstores, restaurants, private family homes, and art festivals, in person and virtually on Zoom.She is a former Board member of the ITA (Illinois Theatre Association), a member of NSN (National Storytelling Network), and on the Board of Directors for (BlessingsBalanceBreathYoga).She is an artistic, sociable and enterprising individual who enjoys sharing stories that span the ages and cultures from the United States and Around the World.Home | Phantasy Staircase Education

Donald Smith is a storyteller of Scotland. Inspired by his time at the School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh, Donald became Director of The Netherbow Arts Centre and founding Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. He is a longstanding activist in Earth Charter International, and co-founder of The Earth Stories Collection. Donald is currently Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival but also a busy supporter of Scotland's national storytelling network. In 2023 he received the Hamish Henderson Award for lifetime service to the Scottish arts. donald@tracscotland.orgOffice: 0131 652 3271Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR