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Chennai Storytelling Festival 2020 (Friday 7th to Sunday 16th February 2020) Contact: (Chennai) 98403 94282 info@storytellinginstitute.org Ms Laura Simms, Storyteller and Educator, would be the Visiting Co-host of CSF 2020 (the 8th annual edition of the
CSF) In CSF 2020 -- Ms Laura would be giving --- (older people would also be welcome) on Sun 9th Feb, at 11am, and on Thurs 13th Feb, at 6pm. Ms Laura would be teaching a 4-session Class for adults on "Performance
Storytelling". --- Info about Class timings, location, and fees is here, --- Info about Class topics is here One of the books Ms Laura has authored is Ms Laura can be seen/heard speaking in the recording of the (6 Feb 2019), Laura speaks at 2:50 to 7:00. 9:45 to 16:45. 67:10 to 69:20 . Bio-data: Ms Laura Simms ( www.laurasimms.com
) is a living legend. She is a (USA)
national and global treasure. Ms Laura is one of the founders, and continues to be one
of the leaders, of the Global
Storytelling Revival, which took shape in the early 1970s (almost 50
years ago). Ms Laura
is known for brilliant psychological insight into 1) the process of the storytelling
event, 2) connections between tellers and the stories they tell, 3) as well
as into stories. She
performs worldwide, telling myths, fairytales, and personal-experience
stories, for listeners of all ages. When Ms
Laura tells stories and conducts storytelling workshops, "every word
coming out of her mouth is as clear as the ringing of a bell" (said by
one of her students, Dr Eric Miller). Her work
and presence represents wonderful aspects of USA culture, exemplifying art
that is communicative, beautiful, and useful. Ms Laura
is a performer, writer, and educator who advocates for storytelling as
compassionate action for personal and community improvement and development. One of Ms
Laura's specialties is assisting workshop participants to construct
compelling personal transformational stories, with traditional tales as
templates. Using mindfulness practices
that uncover and utilize feelings and thoughts about what is occurring in and
around participants, she helps participants create imaginative stories. This work includes contemplative exercises,
story listening, creative writing, drawing, and telling and discussing in
pairs and small groups. Ms Laura
has been a leading member of the Healing
Story Alliance (a special-interest-group of the USA's National
Storytelling Network) for many years.
Her work often involves working with symbols and characters to
transform aggression into compassion -- in story and perhaps also in tellers'
and listeners' lives. She is
also a member of the Therapeutic Arts
Alliance of Manhattan, and has conducted workshops for the annual Seminar on Fairytale Therapy in
Sintra, Portugal. Ms Laura
has worked with school teachers and students throughout her career. She also works with faculty and students in
colleges and universities. Laura
Simms is the Founder-Director of the Center
for Engaged Storytelling, and is the Artistic Director of the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling
Center -- both in NYC. She has
been a Senior Research Fellow for the International
Peace Institute (Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey), under the
auspices of UNESCO. She has
taught at the University of Utah, and is a consultant for Eastern Tennessee
State University’s Cancer Stories
Project and for numerous foundations and non-profit organizations working
in post-disaster and conflict situations. Ms Laura
is acclaimed by the global storytelling community, and naturally serves as a
spokesperson for storytelling, presenting keynote addresses and workshops in
conferences, villages, schools, universities, and community events. She
recently appeared at the Peace Summit
(Newark, New Jersey), and the Conference
on World Peace and Values (Monterrey, Mexico). Ms Laura
has received the Brimstone Award for Engaged Storytelling, the CHOICE award
for Best Story Collection, and Sesame Street’s Sunny Days Award for work with
children worldwide. In 2011
she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the USA's National
Storytelling Network. One of
the books Laura has authored is Our
Secret Territory: The Essence of Storytelling. Laura Simms' approach to storytelling is permeated and
enriched by her longtime involvement with a form of Tibetan Buddhism known as
Shambhala. She is a senior Shambhala meditation
teacher. Shambhala, founded by Chögyam Trungpa
Rinpoche, includes, * Contemplative Art (integrating art and culture with
everyday life), * Shambhala Art (art that occurs through clear perception
and expression), * Dharma Art (meditation in action; working with social
action, healing, and education). Some of Laura's notes about storytelling, and additional
descriptions of her past and ongoing projects, are at www.laurasimms.com/short-bio/about
and at the rest of www.laurasimms.com
. To World Storytelling
Institute a
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