Storytellers Circle of Halifax: a program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society
Our History…
The Storytellers Circle of Halifax was established in 1996 by local storytellers interested in promoting and preserving the oral storytelling tradition through programming and partnerships.
In 2023, the Storytellers Circle of Halifax joined the Helen Creighton Folklore Society to further the art of storytelling.
The mandate of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society is to encourage and promote work that reflects the diverse folk culture of the Maritimes as exemplified by the work begun by Dr. Helen Creighton. Dr Creighton collected thousands of oral stories in her career as folklorist from 1928 until her death in 1989.
Who We Are…
Our Storytellers specialize in one or more types of tales: folktales, world tales, community stories, family stories, personal stories, fairytales, historical tales, as well as, tales collected by Helen Creighton.
We are group members affiliated with Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada. We hosted the national conference here in Halifax in 1999 and 2006.
We also give workshops on how-to tell a good story for beginner, intermediate and advanced tellers.
What We Do…
We meet regularly to practice the art of storytelling, exchange information on conferences, festivals, course and workshops – and to plan and present programs of storytelling for the public.
We partner with local groups sharing common interests such as museums, libraries, youth organizations and service groups, seniors care facilities, etc.. to provide programs related to their mandate.
We act as a centre of information and referral for groups and organizations seeking storytellers, and for touring storytellers who wish to meet local tellers and to offer their storytelling services while they are visiting.
We support the professional development of storytellers and encourage the formation of new storytelling groups province-wide.
What You Can Do…
- Attend a Workshop: Either online or in-person. Learn how to become a storyteller yourself by taking our workshops tailored to your needs.
- Attend a Meeting: Either online or in-person. Any interested person can attend, teller or listener.
- Attend a Program: Either online or in-person. Become a fan or avid listener. Learn about storytelling by watching and listening. Learn about our programs via our email list or by visiting our Facebook page or the Helen Creighton Folklore Society website.
- Hire a Storyteller: Arrange for a storyteller to perform at your event, conference, festival. Hire a storyteller for a workshop or professional development. As a non-profit organization we accept honorariums or full payment for professionally produced programs. We can offer only a limited number of reduced fee programs per year generally to other non-profits. Performance prices range from $75 per half hour. Workshops start at $250 depending on the number of hours required. All fees include performance preparation time, and discussions about booking arrangements or formal contracts. It’s best to talk to us about making arrangements for a storyteller(s) so we can help find a solution that works for you.
