TELLERS
These professional tellers will lead workshops and forums. They will meet with you one-on-one to brainstorm with you and coach you on storytelling, your ministry, and reaching your community. You will also see these tellers perform at the lunchtime and evening concerts.
Click each teller's name or picture to see their website!
John is the president of BibleTelling, Christian Storytelling Network, and International Learning Solutions. He has delighted audiences across America as well as several other countries with his skill in telling stories. His stories are truly unforgettable. John conducts BibleTelling training around the world, training pastors, teachers, and other Christian workers in the skill of learning, telling, and using Bible stories. Churches, seminars, and Bible colleges have used his book The Art of Storytelling (Moody Publishers) since 2003. His latest book is called “All the Stories of the Bible,” and is a free downloadable. His CD, Tales of the Journey, contains six embellished Bible stories for adults as well as children.
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You may have seen Kay around Peoria as the Irish Washer Woman, at the Springdale Cemetery Tour or the Erin Feis, or as a champion Liar at the Liars’ Contest. She loves watching the audience get involved in stories and often ask for their participation in telling a story, such as “The Little Boy Who Turned Himself into a Peanut.” She provides a variety of programs suited for schools, libraries, holiday programs, and Christian Women’s groups.
Dr. Michael Lockett is a teller of traditional tales in a non-traditional manner. Mike is a lifelong storyteller and had added writing children's books to his bio . Lockett has been telling stories for 40 years in his positions as a storyteller, teacher, principal, central office administrator and educational consultant. Because he lives in the small town of Normal, Illinois, he enjoys being called "The Normal Storyteller." But, there is little that is NORMAL about Mike. He brings high energy and creative uses of audio sound effects to his family friendly stories.
Geraldine Buckley
With her trademark wit, warmth and humor, internationally known, award-winning storyteller and educator Geraldine Buckley has been involved in storytelling, speaking, performance poetry and conducting creative workshops for over thirty years in the US, Canada, England, Holland, South Africa, Spain and New Zealand.
Traveling extensively, Geraldine shares folk tales (mainly in schools); conducts storytelling and creative/meditative workshops; performs true stories based on her own globe-trotting adventures at festivals, schools, theatres, house-concerts, prisons and conferences; and performs her educational, storytelling show “Tea In The Slammer” in the criminal justice departments of universities and in other settings.
Until January 2010 Geraldine was a chaplain at the largest men’s prison in Maryland. Geraldine is currently developing a new storytelling show based on bible stories, bible history, and her own life-changing experience traveling through Israel. Designed to make you think, laugh, and worship, “Dancing in Jerusalem: a bible story encounter” will be ready for performance by September 2015.
Traveling extensively, Geraldine shares folk tales (mainly in schools); conducts storytelling and creative/meditative workshops; performs true stories based on her own globe-trotting adventures at festivals, schools, theatres, house-concerts, prisons and conferences; and performs her educational, storytelling show “Tea In The Slammer” in the criminal justice departments of universities and in other settings.
Until January 2010 Geraldine was a chaplain at the largest men’s prison in Maryland. Geraldine is currently developing a new storytelling show based on bible stories, bible history, and her own life-changing experience traveling through Israel. Designed to make you think, laugh, and worship, “Dancing in Jerusalem: a bible story encounter” will be ready for performance by September 2015.
Pam Holcomb was born and reared in the hills of Southeastern Kentucky sandwiched between the Pine and Black Mountains. She grew up with a rich heritage, full of traditional mountain tales and music. She has entertained audiences of all ages with her fascinating tales. She specializes in Appalachian folk lore, including family stories and others from interesting folks she’s met. It was her love of storytelling and her desire for the preservation of her culture that drew her to the performing arts. Pam’s heart is in Christian Storytelling. She accepted the Lord as her Savior when she was a child and is passionate about spreading God’s word through storytelling. The Lord has given her many opportunities to share the Good News through Ladies Groups, Bible Schools, Sunday School Classes, Worship Services, Women’s Conferences, AWANA, Children’s Church and others.
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Don's stories include personal and humorous tales, scary and creepy stories, and uplifting tales that encourage the heart, the soul, and the mind. He tells a variety of folk tales, fairy tales, and stories from cultures around the world. He tells a series of Aesop's fables that expose children to concepts such as honor and respect. Don also has several programs of Bible stories. His style ranges from serious to humorous, from personal to traditional, from quiet to downright boisterous.
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Sheila Arnold Jones is the CEO and Lead Performer of History’s Alive! Through which has given over 600 presentations for schools, churches, professional organizations and museums, in 26 states. In addition, she contracts with Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to present Historic Character Interpretation and teach teachers at their Summer Teachers Institute. In 2003, Sheila premiered her monologue series, “And the Women Were There…” (7 women who talk about their life with Jesus) and has a full-length play of the same title. She also offers a full-day or half-day workshop focusing on women in the Bible and relating to the woman of today. She often uses her creative talents to do creative writing and/or drama workshops with children and teens, and has been called on to be a motivational speaker for high school students and young adults on many occasions.
Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. He has worked with The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and other museums across the country. Fox has been a featured speaker at regional and international conferences including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Science Teachers Association Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference, et al. Fox is also the Artistic Director for Prairie Folklore Theatre a unique theatre company that celebrates ecology and history through original musical theatre productions. He is the author of 15 books including the critically acclaimed Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, (Libraries Unlimited, 2011), the award winning children’s picture book The Web at Dragonfly Pond, (DAWN Publications, 2006) and Content Area Reading, Writing and Storytelling (Teacher Ideas Press 2010). Many of his stories are also available on one of 12 CDs.
Mary Claire fell in love with storytelling from being in the audience. Now she loves to tell stories herself – stories that connect with the hearts, the lives, and the funny bone of the audience. She has built up a storytelling repertoire that can suit many occasions: historical portrayals, personal stories, children’s tales, holiday programs, spiritual themes, and literary works. Lately she has been focusing on developing Bibletelling programs.
The Edu-Tellers do storytelling concerts and workshops for schools, libraries, professional and social organizations, churches, senior centers, and private parties, either jointly or individually. They have performed all across the United States and Canada. Their programs include regional stories (Southeast; Tennessee), inspirational stories, folktales, humorous stories, stories from history, and stories for children and young adults. They often include music in their presentations. Betty is the co-author of Teaching Through Stories: Yours, Mine, and Theirs, as well as more than fifty college textbooks and more than a hundred articles in the field of reading and language arts, and has done research in the field of storytelling. Mike and Betty have also done joint articles for professional publications, including the Tennessee Storytelling Journal and the Tennessee Reading Teacher. Betty started the Support Storytelling Program in the Tennessee Reading Association in1985, and it is still a part of the council activities today.
Storyteller, educator, published author – all of these words describe Phyllis Hostmeyer. She has traveled throughout the United States and the world telling stories and providing professional development. She was part of a team of professional tellers who traveled to Israel for Bible tellings, but she also tells fables, wisdom tales, personal narratives, and rollicking rap versions of fairy tales. Phyllis can design a storytelling program to meet your needs. She is passionate about teaching the art of storytelling and has conducted workshops for churches, schools, retreat centers, conferences, and prisons. Don’t expect a sausage workshop – one where you sit and she stuffs you full of knowledge. Her workshops lead you gently into active participation so that you will dazzle yourself with your own brilliance and your ability to learn and tell stories.
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Rick Reha
Rick Reha is a practicing Board Certified Music Therapist serving children and adults at The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery in Peoria, and Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center in Springfield, Illinois.
Rick is also a member of the Prairie Storytellers Guild in Peoria, IL. One is likely to hear Rick sharing clever tales from American folklore and Celtic revival. He often will complement the spoken word with guitar, slide whistle or other instruments.
Rick is also a member of the Prairie Storytellers Guild in Peoria, IL. One is likely to hear Rick sharing clever tales from American folklore and Celtic revival. He often will complement the spoken word with guitar, slide whistle or other instruments.
Mark Getz
Mark is a lay Bible teacher from central Illinois who for the past several years has been collaborating with John Walsh. They have been refining strategies to communicate the stories of the Bible within the basic storyline of Scripture in the home, the local church, secular community settings, and international missions. These story-based discipleship approaches have proven to be cross-generational through successful use with preschoolers, grade schoolers, junior and senior high students, adults, and seniors.
Lauretta Phillips has been telling stories Professionally since 1987. She writes most of her own stories but her repertoire also includes folk tales, fairy tales, legends, urban tales, tall tales, small tales, cat tales, rat tales, and just plain tales.
She has told stories at churches, schools, inns, retirement centers, women's organizations, seniors groups, and for radio and television in New England and the Mid West, on her own and as a part of the duet Sisters Too.
She has told stories at churches, schools, inns, retirement centers, women's organizations, seniors groups, and for radio and television in New England and the Mid West, on her own and as a part of the duet Sisters Too.