The Heart of Storytelling

The Heart of Storytelling

In this podcast, we will explore the art of oral storytelling; looking at its history, its relevance today and discovering storytellers who are passionate about bringing stories to you in the oral form. Each week we hear from a new storyteller who will bring a story to life and share their journey into this traditional artform.

Episodes

August 7, 2025 51 mins
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 As...
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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 lette...
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July 10, 2025 38 mins
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 ...
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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 storyt...
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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...
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June 4, 2025 14 mins
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.
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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 ...
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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...
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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 a...
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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 sto...
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April 16, 2025 54 mins
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 ...
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April 3, 2025 58 mins
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 suppo...
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March 20, 2025 53 mins
Michael has told stories both as a solo performer and with other artists throughout the UK and Europe as well festivals in North and South America. Most of his work is in either English or Welsh and he specialises in bilingual delivery of stories.

He is a familiar performer in the UK festival and club scene and draws particular inspiration from the Welsh oral heritage and landscape. He  combines depth of material with lightness of d...
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March 6, 2025 63 mins
Laura is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, writer, coach, and humanitarian. She combines traditional stories with personal narrative. She is artistic Director of the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center, and served as a Senior Research Fellow for Rutgers University Peace Center under the auspices of UNESCO. Laura won the Sesame Street SUNNY DAYS AWARD for work with children worldwide, received the Hasbro September 11...
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February 20, 2025 41 mins
Melissa Min is one of West Australia’s most prominent storytellers. She works with language, myth and story to evoke a deep sense of connection, belonging and healing. Melissa is a passionate advocate for bringing creative and artistic practices to community spaces. She facilitates storytelling events, poetry circles and creative writing sessions throughout Perth and the South West of WA. 
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February 6, 2025 48 mins
Kavita breathes stories and is a passionate professional storyteller. She facilitates storytelling experiences for children and adults utilising various storytelling techniques and art therapies methods. Her lively storytelling performances using different storytelling styles keep people of all ages spell-bound. Her repertoire of stories includes a wide range of Indian and other Asian folktales, European fairy tales, Personal and F...
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January 23, 2025 50 mins
“Do Scéalaí Ceanadach le Scéalta Éireannacha!”
“Your Canadian Teller of Irish Tales!”Brian Walsh is a professional storyteller specializes in Irish Folktales and Mythology as a source of wisdom and humor, discomfort and delight.  Brian’s background is in Psychotherapy, World Religions, and Celtic Studies. He has told at diverse venues including the Toronto International Storytelling Festival, the Niagara Irish Festival, Schools/Univ...
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Brenda moved to Perth from England with her family in 1970. She wears many hatsincluding retired librarian, oral storyteller and writer of poetry and short stories.In the 70s she enrolled at WAIT (now Curtin University) in Library Studies. Duringthis time she worked in high school libraries and discovered the Storytelling Guild ofWA in 1983, of which she is a Life Member. After graduating she started her ownbusiness, combining libr...
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December 26, 2024 44 mins
Jenni is a nationally recognised storyteller and educator with thirty years experience, now based in Meanjin, or Brisbane. Jenni tells her stories eye to eye and heart to heart, engaging listeners with her warm, welcoming and expressive style. Jenni toured schools in Australia and New Zealand for seven years and has five award-winning story albums. She has been an invited presenter and workshop leader at online storytelling gatheri...
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December 12, 2024 34 mins
Marion spent many hours in the evening as a child sitting on the lap of her mother reading stories. When she encountered the Art of Storytelling in 2013 it was evident. This was the craft of her heart! She went in 2018 studying Storytelling at Emerson college in England. As her craft grew she traveled to many places telling stories until she landed in the northern part of Italy where she settled. Today, Marion is creating her own e...
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