Thanks to my hubby Rix, I was able to go to The Art of Storytelling workshop. Thanks to Manila Workshops and GPG Bulilit Bookstore, I was able to go the workshop for free.
It was a sunny Saturday. I was ready for a day of learning the art of storytelling, doing activities and shopping, as suggested in the email from Manila Workshops. I wore comfy clothes and a pair of sneakers. Thank God it didn’t rain because I took a taxi to the venue, Insular Life Building, Makati. Good thing there are services like GrabTaxi to make commuting more convenient.
Upon arriving on the 12th floor, I was welcomed warmly by Manila Workshops’ Isobelle and Ginger as I registered. I have no idea if anyone I know will be there too. I was glad Nadia of nanaystrip.wordpress.com was also a participant, the others were mostly teachers. The speaker, Kuya Bodjie needed no introduction as he is a respected actor and a highly experienced storyteller, known from the popular Filipino children’s TV show, Batibot. He was all smiles as he greeted us. The program started with a seemingly silly song and dance to get our bodies moving and to break the ice.
The lecture was alternated with exercises. These exercises helped us learn about believing in what we imagine. For me, it’s like a mini acting class where our facial expressions, our voices and our body language should express freely the emotions of the story, doing away with inhibitions. This includes being shy and self-conscious, which I haven’t overcome, although I behave quite naturally with my present audience: my children. There are some storytellers who use props and puppets, but for this workshop, the main visual aid is the face.
During the breaks, I made sure to check out the booths of the sponsors: Insular Life who gave a talk about saving for our dreams and where I got a free book, The Learning Library who talked about choosing the age-appropriate books for children, Faber-Castell that gave free pencils, ballpens and highlighters to us attendees, Mama Chows for our afternoon snacks, Adarna House for another complimentary book, OMF Literature, Filway Marketing, Inc., and Dessert Jars where I bought pasalubong for the kids.
In learning the art of storytelling, I need to remember that storytelling is all about building relationships, being in the moment because genuine communication requires a lot of patience. I enjoyed this workshop, I think it would help me in writing stories and connecting with my children when telling them stories. I laughed a lot and learned plenty, too! 🙂
Manila Workshops is contemplating another run of this workshop. If you’re interested in learning the art of storytelling, subscribe to manilaworkshops.com to know when the next one will be. There are also other plenty of helpful workshops, which you might want to attend, too.
Want to watch fun videos of the workshop? Visit GPG Bulilit Bookstore’s Facebook page.
Hi Ceemee! Ang ingay at gulo ko katabi no? I really enjoyed the workshop! Thankful rin ako at classmate kita uli. Saan next workshop natin? Hehe. Kitakits!
Nadia recently posted..5 Reasons Why You Should Wait for The Art of Storytelling Workshop Rerun
Masaya ka ngang katabi eh. I enjoyed, too! Hehe, see you soon!
Such workshop is really interesting. Wish I could get the chance to join one. In God’s time.
Kristine Gavilano recently posted..It’s Time For Change: Stand Up For Safer Chemicals
Hi Ceemee! Thank you for joining us! Glad you learned something and had fun at the workshop. Indeed, no better way to learn the art of storytelling than from the master storyteller himself. It was nice meeting you too. 😉 We’re excited for the rerun! Can’t wait! 🙂
Thank you for having me, Ging! I learned a lot from this awesome workshop!