Similar revivals are now gaining momentum in countries across the world.
In Australia, the stories of the Dream-time are assuming new importance as part of the
Aboriginal fight for political and cultural rights. Similar things are happening with
American Indian story-telling. In France, through the work of Abbi Patrix and others,
considerable experiment is taking place in story-telling as a performance art. In England,
the formation of a Society for Story-telling gives the opportunity to establish strong
international links as well as bringing greater public attention to the value and
possibilities of the art.
The Art of Story-tellingStory-telling is a live, expressive form in which story-tellers have a number of
instruments: voice, facial expression, body movement, eye contact and, where these are
used, musical instruments and props. Setting, too, is important and, as in the theatre,
arrangement of the venue can also be part of the art.
Voice is the major instrument. Use of it varies enormously between tellers and
cultures. Sometimes the emphasis is on an evenly paced narrative style, sometimes
more on dialogue and mimicry, for example of animal sounds and birdsong. Some tellers
use the actor’s ability to put on different voices; others rely on change of tone and pitch
rather more than accent. Ability to draw on dialects is almost always admired. As well as
pace, rhythm and dynamics of speech, the story-teller draws on the value of silence.
Pausing is essential to give the audience time to move through the mental images
summoned by the tale. The length and weight of a pause is as vital as in music.
Use of facial expression and body movement also varies greatly. Some tellers enact;
others recount. Much also depends on venue. In the glow of a fireside telling, voice
assumes unique importance; large gestures will seem out of place. In other settings,
hand gestures, for example, may play as expressive a part as in the associated art of
shadow-play.
With children, eye contact is the aspect which most strongly differentiates story-telling
from story-reading. It gives a host of advantages ranging from the freedom to observe
which children are restless to being better able to establish rapport and communicate
emotions. Some story-tellers use cloths or interesting objects to focus interest or
enhance the story. Sound-making instruments may also be used either for effects within
a story or to punctuate the telling. Where props are used, it is vital to consider the size
and arrangement of the audience. Whether people will be able to see is greatly affected by
whether the teller sits, stands or moves about. With children, it is important not to adopt
a position which might feel intimidating. For seated tellers, a low seat is often ideal and,
considering the arm movements that may be used, a stool is often preferable to an
armchair.
Preparing to TellPreparation involves attending to the story as well as the circumstances in which it may
be told, the nature of the event and the kind of audience. Getting to know the story is
the greatest challenge and is easiest when the story has been heard and not read. Being
536 THE CONTEXT OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE