The Hellenic Tourism Organization has under the auspices of the organization the «Story Telling Waves» workshops as part of the «Kimolos Experience» Festival 2022, organized by the Kimolistes NGO, on the Cycladic island of Kimolos, in the South Aegean Sea. The workshops have to do with outdoor events with the children’s participation related to the environment, Kimolian flora and fauna, and the island’s unique tradition. Workshops with origami art, painting and handmade crafts along with creative writing workshop will take place on Kimolos from 17th August to 27 August 2022.
Storytelling is the most direct way of communication with the storyteller delivering his/her audience to a real or imaginary world. Storytellers have no age as long as they are observant of their surroundings and spontaneous when they bring the story to light using their own words and the appropriate grimaces.
Storytelling is a part of everyone’s life. Any story once narrated to our friends either due to an incident or being the outcome of any event, maybe with elements of fiction included; is a narrative with unique characteristics. Those ones that make it unforgettable!
The «Story Telling Waves» workshops have to do with the Creative Writing Courses at Primary Schools of the South Aegean Islands, more specifically in the Cyclades, as well as on the islands of the Ionian Sea. The idea emerged from the Aegean waves while traveling to the emerald island of Kimolos. I listened to the islanders narrating moments of their lives, funny and serious adventures that led me to write “A Young Kimolistas” a children’s picture book about Kimolos, including them, too.
“Weaving Waves” Publications were born in June 2022, with the goal to give the children of the Cyclades islands the opportunity to put their stories in a book. In this way. All of us will get to know the Cycladic culture, the customs, the tradition, the people who keep the islands untouched, and each island’s distinct identity.
We will start from Kimolos island and sail to other Cycladic islands. On the Ionian Islands, the lace-embroidered island of Lefkada welcomed us first in June 2022! There we had the honor and pleasure of officially starting the «Story Telling Waves» workshops as part of the Lafcadio Hearn’s Festival.
Our aim is to spread the love of reading through creative writing so that once each child holds his own book in his hands, feels the joy of expressing his feelings that are going to dominate in our hearts afterward.
Through discussion after listening to mini-narratives from the young storytellers, we aim at interaction, initiation and inspiration, exchange, enrichment, and recording of unknown information that consists an integral part of our Greek way of life and culture.
The children’s words will travel to distant places where Greek children wish to know their homeland. The words will leave for unknown places, like the waves. They will anchor to get to know numerous places and travel even further. Until words become countless like the stars.
There will be posts about the «Story Telling Waves» workshops on our website. Do come and travel together to the South Aegean and the Ionian Sea.
A FEW THOUGHTS FROM THOSE INVOLVED
Fairy tales are arks of wisdom, compasses of moral orientation…
They are governed by a transformative force, a grafting thought, calculus, emotional richness, and imagination with incredible potential…
The narrative is the song of the soul, the collective soul, which speaks to the heart the personal one, and that of the community…
It warms dreams and glances in the winter whether you’re or not next to the fire, healing…
It cools trips, plans, and bodies in the middle of the summer on the islands in alleys and squares, watering the roots and stroking with a favorable wind, the wings of the will, and of life.Maria Bakari,
MSc Organizational Psychologist
~~ ~~~ Synergy ~~~ ~~
Building Emerald Cultures
Reading is beneficial! Always follow the right path, and everything will come out the best way. Don’t worry about asking for unimportant things. I wish you luck. Did you hear me? Have Good Luck, my daughter. My wish with you for many years as my age is.Grandmother Marianthi Almiroudi
Self-taught Storyteller of Chios Island
Words are the passwords to knowledge. This is what gives you the chance to feel you’re closer to the text’s serenity. But what are the passwords without words? What is the one that can be read without being read? It will never be a silent text, but a text writhing to be read through its known words!Apostolos Garoufos
BSc Department of Classical Philology
MSc in ICT’s & Special Education, Integration Psychopedagogy
Children ask only one thing of us – to keep them safe so they can learn. Their minds are like sponges, and every day in the classroom, dedicated teachers and literacy advocates like Agatha Rodi use storytelling to make sure children flourish. Agatha is always looking for more ways to enrich the lives of the children in her community, so making a children’s book about Kimolos island will also show το children their community has significant value.Emma Mactaggart
Author/Publisher/ Speaker
Child Writes Fund/ International Read to me Day -Australia
International Read to Me! Day March 19
The importance of reading to children can’t be overemphasized. It provides the perfect stimulation on all levels: mentally, both the intellectual and creative sides of the brain are used to process the words being read or listened to by a reader. Reading also creates a wonderful activity not just for children, but also for the parents, siblings, grandparents, or any child caretaker giving way for priceless lifetime memories to be born!Rita Verreos
TV-Radio Host/Actress/Beauty Pageant Coach
Storytelling brings language learning to life, creating a participatory and immersive experience that allows Young Learners to enjoy hearing the language in a dynamic, sometimes stylistic, and entertaining way. Participation in using key vocabulary and phrases can create an awareness of rhythm and structure. Students feel motivated, and this makes Storytelling the most appealing means to create emotionally resonant stories active and visual ones.Taruna Kapoor
Headteacher & Principal at GDGoenka Public School- India
