• Sponsoring workshops and retreats for novices and professional tellers
• Producing storytelling performances in the Greater Philadelphia area
• Working with schools and community-based organizations to encourage people to tell and listen to stories in their communities
• Sponsoring a website which provides information about storytelling ideas and resources; and which offers a Calendar of Events to promote storytelling activities
• Promoting storytelling through contact with the media

• Passing on oral history from one generation to another
• Gathering and sharing stories that reflect cultural identities
• Developing storytelling as a contemporary art form
• Using storytelling as a tool for personal growth and spiritual exploration
• Learning to use storytelling to promote reading, literacy, and creative expression
• Receiving coaching feedback from peers on artistic development
• Attending informal story swaps with other members of the community
• Staying informed about regional and national storytelling programs and events

Dennis Strain.... a storyteller for more than fifteeen years. His storytelling journey began in Harrisburg and has moved with him to Philadelphia, the place where he recently retired. He focuses on Irish myths and traditional tales and teaches Storytelling For Beginners.

Dennis can be reached at dennis.strain09@gmail.com

Barbara Baumgartner... A founding member of Patchwork: A Storytelling Guild, Barbara holds a Ph.D in Storytelling and Education from Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has taught graduate courses in Children's Literature and in Storytelling; and she occasionally leads teacher workshops on storytelling. Barbara tells folktales from world cultures to children (pre-K through Grade 4), using sonorous chants and repeated motions to develop children's listening and narrative skills.

To e-mail Barbara: barbara909@yahoo.com

Charles Kiernan.... Performs at theatres, listening clubs, schools, libraries, and arts festivals. He is also coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild, Pennsylvania State Representative for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase, Pennsylvania State Liaison for the National Storytelling Network, and recipient of the 2008 Individual Artist Award from the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission. He has, of late, been fobbing himself off as Mark Twain with some success. Twain is wont to ramble on about his boyhood memories, the newspaper publishing business, life on the Missippi and frogs. Mostly, though, he likes to talk about the river.

Charles also performs Americana stories, collectively labeled the "Lost Dollar" stories. This is a collection of Appalachian tales whose wisdom and humor is woven into the life of a village stuck way back in the hills. Departing from this continent, he also specializes in Brothers Grimm and other fairy tales.

Contact Charles at cjkiernan@toast.net or visit http://www.lostdollar.net/

Michele Belluomini .... Michele has been telling stories to children and adults for the last 15 years. She has performed in schools, libraries, and museums as well as at universities in the Philadelphia area. She presented a solo performance on the "Fringe" stage at the 2006 National Storytelling Conference in Pittsburgh and has performed in a number of Patchwork Tellebration festivals. She can lead workshops for children and adults, and is available for storytelling performances.

Call 215-232-6855 or e-mail her at bluedeerstory@hotmail.com

Steve Noble.... Have you ever been down the greatest sledding hill ever? Have you ever tried to launch a model rocket? Have you ever waited forever for a cereal company to send you your prize? Come hear Steve Noble and let his stories inspire your imagination. For the past twenty years, Steve has been writing and telling family-friendly stories for those who are young at heart.