Workshops
Teaching different aspects of storytelling is a particular passion for Beth. She is an adjunct faculty member at Dominican University in Chicago and conducts workshops nation-wide on numerous wide-ranging aspects of storytelling.
Debi Richan, Vice President of Programming for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival wrote of Beth’s workshop on Story Creation With Children: “Beth Horner is amazing. An accomplished teller herself, she clearly understands how to teach those concepts to others, an entirely different gift…one of the most hands-on, down-to-earth, truly useful workshops I have ever attended!”
Keynote
Storytelling: Entertaining…Educational…Empowering
Introductory Workshop
The Hows and Whys of Storytelling
Where to start with storytelling, resources, techniques and applications within specific setting
Music and Storytelling
Musical Mayhem: Enhancing Your Stories With Music
Beth briefly addresses that old foe music anxiety and explores ways in which music can strengthen story structure and the storytelling process. She then takes participants step-by-step through the process of transforming a story into a song. For musicians AND non-musicians, new AND experienced storytellers, and all lovers of fun!
Storytelling to Teens
Storytelling to teens and young adults is an extremely rewarding challenge. Beth discusses tips and techniques for selecting and telling stories to Middle School, Junior High and High School students. She covers types of stories that work well, suggested storytelling styles and a model for the flow of the program.
Story Creation with Children
Wrangling Those Creative Juices: Story Creation with Children
Mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers…if you work with children and recognize the great story producing potential they have, this is the workshop for you. In this hands-on workshop, Beth takes participants through specific methods and techniques to use in teaching school-aged children to create and write stories, poems and songs. Bring your own imaginations!
Emcee Workshop
The Consummate Emcee
An Emcee can make or break a program … No Pressure Though!
An Emcee often wears many hats as well — introduction writer, stage manager, sound engineer, clock watcher, pitch person, instant community builder, energy gatherer, lighting technician, cheerleader, venue coordinator, dog catcher — and must do so with grace and charm!
An experienced emcee, Beth presents an in-depth, hands-on practical workshop. Beth takes participants through specific exercises on structuring a concert, writing introductions, developing an MC game plan and dodging curve balls — from the solid basic ingredients for keeping things running smoothly and trouble-shooting problems that arise to spicing things up with a little fun. Includes practical emcee experience. For new and experienced emcees and for storytellers developing solo programs.
Other Workshops
Energizing Your Stories
Ways in which one can put a little pizzazz into one’s storytelling.
Participation Stories
Methods for getting the listeners involved in the story.
Story Presentation: A Unique Approach
A workshop exploring techniques for approaching, learning and telling a story. Participants bring a specific story to work on. (Beth also has stories available to work with if a participant doesn’t have a specific story in mind.)
Beth begins with a series of exercises on analyzing one’s story for telling and then takes participants through activities on different approaches to actually learning, telling and presenting their story – getting it from page to brain to mouth to listener! Included activities focus on character and structure analysis, voice inflection, focus, gesture, body movement, introductions, etc. A participatory, active, unique, fun approach to the subject of Story Presentation! For beginning and experiences storytellers!
What’s In a Name: Telling Our Own Stories
Structuring the ancestral tale and telling stories out of our own lives and from family history.
Telling Tales of Actual Events
Researching, structuring and bringing events in a community’s history to life.
Storytelling Collaboration: That Daring, Illuminating Adventure!
All life is an adventure in collaboration! Beth describes different types of storytelling collaboration and then takes participants step-by-step through the vast and sometimes challenging artistic and business elements required for a successful collaborative venture — melding philosophies, repertoires, skills, resources and even personalities. Participants play Pleasures & Pitfalls: The Collaboration Game and go through a series of participatory exercises to develop specific collaborative models. Practical, participatory, great fun! For anyone who works with another person or group of people on any collaborative venture!
FEES & FUNDING
Funding assistance is available through Illinois ArtsTour, MO-Tour, and Heartland Arts Fund.
Call or email Beth for information.