One of the many highlights of the upcoming Storytelling Festival of Carolinal is the four workshops on Saturday afternoon.

The workshops are presented by the headliners, professional storytellers with years of experience in guiding others in developing storytelling skills; incorporating storytelling in the classroom; and weaving storytelling skills into family traditions. The festival is April 24 to 27.

In addition, teachers can get Continuing Education Units for each workshop they attend.

You may register for all workshops or select your favorite from the list below:

Bill Harley will host a workshop called Telling Personal Stories

Harley says telling a personal story requires more work than just telling what happened. Some thought about theme, plot, setting and character are important to make a personal story mean something to others.

“In my workshop, I will offer some prompts to help you find material for your own stories, and give some insights about how to structure them so they work in the classroom, at home, with friends, or in performance settings,” he said.

Bil Lepp will host The Lie Will Set You Free. This workshop will help you to preserve your family or personal history through the use of tall tales.

Antonio Rocha' workshop is called Beyond the voice. You will learn mime techniques and illusions that focus on individual creativity to make the invisible visible, therefore creating atmosphere and character. This workshop will help the teller realize the power the body has to support, physically, what the teller is saying verbally. Antonio relates, ”I have been working with movement and mime for the past 23 years, such experience has brought to my work a very unique approach and attitude to the art of Storytelling.

Lyn Ford will host First, You Jump: Skill-Builders for the Novice Storyteller

“My focus is providing the basic “nuts and bolts" tips and activities for adult s interested in learning storytelling skills,” She said.

It includes the following concepts: ways to recognize your personal storytelling skills, simple exercises that can help you share from your own natural gifts; and sources and resources for your own storytelling. Activities are shared through interaction, individual exercises, handouts, and conversation, in a relaxed atmosphere of learning fun.

To register today go to http://www.StoryArts.info or call 910-291-0929 for the festival and for workshops.