June 2025 Newsletter
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The 11th Storytelling Festival 2025 – Shine Bright Like a Diamond!
This year, in celebration of Singapore’s brilliance and resilience, our festival theme is “Shine Bright Like a Diamond.” Just like a diamond reflects light in many facets, stories illuminate our hearts, minds, and shared experiences. Join us as we celebrate the power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and uplift!
We have Storytelling for Children both on-site and on zoom and for Adults as well.
Please look out for more information over the coming months.
Children love stories because they spark imagination and wonder! Join us for an exciting Oral Storytelling session with two talented members of the Storytelling Association Singapore (SAS). Each session features fresh, fun tales that engage young minds and encourage creativity.
Our storytellers will interact with the audience, making it a lively and participatory experience!
Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the session.
No registration needed – just come and enjoy!!
We had the pleasure of hosting two inspiring workshops led by CJ and Tanya Batt. These sessions were successful and also truly engaging, offering participants the chance to explore new ideas, connect with others, and dive deep into creative expression.
Whether it was through storytelling, hands-on activities, and lively discussions, CJ and Tanya brought us energy and insight that left a lasting impression.
Enjoy the highlights in the photos above.We’re so grateful to everyone who joined us!
Events in Singapore & Around the World
Join us for an evening of riveting tales where money takes center stage. From true stories of unexpected windfalls to timeless folktales of cunning thieves and generous benefactors, this storytelling session dives deep into the many faces of fortune. Explore themes of greed and generosity, avarice and luck, as tellers bring to life burglars and moneylenders, bribes and buried treasure, and the ever-complicated relationship between people and money. Whether the stories bring laughter, reflection, or a touch of suspense, each one reveals how money can twist, tempt, or transform us.
If you would like to tell a prepared story of 5-6 minutes email Christine Carlton at storyaus@gmail.com to be put on the list to tell a short story that must include the words “they all saw it”. The stories are told, not read.
This is a free online event organised by the Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW) Come as a listener or teller. All welcome.
Wednesday, 18th June 2025 – 5.20 pm SGT
Register on Humanitix for your free link.
The Storytelling Association Singapore is excited to partner with FEAST for a special showcase, ACROSS BORDERS; Inherited Voices.
In this unique collaboration, you will experience six very different tellers, three from Singapore and three from Argentina, Japan and Turkiye. Each will share a story from their cultural heritage—a story handed down, remembered, and retold. Come be part of this intimate journey across traditions.
Our storytellers from SAS are: Anamika Bhati, Nandini Nagpal and Juriah Atan. They will be joined by Cem Alfar, Anabelle Castano and Hideko Oshima.
All are welcome to this free event, but registration is needed to get the zoom link.
Click here to register and get the zoom link
FEAST has numerous events (some free and some for a small fee) every month. To find out more about FEAST or to become a member go to their website here.
The National Storytelling Network, in partnership with the Georgia Storytelling Network, invites you to the 2025 National Storytelling Conference to be held at Kennesaw State University in charming Kennesaw, Georgia from July 17-20 of this year.
Thursday June 19th 2025 7 am SGT
Circe. Orpheus. Ariadne. We know their names and have read their stories, but they are more than words inked into a page, they are as alive and vibrant we are. Greek (and related) myth is full of life, passion, yearning, all that it is to be human.
The Minotaur. Demeter. Prometheus. Hear them speak in their own voices and tell their own stories. Discover what happens from another point of view and after the tale ends. Find your own heart in the labyrinth and be transformed by storytelling.
These stories were once told, mouth to ear; come hear them now in a new retellings of classic myths by master storyteller Laura Packer
This event will be live on Zoom on Friday, 27 June 2025 at 8:00:00 am Singapore time. The show will be recorded and available for through July 12.
Cherish Mother Earth and Father Time
Human-animal encounters and conflicts are increasing due to dwindling habitats for animals.
A young elephant crossing a Malaysian highway with his mother died in an accident. Adding to the tragedy, he died on Mother’s Day.
The mother waited nearly five hours hoping to be reunited with her baby and for her baby to be rescued. Finally, she had to be sedated and pulled back into the forest with a four-wheel drive vehicle.
The mother elephant stood with her head pressed against the side of the lorry, as if to free her child which lay unmoving beneath the vehicle.
Animals can be very trusting and perhaps the mother elephant knew that rescue may be possible, and she may be reunited with her baby but alas, it was not to be.
Animals kill for food whereas humans are known to kill for pleasure. Leopard and tiger skins adorn the walls and men stand next to them with guns to showcase their bravado. An elephant head mounted on the walls of homes was a common sight in the days of yore. Thankfully, after many animal populations have reached the brink of extinction, hunting has mostly been banned worldwide.
Humans are capable of untold cruelty but are also capable of unimagined kindness. Let us always choose kindness over cruelty.
It is said, “No news is good news! Bad news travels fast and good news needs telling.”
We need storytellers to do the telling.
“Time is running out; the decision makers must act now. The continuation of civilizations and the future of the natural world upon which we depend is in our hands.” – Sir David Attenborough
Chhouk’s growing foot
Baby Chhouk was a playful little fellow. Prancing and dancing about, he was the joy of his mother and his herd.
Unfortunately, one day while meandering about his home, his foot was caught in a wire snare. It cut off his foot and his leg got badly infected.
Nick the animal rescuer was called by the patrol team to take a look at baby Chhouk. As Nick stared in disbelief, he blinked back his tears.
Chhouk was found wandering alone. He was skinny and he was scared.
Nick did not wish to startle Chhouk, after all he had been hurt and scarred by humans before. Why should he trust Nick, also a human?
Nick gingerly came into Chhouk’s view. Though badly hurt, the little fellow trumpeted as though warning Nick to stay away. Chhouk fell on his bad leg and his body buckled. Nick winced; he could feel the pachyderm’s pain.
Nick knew that it would take a while to earn Baby Chhouk’s trust and hence sent his team back to camp while he stayed with Chhouk.
Nick scattered crescent moon shaped ripe bananas along Chhouk’s trail hoping he would be enticed by the fruit. Chhouk skittered but didn’t touch any bananas.
As night fell, Chhouk watched Nick from a distance. Both Chhouk and Nick fell asleep under the starry night.
The next morning, Nick held a banana in his hand and offered it to Chhouk. Little Chhouk hobbled forward hesitatingly, inch by inch. Tenderly, Nick placed his hand on Chhouk’s head, until at last he snuffled his arm. Thus began an unusual friendship.
At daytime, Nick and Chhouk listened to the jungle, and at nighttime, Nick fluffed up some grass under his hammock and Chhouk slept on it.
In the meantime, Nick contacted every possible source that could help with the cause. Government officials told Nick to bring Chhouk to the rescue center, as he could get good care at the center.
Nick was worried as it was a daunting task and the roads were bumpy. Finally, a special cage was built, and it was padded with soft leaves. On the big day, Chhouk was sedated, then Nick gently led him to the truck. Nick stayed with Chhouk through the journey. After 26 hours they reached the rescue center.
Chhouk’s leg was in a very poor state. Without a foot, his back and bones would twist out of shape, and he would be in excruciating pain. Unfortunately, the missing limb could not be regrown. The wound was cleaned, plastered and had bone fragments removed from it.
Nick and another keeper nursed the calf round the clock, but Chhouk was sad, and he slept all the time.
He was missing an elephant family! For elephants, their herd is the center of their life. Nick could not provide an elephant mother, a herd, nor elephant love to Chhouk.
Lucky, another elephant who was eight years old was rescued by the center and Nick hoped she would help. The two were introduced. Lucky nestled Chhouk under her belly and he snuggled. Both found comfort in each other.
Lucky found new trails to explore, but Chhouk could not keep up. It was hard to walk on three legs. The little one needed to lie down and rest. Lucky rumbled encouragement but Chhouk could not keep up. Nick wanted Chhouk to have a normal elephant life
What about a prosthetic foot?
Nick called all the doctors in Thailand, and he only got no for an answer. “Too costly! Too crazy! Too complicated!” was the chorus that echoed.
Nick was relentless in his pursuit and finally the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics agreed to try. Medics measured, they molded, they debated and finally, they created an artificial foot for Chhouk. Nick enticed Chhouk with fresh, juicy turnips and doctors skillfully slipped on the new foot.
Chhouk tried it, took one step, twirled around and trusted his new foot and pranced around. However, in a few days, the sides split, and Chhouk needed a sturdier new foot.
The second time they used hard plastic and experimented with it. Nick distracted Chhouk with apples, and the new foot was inserted. Chhouk cried out! “Ouch! Ow! Ow! Owwwww!”
The calf cringed and he crashed!
Nick and his team carefully took off the foot.
The team got busy. They tested different designs, they used belts to keep the new foot on, they padded it with foam to make it comfortable. Once again, a new model was ready.
Nick grinned, he coaxed the little fellow with sugarcane, and the new foot was fitted.
Chhouk tiptoed forward and he did a cha-cha-cha backward and then snuggled up to Nick and snuffled up and said an elephant thank you!
Chhouk now explores the forest at the rescue center with Lucky. He is a big boy now and is still growing. Every six months he outgrows his foot and Nick’s team makes him a new prosthetic.
“Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing.” – John Donne
References:
The Straits Times, Monday, May 12, 2025
A true rescue story: Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre where injured, orphaned, traumatized animals like Chhouk receive care and treatment.
The Elephant’s New Shoe by Laurel Neme