Tales From the Hill 2022-23 at the Guelph Civic Museum
Second THURSDAY of each month
"Themes" for suggestion only - Tellers choice.
JUNE 8TH - 7:00 to 8:30 -
6:30 museum door opens for casual socializing with hot cider and light refreshments.
The event is free, but donations are always gratefully received.
A sigh - June the 8th is the last of the season for Tales From the Hill. It's been a great partnership, collaborating with the Guelph Civic Museum, a setting where every artifact is a story. Thank you, staff - You're all wonderful!!
Come and enjoy June 8th evening and then get ready for Tea 'n' Tales 2023 and its promising Friday morning stories in the Enabling Garden of Riverside Park.
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June 8: ~Host: Brian Theme of the tellers' choosing
Guest tellers in addition to Guild members. Click here to meet the members. Norm, Larry, Rusty, Bev
Meryl Arbing and Jean Bubba are two renowned Toronto storytellers, famous for their tandem telling. We are delighted that they will be coming to Guelph to entertain us with one of their tandem tellings.
Jean Bubba
Jean frequently tells at the 1001 Nights of Storytelling. She has produced several solo shows, notably “Serendipity at Fifty” at the Toronto Fringe Festival and “The Scorned Women’s Tea Party” for the 2017 Toronto Storytelling Festival Story Fire. A story artist exploring many genres, she was a featured teller of personal stories at But That’s Another Story, Dare Storytelling and High Stakes Storytelling events, and the requested Biblical Storyteller at the consecration of the Anglican Bishop of Toronto. In addition to storytelling, Jean was a cast reader in three Toronto productions of A Christmas Carol.
Meryl Arbing
Meryl has been actively involved with Toronto’s 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling for almost 40 years. An accomplished storyteller and folk musician, he has appeared in many festivals from the Lunenburg Folk Festival to the Toronto Storytelling Festival, Jewish Storytelling Festival, Toronto Fringe Festival (Bathurst St. Theatre), Toronto Nuit Blanche, Toronto First Night, and the Mariposa Folk Festival. He tells regularly at the 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling.
How delightful to welcome back a favourite storyteller, Norm Perrin.
For over 25 years, accompanied by his penny whistle, storyteller Norman Perrin has been telling stories around southern Ontario, across Canada, and worldwide: Scotland, Switzerland, Israel, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Here's an accolade that echoes our love and admiration of Norman: "Norm’s love for sharing stories is evident through his skill as an oral storyteller; he is an original and remarkable storyteller – for children and adult listeners. Norm delivers family stories and folk and fairy tales with great conviction! You would think all the stories are true and happened to Norm!
We invited Jay to come back, and he promised he would. Perhaps he'll tell us part two of "The Unfortunate Man" or another one of Guelph's deep secrets, or a whole other story. Whatever, it will be great!
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2022/23 - past events: "TALES FROM THE HILL"
May 11: ~Host: Sya VanGeest
A fine evening! We started with Bridget and then thoroughly enjoyed this month's guest tellers, Jay and Frances, in addition to our Guild Mentor Robert and members Larry and Sya.
Brian described the promising lineup of tellers for this summer's Tea 'n' Tales. We caught his excitement as he outlined the roster, the music, the Enabling Garden setting, and supporters of free coffee, lemonade, and donations for overhead costs. Brian brought along beautiful posters he's created and invited us to post, spread the word and welcome back our audience.
Some of the audience came early and they were met by the beautiful strings of Bridget Walsh on her violin. And an invitation to cider and a snack.
Bridget charmed us at Tea 'n' Tales last summer when we became part of her story to practice her violin for 1000 consecutive days. Click here to read the news story.
Bridget is scheduled to return to Tea 'n' Tales 2023, as are other musicians.
Robert Munch started our evening of stories, as he has this past winter of tales. This evening he charmed us with, Up, Up Down, complete with all the actions the story demands.
If you have not browsed Robert's Website, be entertained and learn about Robert's amazing lived- experiences that shape his stories and his love and respect for children. Click here.
Jay Wilson promised to give us a taste of one of his Jay Walking inspirations—and he did!
He gave us part one of "The UInfortunate Man" - what a story, featuring the true tale of one of Guelph's own! - Jay left us wanting to hear the rest and a promise we'd hear it on his Friday evening Jay Wallks. We highly recommend you buy a ticket for one of his inspirational tours and learn one of Guelp's deep secrets. Click here.
Frances Reilly: We extended a warm welcome to Frances.
Frances is descended from a Welsh Romany family of storytellers, harpists, and fiddlers. She told us a Gypsy tale that hailed from another time and place. We understood why her Tales have captivated and enthralled audiences in Wales, St. Petersburg, Florida, and here in Canada at Goderich, Guelph, and Kitchener Waterloo.
Click here to learn more and hear Frances telling.
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April 13 - 7:00 to 8:30
April's "Tales From the Hill" was a great evening with an array of tellers and stories!
Guild members Beve, Brian, Larry, Rusty, and Sya were part of the lineup who delighted the 50+ attendees.
Robert Munch started our evening of stories.
We were delighted with his telling of A Promise is a Promise, including the tale of how the story happened on a tour of the Northwest Territories. (Click here.)
If you have not browsed Robert's Website, be entertained and learn about Robert's amazing lived- experiences that shape his stories and his love and respect for children. Click here.
We're also delighted to welcome back to Guelph, one of our favourites, Sarah Abusarar, the returning guest teller from Mississauga.
Click here to hear a story.
Renata Mares made her storytelling debut for the Guelph Guild of Storytellers on April 13th. Renata held us in her palms as she related her lived experience as a refugee and immigrant. 
In her career, Renata is an adaptation consultant, nurse educator, and member of the Emerging Leaders Program. Renata is passionate about evaluating and improving the way the Canadian healthcare system functions and supports its workers, especially nurses, in the face of a healthcare crisis and pandemic.
Nurse and educator Renata Mares was inspired by her students to share the struggles nurses are facing in their field. Click here to hear Renata's presentation at TEDxGuelphU
Click here to meet Renata on LinkedIn
Robert Munch
and
Guild members rounded out the program.
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March 9: ~ Host: Sya Theme "Legends"
March was delightful. It featured Brad Woods. one of Guelph's celebrated, much-loved storytellers.
In addition, Robert Munch, the Guild's Patron, and Guelph's iconic storyteller charmed us with two of his stories, one the beloved, The Paperback Princess. Always a wonderful delight.
Our Guild tellers, Brian and Beve, and the newest member Larry Gibbs rounded out the program.
Last-minute regrets, from three booked tellers, had each teller share a second story. A record audience of 60, warmly applauded and shared their positive comments.
Many came early, met the tellers, mixed and mingled, and enjoyed hot cider, brought by Susan and Irish bread baked by volunteer Pearl Robinson and Rita Hyde's famous cupcakes.
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February 9, 2023: ~Host: Rusty - Theme: "Love - family- friends" Pleased to announce guest teller: Larry Gibbs, with guild members, Brian, Sya, Rusty, and Beve.
Rober Munch charmed us with his telling of an all-time favourite, "Love You Forever". Listener softly joined him in singing the familiar chorus. Robert's telling and memories of family sharing left a few moist eyes.
This was the beginning of an excellent evening of stories. Larry Gibbs engaged us with his family stories, followed by our GGS members, each of whom was on the top of their game.
(Larry is an actor, singer, and author of various genres, including his first love, poetry. Hear Larry interviewed on CBC as a finalist for the Canada-wide CBC short-story writing contest in 2019.)
Delighted to end with Jay Wilson outlining his exciting JayWalking 2023 season. Read Jay's blog here.
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January 12, 2023: ~Host: Brian. Theme: "New Beginnings"
We were delighted and honoured to welcome Sarah Abusara and Norm Perrin as guest tellers in addition to Guelph Guild members JennyQ, Brian, Sya, and Rusty. It was a delightful evening of "new beginnings" to 2023.
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December 14, 2022: ~Host: Don. Theme: "Celebration" Guest teller: Jay Wilson with Patron Robert Munch and Brian, Don, Sya, Rusty, and Beve
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November 9: ~Host: Beve. Theme: "Memories"
Robert Munch, GGS Patron, excited us with an offer to tell at the open mic. - - a moving story of a lived experience.
Judy and Paul Caulfield, popular, beloved Guelph guest tellers, and members of Baden Storytellers were our special guests. They brought to life two historical events and moved us with their telling.
GGS Tellers: Sya, Rusty, and Brian
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October 12 : ~Host: Sya. Theme: "Colours" with Guild tellers Beve, Rusty, Brian, and Don
The Guelph Guild of Storytellers (GGS) was founded in 1984 by a small group of Guelph authors and tellers. Now, decades later, it continues to champion storytelling with the same spirit of love for the spoken word and desire to share stories to entertain, engage, inspire wonder, curiosity, and appreciation, to spark imagination, and to inform. From the beginning, the search was for adult audiences to share and nurture the ancient art and to encourage tellers of all levels. For years, members regularly got together to build and polish stories, often around a theme, to 