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Indian Storytelling Network

 

Chennai

 


The Chennai Storytelling Map

(the world's first map of

professional storytellers

in a city, it seems).

Lists of Neighborhoods and

Storytellers on the Map.

 

Also:

Storytelling Organisations

in Chennai

 

 

Storytellers (63)
(in alphabetical order)

 

1) S.W. Alvin.

2) Ambujavalli N. (Ambuja).

3) Annapoorani Barani.

4) Anuradha C.R.

5) Banumathy H.
6) Daniel Joseph.

7) Debjani Bhaduri.

8) Dipali Bajoria.

9) Divya Anand.

10) Divya Vijayakumar.
11) Eric Miller.

12) Geetha Kailasam.

13) Geethanjali Javid.

14) Gowri Bhargav.

15) Haritha Kannan.

16) Indu Divya.

17) Jayanthi B.

18) Kalyan Babu.

19) Kanagadurga Ramesh (Kanaga).

20) Kavitha Thyagarajan.

21) Kousalya Pari.

22) Lalitha Thilak.
23) Lavanya Srinivas.

24) Manjula Karthikeyan.

25) Mohan Krishnan.

26) P. Mohan Raj.

27) Monisha S.

28) Mubeen Irshad.

29) Nazrin M.

30) Neena Gayatri.

31) Padma Rangaraj.

32) Padmapriya Suresh.

33) Periya Nayaki.

34) Pooja Giri.

35) Pretigaya Haran.

36) Priya Balasubramanian.

37) Radha Balaraman.

38) Ramya Arivazhagan.

39) Renu Mira.

40) Renu Narayan.

41) Renuga Bharath.

42) Sabapathy Narayanan (Saba).

43) Samatha Sharma.

44) Sandhya Ruban.

45) K. Shanmugasundaram (Shan).

46) Sheettal Rayathatha.

47) Shifa Mustafa.

48) Shyama Sridharan.

49) Sivakumar Davamani (SKD).

50) Soorya Gayathri.

51) Sophie F. Augustina.

52) Sornapriya Sachidanandham.

53) Sreelekha Ramachandran.

54) Sridevi Srinivasan.

55) Srividya Veeraraghavan.

56) Sudha Umashanker.

57) Suriya Lakshmi.

58) Trupti Sayani.

59) Vasugi Ram Manohar.

60) K.R. Vidhyaa.

61) Vineetha C.B.

62) Vithya Dhanaraj.

63) Zarin M.





1

S.W. Alvin.

Alvin is a Storyteller and Creativity Trainer.  He seeks to deliver Peace, Joy, and Goodness through stories, and also to help individuals discover the knowledge of their true selves, and identify their inborn potentials.   

     Alvin's Storytelling and Training Company is Regina Pacis - Zone of Confidence.  Regina Pacis trains Teachers regarding Storytelling, Communication, and Personality Development.  Alvin also teaches Spoken English classes for students and professionals.

     Alvin has developed a 2-week Personality Development module called "LIKES" (Life Inspiring Knowledge Enriching Stories) for people of the age group 12 to 17 years.  If you might be interested to have this module in your institution, please contact Alvin.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact
95517 62399

alvinansa@gmail.com

www.reginapaciszc.com

 

 

2

Ambujavalli N. (Ambuja).

Ambujavalli – an IT professional turned storyteller-trainer and public speaker – strongly believes that good stories spread healthy happiness.  She is known for the performance elements (music, movements, humour) that she weaves into her stories.  She is comfortably bilingual (English and Thamizh).  Audiences love her energy, humour, and more importantly, her spontaneity and connectivity.

 

Age group : 4 years and older (no upper limit).

Genre : Folktales; Classical stories; Personal stories; Indian mythology and legends.

Style: Performance based with music (rhythms), movements (dance) and humour occasionally with instruments (veena, tambourine, etc).

 

Festival Performances - National & International

1.    PINKS – Penang International Kids Festival 2022 – Malaysia.

2.    AKT Festival 2022 – Singapore.

3.    Malaysian Kids Festival organized by Pustaka Nageri Sarawak 2021.

4.    FEAST Fest 2021.

5.    National storytelling festival for adults 2022 by CSMVS – Mumbai (A dance story).

6.    Under the Aalamaram by Kathai Kalatta – 2018.

7.    Chennai Storytelling Festival 2017-2023.

 

In the Media

1.    TV – Interview - Indian National TV - Podhigai (Live).

2.    Guest of Honour – Indian National TV - Podhigai (Live).

3.    Featured – Podhigai TV, Kalaingnar TV, Makkal TV.

4.    Radio – All India Radio (English & Thamizh), Bengaluru community radio.

 

Signature Workshops

1.    Mudras and Rhythms - Imbibing Indian rhythms and dance mudras into stories - FEAST International Conference 2019.

2.    Animate a Story – Adding elements of music, movements, and humour to a story - CSF 2023.

3.    Katha Cookery – Storytelling workshop for adults (teachers, parents, aspiring tellers).

4.    StoReveal – Storytelling workshop for children.

5.    Teaching subjects using stories.

 

A few more feathers in her cap

1.    Interim Director 2023 – Federation of Asian Storytellers (FEAST).

2.    One of the authors of FEAST's 2019 Anthology, "Royals, Wise and Otherwise".

3.    Workshop Leader/Co-Leader, Chennai Storytelling Festival 2017-23.

4.    Part of the Tamil Nadu Government Education Department's "Story Corner" project.

5.    Curator of Spiritual series that combines slokas and stories of deities: "All in All Aadhyantha", "Spectacular Shiva", "Versatile Vishnu", “Dynamic Devis”, “Kurumbukara Kanna”, “Radiant Ramayana”, “Astounding Aazhwaars” ...

6.    Visiting faculty – Storytelling as an elective for college students.

 

Contact

nambujavalli@gmail.com

+91 99625 27135

 

http://www.facebook.com/Ambujavalli.Nagarajan 

https://instagram.com/ambujavalli_nagarajan

https://www.youtube.com/user/ambujavallin/featured

(Over 1.8k subscribers).

 

 

3

Annapoorani Barani.

Annapoorani is a storyteller, a theatre artist with Veshadharis, a carnatic singer, a writer on holistic growth for Life Positive and The Teenager Today, and a sales and marketing manager.

     She has pursued theatre, music, yoga, and writing in numerous capacities and believes these activities have helped to mould her into the multifaceted professional she is today.  She loves to blend her knowledge of music, yoga, and fitness into her storytelling, and she believes this blending has a powerful impact on her audience members.

     An ardent reader of books of all genres and a lover of mythology, one can often find Annapoorani engrossed in watching movies or reading stories pertaining to mythology and other tales of various cultures.  Her love for stories is coupled with a penchant for exploring the hidden facets and lessons in stories.

     Annapoorani is fluent in Tamil and English.  Her story repertoire includes: Mythology (Hindu and other), Animal Fables (Aesops' fables, Panchatantra stories, etc), and adaptations of classic tales.  As a storyteller and storytelling workshop leader, Annapoorani can customise sessions for all age groups.

     A video recording of Annapoorani telling an original fictional story is here.

---

Contact

annu199@gmail.com

97910 54616

 

 

4

Anuradha C.R.

Anuradha is a storyteller who hosts storytelling sessions under the name of "Story Clouds".  She believes that storytelling is a very powerful tool to transmit our social and emotional values to children.  She loves to be with children and has developed a fun-filled technique to bring out their individual talents in telling and discussing stories, and in doing arts and crafts.  She leads storytelling programs at schools and shelter homes, and also conducts training sessions for pre-school teachers.

     Anuradha is fluent in Marathi, Tamil, and English.  Her story collection includes Mythology, Folktales, and Animal Fables.

     Anuradha also runs an activity center for children in Chennai to develop their soft skills.  She is a postgraduate in Business Administration and has ten years of experience administrating pre-schools.

     A photo is here.

     A recording of Anuradha telling a story in Chennai Storytelling Festival 2022 is here.

     A recording of her telling the story, "Annual Hair Cut Day", is here. 

---

Contact

storyclouds81@gmail.com

98849 13130

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Atstoryclouds

Instagram:  Anuradha.Ragunanthan

 

 

5

Banumathy H.  

Banumathy is the Founder-Director of Fables n Tales.  She believes that stories can entertain and educate. 

     As part of the Government of Tamil Nadu's "Children's Program", Banu has shared stories in Public Libraries across Chennai.  She is also a member of the Government of Tamil Nadu's "Story Corner" project.

     Banu has told stories and conducted workshops in Storytelling Festivals and schools across Tamil Nadu.  She has performed for Regional and International Radio Channels, for DD National Television, and with International Storytelling Guilds.

     When Banu tells stories, she uses her theatrical expertise to transport listeners to different worlds.  Listeners make the story their own by relating themselves to the characters. 

     Banu believes that by telling and/or listening to a hero’s / heroine's story journey, and by deciphering the metaphors of a story, one can enhance one's problem-solving skills, further develop moral values and creative imagination, improve vocabulary, and even experience healing.

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Storytelling-related Services Offered (online):

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* Regular Saturday storytelling sessions for children

aged 4-9.

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* Interactive storytelling sessions using puppets for all occasions.

––

* Customised intensive workshop, "Introduction to Storytelling and Its Elements", for all age groups.

––

* Workshop on making and using puppets.

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* Workshop for parents on reading and telling stories to their children.

––

Contact

80560 50606

banumathy81@gmail.com

­­––

https://www.facebook.com/FablesnTales

––

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ZvmWi3dsZB8aMbqSj_FLQ

––

Instagram: fablesntales



6

Daniel Joseph.

Daniel uses Storytelling to teach English language.  He is a certified TESOL instructor.  Together with his wife, Christina Joseph, he directs Virginia Language Training (VLT), which is based in Pallavaram (just south of Chennai airport).

     VLT, formerly known as VATD (Virginia Academy of Training and Development), provides English Language training to a number of schools, including Shikshaa Matriculation Hr. Sec. School, in Hasthinapuram (near Chromepet), St. Stephen's and St. Sebastain's in Pallavaram, CSI Bains School in Kodingaiyur, CSI Ewarts Annanagar, and more schools all over Tamilnadu.

     VLT has conducted English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction for over 50,000 students, using innovative and creative fun-filled activities such as Storytelling, Theatre, Mime, Puppetry, and Arts and Crafts, to help children develop their language abilities.  Two excellent Storytelling and Language trainers -- Maria Lincoln and Sabatina Cornielle -- contribute to the strength of the VLT team.  Recently we have added even more Storytellers to our team. 

     Virginia Language Training is now conducting Online Classes for children all over the world, providing programs in Storytelling to Learn English, Moral Values, Good Behaviour, and about Different Cultures for young people in India, USA, Canada, and Brazil.

Contact

88258 79393, 99406 13580

danygetsit@gmail.com

Pallavaram, Chennai - 43

Facebook, Virginia Language Training

 

 

7

Debjani Bhaduri.

Debjani enjoys telling stories, and also giving instruction in Storytelling, to people of all ages.  She brings a lot of humor and fun to her Storytelling work.

     Debjani is a post-graduate in English literature.  She has taught in a college in Bangalore; and in Bala Vidya Mandir, Gandhinagar, Chennai.  Currently she is conducting phonics classes for children in Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur.  She also teaches communication skills and story-theatre classes for teenagers and adults in Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98402 76914

debjani.bhdr@gmail.com

Facebook, Debjani Bhaduri

 

 

8

Dipali Bajoria.

Dipali is a professional educator, specialising in Storytelling, English Language Instruction, and Curriculum Development.

She has studied Storytelling with Dr. Eric Miller, director of the World Storytelling Institute, Chennai.

 

She has completed her MA in Education at Azim Premji University, and has acquired a Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL) Certification from the Asian College of Teachers.

 

Dipali has been working in the Education sector for over 10 years. She has worked on projects involving improving the Indian and International education landscape with NGOs such as:

* United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

* Pratham-ASER (helping children to acquire skills in reading and writing, and math),

* Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA).

 

Nowadays due to nuclear families and hectic schedules, the culture of our grandparents telling stories to children is fading away. Through Dipali's venture, TD Storytellers, she is focusing on bringing back the culture of telling Indian stories to young people of various age groups.

 

Dipali is passionate about educating children on Indian culture and Indian epics using Storytelling. She tells stories using voice modulation, props, music, singing, and dancing. She also helps children retain the stories using related activities. Children are encouraged to work on their Listening, Speaking, and Reading and Writing skills in her sessions. The sessions are structured to be fun and meaningful to children and they learn from every session. She is fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil.

 

TD Storytellers offers:

––

Online Sessions

Weekly sessions on Weekday Afternoons and Weekends (English language).

Batches of 4 to 7 years, 8 to 10 years, 11 to 12 years, and 13+ years.

The sessions are one hour, once a week. Along with Storytelling, Shlokas and English language activities are done in these sessions.

––

Offline Sessions

In Chennai, Bangalore, Erode, Coimbatore, Salem, Tirupur and Patna. (We are based in Chennai.) These sessions are on request. We also offer summer camps. 

––

Themed Sessions on Special Days

On Navratri, Ram Navmi, etc. The sessions can occur in one day or over a few days.

––

Custom Sessions

We are frequently invited by schools, activity centres, kids groups and event organisers. We tailor-make sessions to blend in with the event and its aim. We have also done a few fundraising sessions with NGOs.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

90808 46603

96200 77751

Email: dipali.agwl@gmail.com

Facebook: TD Storytellers

Youtube: TD Storytellers

Instagram: TD Storytellers

 

 

9

Divya Anand.

Divya finds great passion in her craft as a storyteller for young children.  She has been in the IT industry for a while, along side which she has also been doing voice overs for promos, corporate videos, documentaries, and the like. So the power of voice and expressive speech found a natural meandering into the world of storytelling, which one can apply to entertain as well as to educate.  Voice, action, fun, and more give flight to the characters and bring the story alive.  Her stories entertain, and in the process also cultivate the need and sense to be grounded with healthy beliefs and value systems for oneself.

     A photo is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98404 26260

dhivyaanand1110@gmail.com

Divya A's website is here.

 

 

10

Divya Vijayakumar.

Divya is a Storyteller, an Educator, and a Quiz Curator.  She is a BE (Bachelor of Engineering) Computer Science graduate, and has worked in the IT field.  However, from her early years, Divya has also been a book lover: her favorite genres of stories are mythology and folktales. 

     Divya's storytelling journey started when she was telling stories to her own children, and then when she handled reading sessions for children.  Her inspiration to use stories in education came through a workshop in Chennai Storytelling Festival 2019.  In that same year, Divya founded Skill Tree, marking the beginning of her career as an entrepreneur in the field of education.

     Divya believes that storytelling is an effective tool for facilitating learning and development in children.  Listening to, discussing, and telling stories helps with their brain development, encourages creative thinking and problem solving abilities, and helps them improve their interpersonal-communication-social skills.

     Through Skill Tree, Divya conducts (online and offline) story sessions for children aged 4 to 10 years.  The stories especially relate to science and math.  She explores and works on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) story sessions to communicate the concepts and facts to children in ways that are more likely to be remembered by them.  She loves using puppets, sing-alongs, and language-games to deliver her stories.  After she tells a story to children, she often invites them to participate in a related art activity, or some other activity. 

     Her interest in arts and crafts led her to develop sessions which combine storytelling and origami under the name, "Storigami".  She has led "Storigami" sessions in numerous schools.  

     Divya has completed the World Storytelling Institute's 10-session Storytelling Workshop.  She has also attended Storytelling Workshops led by Geeta Ramanujam of Kathalaya, and Alvin SW.  She has told stories in a FEAST story swap, and in a Katha Potpourri organized by KathaVriksh.

     Divya has conducted an online storytelling contest titled, "The Narrator".  She also conducts phonics, reading, Vedic math, and Indian folk art and craft classes for children.

     Divya's vision is to use storytelling for education, to lead storytelling workshops for children, creating a space in  which the children can develop their storytelling talents and -- among other things -- learn STEM concepts from mythology and folktales.

     A photo is here.

Contact

88385 00794

skilltree1513@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/skilltreecentre

Instagram: skill.tree

 

 

11
Dr Eric Miller.

Dr Eric (PhD in Folklore, MSc in Psychology) is Scholar, Educator, Writer (Fiction and Non-Fiction), Storytelling Trainer, Writing Trainer (Fiction and Non-Fiction), Psychological Counsellor, Life Coach, and Storytelling Therapy Trainer.  He is a native New Yorker, settled in Chennai. 

---

Dr Eric is Dean of Rojavanam International School (Nagarcoil, Tamil Nadu, India).  Info is here.

---

Dr Eric co-founded and directs,

A) The World Storytelling Institute.

B) The Chennai Storytelling Festival -- now approaching its 10th annual edition, in Feb 2022.  The Festival's schedule is here .

C) The Storytelling Therapy Association of India.  

---

He co-facilitates the Indian Storytelling Network and the  Chennai Storytelling Association.

---

He is the Assistant Director of the East West Center for Counselling and Training, and the Indian Institute of Psychodrama.

---

Four trainings Dr Eric offers (currently via Zoom) are:

---

1

"Storytelling Workshop" (for adults) --

10 sessions (with a group of 12 people at most, usually).

Info is here.

---

2

"Professional Storyteller" training and certification (for Storytelling Workshop graduates) --

4 sessions (one-on-one).

Info is here.

---

3

"Storytelling Therapy: Using Stories and Storytelling for Life Coaching and Psychological Counselling" training --

8 sessions (one-on-one). 

Trainees apply the Storytelling Therapy method to themselves in order to learn how to apply it to others.  Reviews of this training are here and here. No requirements. Additional training info is here.

---

4

"Storytelling and Psychodrama" group workshop.

With co-trainer Ms Magdalene Jeyarathnam (TED Talk).  One of our past workshops is described here.

---

All of the above is occurring primarily via Zoom. One-on-one sessions could also occur in Dr Eric's office just off Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai.

---

Dr Eric also helps to provide Storytellers for any occasion (in Tamil, English, and other languages). 

---

Links to 91 newspaper, etc, articles mentioning Dr Eric's work are here.

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Links to 83 of Dr Eric's writings are here.

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Regarding Videoconferencing:

---

Dr Eric has been working with Storytelling and Videoconferencing since the early 1990s (almost 30 years ago).

---

Links to 19 Storytelling-related Videoconferences he has co-facilitated are here.

---

In 2017, Eric guest-edited "Ways Storytellers are Using Audio- and Videoconferencing for Training, Discussion, and Performance" -- a 12-page section of the USA National Storytelling Network's Storytelling Magazine.

---

Member, Chennai Storytellers.
---

Contact
98403 94282

eric@storytellinginstitute.org
NGO:  www.storytellinginstitute.org
Personal:  www.storytellingandvideoconferencing.com


12

Geetha Kailasam.

Geetha is a Storyteller and Writer.  She conducts Storytelling and Theatre classes for children and adults, especially in Besant Nagar.

     Geetha is is also a Certified Accountant by qualification, and passionately teaches Accounts and Commerce to students in the 11th and 12th Standards.

Contact

99529 57031

geetha33@gmail.com

 

 

13

Geethanjali Javid.

Geethanjali directs the Spotlight Academy, through which she trains children in soft skills using storytelling as one of the tools.  She conducts summer camps for children in the Academy. 

     For many years, Geethanjali was a teacher.  She has a PG in English Literature.  She has studied storytelling with Eric Miller (director, World Storytelling Institute) in Chennai, and with Sherin Mathews in Mumbai.

     Geethanjali also trains teachers, regarding ways to use storytelling to enhance children's English-language speaking skills.  She tells stories in schools, libraries, NGOs, and social gatherings.  She tries to inspire people by telling personal stories which they could relate to regardless of religion, language, ethnicity, etc.

     A person who always believes in countries without borders, Geethanjali considers herself as an ambassador of peace.

     A photo of Geethanjali is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

73583 25036

spotlight19gj@gmail.com

 

 

14

Gowri Bhargav.

Gowri is a certified storyteller from Kathalaya Academy (2016 Chennai batch).  An Engineering graduate who is highly interested in arts, she has always had a passion to tell stories.  She regularly conducts storytelling sessions and creative writing classes for children and has also facilitated workshops for teachers.

 

She has been instrumental in spreading the joy of books through storytelling for thousands of students across India while working with stones2milestones and FREADOM (a reading app to promote the “Padho Bharath” initiative by the Government of India).

 

She has been an active member of Mayaakatha (a storytelling FB group) and is a founding member of Kathashtakam Global (a storytelling initiative led by Enlit Kids, Pune).  She has also contributed stories to Talking Stories Radio, London, which has a monthly program dedicated to storytelling.

 

Gowri enjoys weaving words into poems, stories and blogs. Her writings have been published in renowned literary platforms such as Penmancy, Chrysanthemum Chronicles, Asian Literary Society, and Women's Web.  She has also contributed to more than 15 national and international anthologies.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

94442 09481

gowristory@gmail.com

 

Her blog, which showcases all her writings, is

https://gowribhargav.com

 

Facebook

 

@gowristoryteller is her Youtube channel –

a storytelling channel for children.

 

Instagram,

@gowristoryteller

 

 

15

Haritha Kannan.

Haritha is a passionate Storyteller, Translator, Educator, Script Writer, and Voice-over Artist.  Stories, books, and illustrations always fascinated her.  Having the zeal to explore the possibilities of stories, in 2020 Haritha started her own venture StoryVandi, in which she leads regular online and offline Storytelling sessions and LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) enhancement sessions for children in Tamil and English.

     Haritha loves to narrate stories for children relating to Folklore; Diversity and Inclusion; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math); and History, Society, and the Environment.  She uses stories to help children deepen their understandings of concepts taught in schools.  She loves to nurture the potential and imagination of children through stories and hands-on activities.  These sessions include mindful activities and physical movements.  She encourages children to use materials they find at home in her sessions.

     Haritha has been actively associated with many events, such as: Thamizh Ilakiya Peruvizha 2022, Katha Potpourri by KathaVriksh 2022, Exclusive Teller @ Talking Stories Radio London,  Little Laudable Learners Show Day, ELF English Guest Storyteller, Tamizhil Kathaigal Ketpom 2022, Chennai Storytelling Festival 2022, and Two to Tango by BTB.  She has won the "BTB Storyteller of the Year 2020" Award.  She is one of the authors of the Anthology, “Airavata 2”, published by Mayaakatha and Ukiyoto.

     She has completed the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), "Flourishing with Positive Psychology and Storytelling", using open educational resources.  She has worked as a She-For-She Mentor, Creative Thinking Mentor, and Story Mentor for an NGO.  Haritha has been a Partner Educator at the esteemed educational institute, Little Laudable Learners since July 2021.

     Haritha regularly conducts theme-based storytelling sessions for children 4 to 14 years old.  She writes her own short stories and has actively participated in numerous storytelling and creative writing events.  She has hosted over 40 storytelling and poetry events.  Haritha also conducts curated storytelling sessions for adults.

     A photo is here.

Contact info

96885 77957

storyvandiharithak@gmail.com

Facebook.

Linked In.

Instagram.

Youtube.

 

 

16

Indu Divya.

Indu is a professional storyteller, trainer and content developer.  She believes deeply in the magic of storytelling as a medium to engage with people.  Personal-experience storytelling is the type of storytelling she most enjoys and considers her forte.  She has trained under Jeeva Raghunath.  Indu has conducted storytelling workshops and has staged public performances for children.

     Indu is now focusing on engaging with adult audiences through her storytelling.  She has recently founded The Narrative, a company providing training/coaching and content development services.  Storytelling is at the core of all the services offered by The Narrative: 

     In addition to regular workshops, The Narrative organises Live Themed Personal Storytelling Sessions for mature audiences, once a month. 

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98407 12328

indu.divya.247@gmail.com

Facebook, The Narrative

 

 

17

Jayanthi B.

Jayanthi has been an educator for over 20 years, teaching English.  She has always enjoyed telling stories to children, and telling these stories has always been very rewarding for her.  She has also written some stories, but telling stories is her favourite way to share the stories.  Jayanthi has one more year of service in teaching, after which she plans to completely involve herself in storytelling.

     Jayanthi has started a Youtube channel, "Jayanthi’s 5-minute stories".  She has uploaded numerous recordings of her telling stories about Krishna.  These videos have over 250 views.  She is planning to upload her tellings of fairy tales and other folk tales also.

     Jayanthi likes to tell stories online and offline.  She also conducts storytelling workshops for children.

     A photo is here.

Contact

99400 51023

jayanthib6@gmail.com

"Jayanthi’s 5-minute stories" on Youtube.

 

 

18

Kalyan Babu (a.k.a., Uncle Kay).

A senior management professional and newly minted theatre coach, Kalyan’s love for theatre brought him into the world of storytelling.  A voracious reader of books of all genres since his childhood, over the years Kalyan has assembled a personal library of over 1,200 titles and counting.

     Kalyan is the Creative Director of ReaderzForge, an after-school book reading and theatre program.  ReaderzForge came into existence as a direct result of the ongoing pandemic.  Having dabbled in theatre during his younger days, Kalyan always dreamed of going back to his theatre roots in some way but, as is usual, there were always other ‘urgent’ priorities on the top of the list.  But as COVID-19 wreaked havoc and India went into a long lockdown in March 2020, Kalyan began reading Harry Potter books for the kids at Narthanam to ease their boredom and the experience was so fulfilling that it led to the launch of ReaderzForge in July 2020.

     ReaderzForge offers a variety of reading and theatre activities for children in the 5-16 years age group with focus on building greater English communication skills, enabling creativity, team building and improving their Emotional Quotient (EQ).  As part of the offerings, Kalyan conducts a weekly storytelling session for kids – Kathas by Uncle Kay (K-bUK). He incorporates elements of theatre in storytelling and is known for using voices and acting to dramatic effect.

     Kalyan is a Postgraduate in Management and spent 11 years climbing the rungs of the KPO industry before retiring from the corporate world as Senior Vice President - Global Delivery.  He has spent the last 10 years working as a Management Consultant.  In addition to his professional commitments, Kalyan helps manage the various activities of Narthanam Chennai, a Bharatanatyam dance school.  Narthanam Chennai and ReaderzForge are part of Narthanam School of Performing Arts (Madipakkam, Chennai) which he runs along with his wife Gayathri, a Finance / IT professional and a Bharatanatyam dancer.

     A photo of Kalyan is here.

Contact

Phone / Whatsapp: +91 93822 09157

readerzforge@gmail.com

http://www.readerzforge.com

www.facebook.com/readerzforge

 

 

19

Kanagadurga Ramesh (Kanaga).

Kanaga is the founder-director of the Storytelling organisation, Alabanza.  She is a teacher by profession, and has worked with children in the classroom for many years.  She is a certified trainer of Montessori kindergarten teachers. 

     She is also a language instructor, regarding the Spanish language especially.  She has attended an English Language Course at the British Council, and has passed the "Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam" (TOEFL).

     Kanaga is an experienced storyteller and mono-dramatist.  She is an enthusiastic, creative, and imaginative person, and is well able to use her acting skills to express feelings.  She has attended a "Seven-session Storytelling Workshop" and a "Workshop on Storytelling for Personality Development" at the World Storytelling Institute.

     Kanaga can combine, in customised workshops, instruction / training in languages and other subjects (including storytelling and mono-drama) -- for children, teens, and adults.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

99625 72169

cvkanagadurga14@gmail.com

 

 

20

Kavitha Thyagarajan.

Kavitha is a storyteller and founder of Once Upon a Time ... Tells a Tale.  She enjoys telling interactive stories to young children between the ages of 3 and 10 years.  She has given storytelling performances in many activity centres, such as Chennai Hippocampus, Oyster Kids, and Kart Wheel; at Odyssey book store; and for some leading schools.  She includes art and craft work in her sessions.

     Kavitha conducts regular storytelling sessions at her space in RA Puram - Kavitha's Storytelling Space !

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

99400 36390.

kaviswe@gmail.com

Facebook, Once Upon a Time ... Tells a Tale

 

 

21
Kousalya Pari.

Kousalya Pari is a passionate storyteller, educationist, and social worker.  She has repeatedly proved her consistency and mettle in carrying forth an attitude of service into goal-oriented result-targeted educational and social initiatives. 

 

A very resilient believer and promoter of safe education for children, she has equipped herself time and again to provide her services especially to children and women.  Enabling mothers is one of her niche fields of avid interest.  She is fondly addressed as “Kousi” by children and tiny-tots.  Hailing from the quaint town of Thiruvarur, as a storyteller she has managed to capture the attention, appreciation, and adoration of people of all ages across the state.

 

Kousalya conducts storytelling sessions in schools and in colleges under the name, “Kuzhaviye Kadhkelu”.  She has been professionally trained under the guidance of Mrs. Jeeva Ragunath.  Her passion towards storytelling enables children, teenagers, and adults to enjoy the lovely story world.

 

Kousalya's interests and achievements include:

 

* She recently conducted a seminar in collaboration with Madras School of Social Work entitled, "Exam Stress Management through Storytelling".

 

* Even in childhood, Kousalya was curious and liked to speak, recounting whatever she heard.  She loved to listen to and read stories, and liked to share the stories with younger children.  In this way, since a young age she has voluntarily led storytelling activities for primary school children.

 

* She is a huge fan of the Montessori education system and the Glenn Doman method of teaching.  She has undergone training in these methods, and has been practising and promoting them, advocating the holistic natures of these methods.

 

* She has worked with the State Government on crafting a common curriculum working simultaneously with children and teenagers, involving Stress Management talks, Life Skills programs, Soft Skills workshops, Self-motivation seminars, and various kinds of Counselling.

 

A photo of Kousalya Pari is here.

 

Kuzhaviye Kadhkelu's Youtube channel is here.

 

Contact

Email:  kuzhaviyekadhakelu@gmail.com

Mobile:  95975 59974

 

 

22

Lalitha Thilak.

Lalitha believes stories are the most effective medium to pass on an idea or thought; and that a storyteller is a vital bridge between the story and the listener, and has to ensure that the essence of the story reaches the audience.

     Lalitha's first experience of storytelling occurred when she was telling bedtime stories to her two little girls.  She realised how much they enjoyed this experience.  Today as teenagers they fondly recollect the stories.  And like Lalitha, they are avid readers.

     Listening to stories helps children to think, learn, and grow.  Through her storytelling, Lalitha seeks to create lasting impressions on children, kindling their imaginations and encouraging their curiosities.

     This is the vision of her storytelling venture, Speak Through Stories.  Through this program, she conducts storytelling sessions on weekends with children in two age-groups: 5-7-year-olds and 8-12-year-olds.  These sessions are interactive.  The children have ample opportunities to express their own perspectives.

     Before the pandemic, Lalitha also conducted storytelling sessions for 9th and 10th standard girls in a government school.  These sessions mostly involved stories related to life skils, and occurred in a combination of Tamil and English. 

     Lalitha's goal is to continue to entertain, enrich, and create a positive impact though her storytelling.

     A photo is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Video recordings

     In Chennai Storytelling Festival 2022, Lalitha told two stories: an original story, and a mythological story.  She also co-led a Chennai Storytellers workshop titled, "Heal and Transform through Art".

     In the April 2022 session of the "Storytelling by and for Adults" series, Lalitha told this story.

Contact

91766 82108

lalithathilak79@gmail.com

The Speak Through Stories program.



23

Lavanya Srinivas.

Lavanya is a Storyteller, Trainer, Author, and Translator.  She is the founder-director of Katha Kamamishu, A World of Stories.  As a Soft-skills Trainer, Lavanya is certified by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad.  She conducts Activity-based Storytelling Workshops for children and adults, in Classrooms, Colleges, and Corporate settings.  She uses Storytelling as a powerful tool for Effective Communication, Ensuring Employability, and Enriching Human Lives; for Enabling Personal Success, Self Confidence, and Self Expression; for Language Learning and Cross-cultural Trainings; and for helping people to develop Creativity in general, as well as in fields such as Music, Dance, Literature, and Advertising and Branding.  Her Storytelling Workshops are educational, enriching, entertaining, and empowering.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98844 72301

laavanyasrinivas@gmail.com

www.kathaakamamishu.blogspot.in

Additional info about Katha Kamamishu is here.

 

 

24

Manjula Karthikeyan.

Manjula is a Software Developer turned Storyteller.  She enjoys telling stories to children.  She is inspired by the various storytelling sessions she has attended in the USA.  She includes singing, puppetry, and arts and crafts, along with storytelling.  Manjula focuses on improving the morals, speech, communication, and social skills of children via storytelling.  She is a graduate of a seven-session storytelling workshop for adults conducted by Eric Miller, Director, World Storytelling Institute.

Contact

97907 27987

manju_bkse@yahoo.co.in

 

 

25

Mohan Krishnan ( @Mohan Kabir ).

Mohan is a Storyteller, Happiness Coach, and Wellness Curator.  He is an accomplished Human Resource trainer.  Mohan uses storytelling techniques to train people in soft skills and communication regarding products and services, especially in software and financial services companies.  He also utilises storytelling techniques for coaching and mentoring.  Using storytelling techniques for recruitment and for performance appraisals are innovative concepts he has introduced.

     Mohan conducts regular storytelling sessions, drawing from Indian epics, folklore, and history to inculcate values, motivation, and inspiration.  He is an exponent of the 15th Century Saint Poet Kabir Das and uses Kabir’s couplets (doha) for conveying life lessons

     Mohan conducts storytelling workshops for teachers, Human Resource professionals, parents, grandparents, and young adults.  He is fluent in four languages (Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, and English).  He often includes singing in storytelling.  Taboo tales, and immersive and experiential storytelling are two of his innovative and creative storytelling techniques.  His performances, talks, and workshops synergise elements of enterTRAINment (teaching-and-learning through entertainment).

     In a previous avatar he was a senior executive with the Reserve Bank of India and has an impressive record of service.

     Mohan directs the Madras Tale Spinners, a team of accomplished storytellers.

Contact

98403 22236

rbi.mohan@gmail.com

––

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohan-krishnan-0b646615

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https://www.facebook.com/rbi.mohan

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https://gr8gurusblog.blogspot.com

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https://www.instagram.com/mohankabir

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https://www.youtube.com/user/rbimohan/featured

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https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/verses-two-good/article5785025.ece

 

 

26

P. Mohan Raj.

P. Mohan Raj is a Chemist (MSc and MPhil in Chemistry), having 15 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry in Research and Development Depts.

     He is also a part-time professional Voice-over Artist working in relation to e-Learning, presentations, documentaries, motivational speaking, and storytelling.

     Mohan Raj is passionate about telling stories to various kinds of people.  He believes stories and storytelling can be used for,

1) Self-learning.

2) Emphasising good moral values.

3) Helping with decision-making.

4) Encouraging reading, writing, and public speaking.

5) Enabling a person to be more compassionate, empathetic, and socially friendly.

6) Motivating for self-improvement.

     Links to a number of Mohan Raj's various genres/types of recordings on Youtube are here.  A photo is here.

Contact

94434 53406

mohanspmr@gmail.com

http://vijayamohanvoiceover.com

 

 

27

Monisha S.

Monisha is a dedicated school teacher, and an avid storyteller.  She believes in bringing life into any story she tells.  Her voice modulations and character-driven enacting bring the stories to life.  She integrates rhymes and songs in her storytelling to engage the children.  She often uses puppets.  Children of all ages are captivated by her performance and enthusiasm.  

     Monisha designs her storytelling so that it enhances the child’s imagination and creativity to full potential.  She believes storytelling is an effective medium to convey morals and values.  She makes storytelling engaging in such a way that it encourages the children to bring out their communication skills and build on their social skills.

     Monisha offers workshops for children ages 2 to 10.  She also conducts storytelling training seminars for teachers.  She is fluent in Tamil and English. 

     A photo is here.

Contact

89254 11959

monisha060695@gmail.com

On Instagram as "feltquietbooks"

 

 

28

Mubeen Irshad.

Mubeen is a very passionate Storyteller.  She has told stories at “Storython 2016” (an 8-hour storytelling event), Anna Library, Accenture, and at various other events.  She regularly conducts storytelling performance-and-training sessions for children at Swarna Sudarshan Hall, in Kovilambakkam, Chennai.  She also conducted these sessions at other locations. In 2016, she gave storytelling training to approximately 500 children.  

     Mubeen releases free audio stories through Whats App every week through her own brand, Story Carpet.  She has penned positive rhymes for children: these rhymes have been heard more than 400k times on YouTube within a span of 6 months.  She has also penned 30 Rebus stories for children which are also on YouTube.  She has published a number of articles in an International acclaimed Magazine.

     She underwent storytelling training in the World Storytelling Institute with Dr Eric Miller.  She is a blogger, public speaker, Emcee, and an ardent Toastmaster.  She is also a health geek: you can find her in the yoga studio every day.

     Mubeen’s primary mission is to infuse positive ripples in the minds of young children through stories.  She offers customised classes on Creative Writing, Public Speaking, and Storytelling, for Schools, Colleges, and Corporates.   

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

SMS/Call/Whats app:  96770 70837

Website, www.storycarpet.com

Blog, http://thepositiveripples.blogspot.in

Facebook, Story Carpet 

 

 

29

Nazrin M.

Nazrin, a B.E. (Bachelor of Engineering) graduate, is a dynamic and enthusiastic person.  She is certified as a "Professional Storyteller" by the World Storytelling Institute (based in Chennai).  She is also a motivational speaker, has undergone various other Storytelling Workshops, and holds a diploma in Fine Arts.

     Nazrin has a strong belief that Storytelling could help one to become increasingly self-motivated, independent, and able to achieve one’s goals.  She believes Storytelling could help everyone, irrespective of age, 

1) To follow one’s own passion, irrespective of hurdles one might come across.

2) To become more confident.

3) To boost one’s morale.

4) To feel, and connect with, a common humanity.

     Nazrin customizes sessions of Storytelling, Storytelling-related activities, and Coaching in Storytelling, according to the age group and occasion. 

Contact

98844 17134

nazrinrashid22@gmail.com

 

 

30

Dr. Neena Gayatri.

Neena wants to make a difference in the lives of children globally, especially through Storytelling.  Towards this end, she Co-Founded and the COO of ACEnovation (India and Singapore).  Neena tells stories in many sessions that are organised by ACEnovation. 

 

Neena's Profile is here.  Here are some highlights:

 

Neena hails from the Nilgiris District.  She attended St. Hilda’s School, Ooty.  It was in school that Neena was taught the poem of Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses,” wherein originated the words, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”.  These plain phrases got etched into her soul and spirit.

 

Neena has been an Educational Administrator, Public Relations person, and a Corporate Trainer especially regarding Management.  In all of these endeavors, Neena has employed Story and Storytelling.

 

She has been head the Department of Business Administration at MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai.

 

She headed the Industry Institution Interaction Cells at both Stella Maris College and SRM Easwari.

 

Neena was Dean of the Gojan Group of Educational Institutions at Chennai.

 

She has been Secretary of SOURCE, an NGO dedicated to raising awareness about, and conducting intervention and prevention of AIDS in many seminars, and exhibitions conducted in Chennai and The Nilgiris.

 

She has also been instrumental in setting up the IGNOU (Indira Gandhi Open University) Centre at the Puzhal Central Prison, where she has halped to train the inmates and police personnel of the jail on Stress Management and Life Skills, including through Storytelling.

 

Neena has authored two books on Management.

 

She has been conferred the winner of the Madras Management Association’s Young Manager Award, and the Outstanding Woman Manager award.  She was named "Fox Story India - Woman Face of the Year 2024".

 

Neena's people skills and networking abilities have enabled her to take up key roles in many organisations.

 

***

 

The wonderful achievements of ACEnovation, the Storytelling-promoting organisation Neena Co-Founded and is the COO of, are described here .

 

Including information about ACEnovation's World Storytelling Championship.  Direct link:

https://worldstorytellingchampionship.com .

 

***

 

Contact

Email: coo@acenovation.com

https://acenovation.com

 

 

31

Padma Rangaraj.

Padma has been in the teaching field for a number of years, alongside which she has also been doing voice-overs for documentaries and corporate videos. 

     An experience that catapulted her into the world of storytelling was anchoring a school event, when she noticed how the power of effective narration can transmit an idea or thought to a listener.  It was a “Eureka moment” in which she discovered her passion for the craft of storytelling for people of all ages.

     This experience led Padma to venture into the world of storytelling, which can be a channel to address emotional or social issues.  Through stories the target audience could understand the deep connections between humans, nature, and all living beings.  Padma believes it is ideal for storytellings to be followed by discussions and activities, to promote causes that will credit experiences.

     Padma has earned Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Psychology degrees and has undergone Montessori teacher training, all of which helps Padma to intuitively handle the curiosity of children’s imaginations in numerous ways.

     Training and certifications:  "Woven Words" workshop, led by Renu Narayan.  "Storytelling for Teachers and Educators", led by Surekha Dey.  "Storytelling Workshop for Adults" (10 sessions) led by Eric Miller, World Storytelling Institute. 

     Performance and participation: Kathavriksh storytelling sessions, and Story clouds storytelling sessions.

     Padma is fluent in Tamil, English, Hindi, and Kannada.

     A photo is here.

     A recording of Padma telling a story in Chennai Storytelling Festival 2023 is here.  A recording of her telling a story in the "Storytelling by and for Adults" series is here. 

Contact

94493 50361

priyapadma641@gmail.com

 

 

32

Padmapriya Suresh.

 

Padmapriya Suresh hails from Chennai.  She is a Storyteller, Story Writer, Poet, and Blogger.  From Engineering to English Literature, her journey has been filled with learning.

 

Padmapriya's writings are available in platforms such as Pratilipi, Bloom India, Chrysanthemum Chronicles, Story Mirror, Penmancy, and the Asian Literary Society.  She has authored two books (in her pen name "Kamali Suresh"): "Avatar" and "Nalini".  Both are available in the Kindle format. 

 

In 2017, she did storytelling for All India Radio, Chennai.  When she worked as a teacher, she curated her own stories to teach grammar.  She advocates for Autism Awareness through "Spectrum – The Awareness Project".  She also does online storytelling for "Spectrum".  She has told stories at Anna Centenary Library for the "Saturday Stories" programme.

 

Padmapriya has earned a B.E. in Electronics and Instrumentation, an M.B.A. in Human Resources, and an M.A. in English Literature.  She has also earned a Diploma in Primary Education and is trained in the Montessori method.

 

Padmapriya enjoys telling stories to children, and leading children in story-related activities.

 

Some recordings of her storytelling are here.

 

Some of her writings are here.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

97910 33610

post2kamali@gmail.com

 

 

33

Periya Nayaki.

Periya Nayaki is a Transpersonal Storyteller, Trainer, and Psychologist.  She believes all that is needed for people to live to their complete potential is within them, right here and right now!

     Periya Nayaki uses stories as a tool to create loving environments with respective personal spaces where the individuals (be they children, youth, or adults) are allowed to explore their higher selves and manifest greater possibilities.  She uses metaphors, mythology, folklore, movies, day-to-day events, and personal experiences for stories.

     Periya Nayaki conducts customized workshops and trainings based on individual requirements in personal settings, and in the virtual space as well.  She has worked with many students, teachers, and parents over the years and has learned one sure thing: If love cannot nothing else can and sometimes silence is the best untold story!

Contact

99652 23119

nayakicoach@gmail.com

 

 

34

Pooja Giri.

Pooja combines passion for storytelling, with creativity and entertainment.  She engages audience attention with participative narratives, and often intersperses her presentations with interesting activities that enhance listener involvement.  Pooja has a rich repertoire of tales and fables from ancient lands of oral tradition such as Africa, China, India, Turkey, Indonesia, and Ukraine.  She also composes, and writes and tells her own stories.

     Pooja has performed in schools, at book stores and birthday parties, and for informal groups.  She is the founder-director of Thangam Talkies. She conducts regular programmes at The Storytelling Studio, R A Puram, Chennai.

     Pooja conductied a Storytelling Session for Children on Saturday 6 June 2015 at Starmark in Phoenix Mall (Velachery).  The event poster is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

97910 81117

poojagiri@yahoo.com

Facebook, Thangam Talkies

Instagram, Thangamtalkies2010

 

 

35

Pretigaya Haran.

Pretigaya Haran is a Storyteller and a Trainer of Public Speaking, Communication, and Drama.  She conducts weekly Storytelling-theatre workshops for children at iSpark, Goplapuram, in association with the World Storytelling Institute.  She also conducts weekly Story sessions and Public Speaking classes for middle school children in a school in Chennai.

     Pretigaya has had the joy of sharing stories at numerous venues, including Schools (Baal Niketan, and Sherwood Hall); Libraries (Anna Centenary Library, and Just Books); Children’s Centres (Buzy Bee, iSpark, Nutshell Kids, and Saaransh); and a Spoken English Centre (Communiqua).

     Pretigaya also leads Storytelling workshops for adults who use Storytelling as a tool to teach school curriculum, behavioural aspects, and values and morals, to children.  She has conducted Teacher-training workshops in schools such as Terapanthi Jain Vidyalaya, KRM Public School, Kalgi Matriculation School, and Sherwood Hall Senior Secondary School.  She has also conducted Storytelling workshops for college students and adults in the Chennai Storytelling Festival.

     Pretigaya has trained children in Speech and Drama at Chennai branches of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy for over 3 years. She is very keen on drama.  She has performed in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Gujarati, in plays in London.  For two consecutive years she has performed in the annual "Living Satues of Marina Beach Heritage Walk", an event in Madras Week.  Here is a collage of photos of her performing Kannagi (in English) on 23 August 2015.

     Pretigaya writes and direct skits for children.  She has been sharing Jain stories with young children at the Vepery branch of Jain Sanskaar Vatika, an All India School on Jain studies.  She also directs the annual day play for them.

     Pretigaya started Story Sack, Everything Stories in March 2017 to formally give her work a name.  She is also part of a project called Springboard Tales, wherein a team of storytellers share monthly, theme-based story videos, available for purchase at their website.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

80560 51247

pretigaya@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook, Story Sack, Everything Stories

 

 

36

Priya Balasubramanian.

Priya B. is the Founder-Director of Kadhaikalam Vaanga,

a storyteller's platform.  To join the WhatsApp group of Kadhaikalam Vaanga, please send a text containing this request to 99620 08610.

     Also facilitated by Priya B:  

     1) "Solla Marandha Kadhai" -- a personal storytelling event for adults, for sharing our own experiences as stories in a group.  The stories can be shared in either English or Tamil.  This event is conducted on the last Saturday of each month.  The event poster will be shared in Kadhaikalam Vaanga's Facebook page and WhatsApp group.

     2) "Vellai Pookal" -- a storytelling workshop for children and teenagers.  The participants will be trained to create, narrate, and write new stories in English, with art based activities to enhance their creativity.  10 sessions (one session a week), on Saturdays or Sundays.

Contact

99620 08610.

95000 85690.

kadhaikalamvaanga@gmail.com

priyaprak2415@gmail.com

A flier about Priya B's work is here.

Facebook, Kadhaikalam Vaanga

 

 

37

Radha Balaraman.

Radha started her career as a software Engineer.  She has become a Storyteller and Educator.  She loves reading and telling stories to children.  She is inspired by the various storytelling sessions she attended in the USA.  Her love of books is immeasurable.  She loves to dance, sing, talk, and act -- and she includes all of these in her storytelling. 

     Training received:

1) Diploma in Montessori Education.

2) "Performance Storytelling Course" by Ms Laura Simms at Chennai Storytelling Festival 2020.

3) "Storytelling Workshop" by Dr Eric Miller, World Storytelling Institute.

4) "Storytelling as Pedagogy Workshop" by Ms ChitraKala Ramachandran.

     Radha currently works as a teacher in a school where she includes storytelling in her teaching.  On weekends, she conducts online storytelling sessions for children (5 to 8 years old).

     A photo is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

89396 07925

radhab.work@gmail.com

 

 

38

Ramya Arivazhagan.

Ramya enjoys telling stories to children and believes in enjoying the little things in life.  Storytelling turned into her passion when she started exploring the world of stories, as she realised stories delighted her own children from very young ages.  She often includes puppetry and arts-and-crafts in her storytelling.  She would love to explore art-based storytelling in the coming days, as she enjoys art and considers drawing to be one her strengths.

     Ramya is an IT professional by career.  She has done her Foundation Course on storytelling from Kathalaya, Bangalore.  She has also done workshops and hands-on training with Mr. Mohan Krishnan and Mrs. Lavanya Srinivas.

     Her journey into professional storytelling started along with like-minded friends, and mentor Mr. Mohan Krishnan.  She and two other storytellers have co-founded Kadhai Kadhaiyaam.  She has performed storytelling sessions in summer camps, schools, activity centers and libraries.

     Kadhai Kadhaiyaam conducts regular storytelling sessions and workshops in and around Velachery in schools, activity centers and libraries.  Kadhai Kadhaiyaam experiments with different styles of storytelling, such as tandem storytelling and art-based storytelling.

Contact

98400 75308

kadhaikadhaiyaam@gmail.com

 

 

39

Renu Mira.

Renu M works especially with parents of children who have special needs.  She listens to the parents' stories of their own experiences, and tells them stories about other parents' experiences.  She seeks to use storytelling to encourage, inspire, and educate these parents regarding ways these parents could assist their own children.

     She also trains such parents to use stories and storytelling to help their children improve their storytelling and general communication abilities.

     Renu M is a graduate of the World Storytelling Institute's 8-session Storytelling Workshop for adults.

     A photo of Renu M is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98846 61803

annaimeera3@gmail.com

 

 

40

Renu Narayan.

Renu N is a graduate in English Literature.  She is a trained Montessori teacher.  After completing the Montessori course in 2004, Renu N made a paradigm shift in the way she parented her own children.  Her interaction with all children also underwent a dramatic change -- increasing her understanding of and respect for children, for who they are. She feels she has also learned a lot just by spending more time as a storyteller with children. 

     Renu N has always been  a voracious reader.  She reads even more now in the quest of finding new stories for children.  She has always loved stories and storytelling. Telling stories to her two daughters helped her to hone her storytelling skills.  She is a nature and animal lover, and incorporates these elements into her storytelling, so children could better understand the deep connection between humans, nature, and all living beings.

     Renu N has a storytelling initiative called KathaVriksh. She conducts regular storytelling sessions for children at various places in South Chennai. These sessions are highly interactive.  She helps them learn ways to draw and tell a story. She teaches them crafts by reusing and recycling paper and other materials that would otherwise be discarded.  This helps the children understand more about how important it is for us to take care of our environment.

     Renu N also conducts open-mic themed "personal-experience story" storytelling sessions for adults -- and other kinds of storytelling sessions for adults. These sessions occur at different venues in the city.

     She has started writing poems and stories for children, and is planning to publish this material.

     A photo of Renu N is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98410 13108

kathavrikshstories@gmail.com

Facebook, KathaVriksh

Instagram, KathaVriksh

 

 

41

Renuga Bharath.

Renuga is a freelance Storyteller for children, teenagers, and adults.  She directs an enterprise named Story Kingdom, which she founded in 2018.  Her storytelling technique is bundled with actions, different voice modulations, and profound body language.  Now she has also developed her storytelling skill as a puppeteer, where she gives life to the small toys through her voice and actions.

     In Renuga's professional life, she has experience in various fields.  Being an MCA graduate, she started her career life as an IT professional.  Due to her motherhood she took teaching as her profession, which helped her to rediscover herself as a professional storyteller.  Later her teaching skill helped her to be a content developer and soft-skill trainer.

     Renuga provides training sessions for children, young adults, and corporate employees.  She is an avid reader, a pet lover, and an active member of Toastmasters International, which is a club to groom public speaking and Leadership skills.  Her vision is to help people of all ages to kindle their thoughts and creativity through storytelling.

     A photo of Renuga is here.

Contact

90030 73479

renubharath@gmail.com

Linked In: Renuga Bharath

Facebook: Story Kingdom  

Youtube: Story Kingdom

 

 

42

Sabapathy Narayanan (Saba)
Saba is a Storyteller and Trainer.  His specialty is purpose-driven storytelling in organizational settings.  For him, an anecdote is a story, an example is a story, and a conversation between two people is a story.  Saba is a firm believer in the importance of personal stories.  There are numerous types of personal stories, suiting all occasions and situations.  Saba digs up stories from real-life and makes them palatable for audiences in different age groups.  He can also coach others to find, shape, and tell such stories.
     Saba is also fond of animal stories, especially about squirrels, elephants, and rabbits.
     Saba maintains a storytelling blog at http://telltaleclub.com , where a number of people contribute stories.  He is currently doing research on untold stories in and around Karaikudi and Madurai, and he is planning to publish them as a book.
Contact
96000 02325
sabapathyn@gmail.com
www.telltaleclub.com

 

 

43

Samatha Sharma.

Samatha started her open-mic storytelling as a way to release from trauma and found it deeply healing.  She won the award for Best Storyteller in Chennai Storytelling Festival 2016 which gave her the confidence to take up storytelling professionally.  Samatha has since then consistently performed in many storytelling open-mics in India and Indonesia, and held private-group sessions for Healing through Storytelling.  Since Corona, she has been running her Youtube Channel and now is slowly returning to in-person storytelling.

 

She is happy to be part of performing groups.

 

Contact info

Samatha.express@gmail.com

Whatsapp : +91 9489482860



44
Dr Sandhya Ruban

Sandhya is the Creative Head of Eloquens.  Eloquens offers
1) Storytelling performances for children, with associated Art and Craft activities. 
2) Storytelling performances for adults, on customised topics. 
3) Customized Workshops for any category of people.  In workshops for children, the focus is on developing Speech, and Interpersonal Communication and Social Skills.
4) Public Speaking classes.
5) Soft Skills training (improving Interpersonal Skills, etc) for professionals, and for those seeking employment.
6) Translation Services, verbal and written (English to Tamil and Hindi, etc).

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.
Contact
98401 77215
sandhyateloquens@gmail.com
Facebook, Eloquens

 

45
K.
Shanmugasundaram (Shan).

Shan is a Trainer, Mentor, Coach, Graphic Designer, and Content Developer. He is a Design Thinker.

 

Shan directs Artworkshop & Communication, which provides training in Storytelling, utilizing Storytelling to teach and learn the curriculum (lessons), business storytelling, and presentations.  He specializes in training students in Design Thinking, Learning Techniques, and Mind Management.  He has trained over 15,000 students and professionals in Chennai and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu.

 

Shan is --

1) A Trainer in Soft Skills and Life Skills, NLP Program Trainer for Schools, and Colleges.

2) A Consultant and Workshop Leader for the Times Group (NIE).

3) A Resource Person and Content Developer for Oxford University Press.

4) A Resource Person for Four NGOs in Soft skills and Life skills.

5) A Resource person and counsellor for EDII, Tamil Nadu Govt.

6) A trainer for the World Bank's "Vazhndhu Kattuvom" Project and travelled around Tamil Nadu to promote Entrepreneurs.

7) A Trainer and counsellor for Bharatiya Yuva Sakthi Trust (BYST, CII) and its Chairman of the Mentor Committee for Tamil Nadu. His Training and counselling along with Corporate Storytelling training immensely help Startups and Entrepreneurs in their business development. 

8) His scripts for Tamil Nadu Govt., Medical Colleges (including Dr. M.G.R. Medical University), and Hospitals have been made into documentaries.  His creative write-ups have appeared in many advertising campaigns and in news media.

 

Link 1: https://youtu.be/CUFpmcvXXf0

Link 2: https://youtu.be/D4JW2nTZx_o

Link 3: https://youtu.be/7n1NG4pd4F0

 

Member, Chennai Storytellers.

 

Contact

73388 88542.

98845 02478.

Email: artworkshop@gmail.com

Website: https://artworkshoponline.com

Facebook

Youtube



46
Dr. Sheettal N. Rayathatha.

Sheettal is a certified Storytelling Trainer, Phonics Teacher/Trainer, Productivity Mindset Coach, Neuro-linguistic Programming Coach, Soft-skills Trainer, and Life Coach.  With over 18 years of experience and a PhD in Psychology, Sheettal is a dedicated storyteller passionate about continuous learning and helping others grow.  Her life motto, "Learning never ends," reflects her commitment to growth and performing arts.

 

Starting her career as a storyteller, Sheettal has evolved significantly, blending her academic background and diverse corporate experience to make her an ideal choice for schools and companies.  She uses storytelling as a powerful tool to develop language and learning skills, master soft skills, and enhance various psychological abilities.  Her unique approach incorporates storytelling, games, art therapy, and play therapy into her coaching practices.  She has also conducted career guidance and behavior improvement sessions for pre-teens and teens through storytelling, and has expertise in helping children enact stories through drama. 

 

As a solopreneur for over 18 years with her company, Eduminds, Sheetal continues to actively grow as a storyteller.  An interview with Sheettal is here.

 

Member, Chennai Storytellers.

 

Contact

98400 91290

sheetalsmagic@gmail.com

Eduminds Website

Facebook

Linked In

Youtube

 

 

47

Shifa Mustafa.

Shifa has vast experience as a corporate storyteller -- training individuals, and facilitating and developing teams and team projects, in corporate settings.  She is an expert in sales training in the Information Technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and Hospitality industries.  She is also a certified voice and accent trainer.  One of her specialities is helping people to identify and develop their strengths, aptitudes, and potentials.  Qualities that help to make Shifa an exceptional coach, trainer, and storyteller include her leadership skills, and her logical and systematic approaches to problems.

     Shifa has traveled far and wide to hear stories of different states, cultures, and countries.  She has been inspired and mentored by the internationally-acclaimed Mumbai-based storyteller, Sherin Mathews.  She has participated in a number of school projects with Sherin Mathews and Storynest. 

     Shifa is a co-founder of MAST (Madras Association of Storytellers), which is dedicated in part to using storytelling to help educate children.

     A photo of Shilfa is here.

Contact

9884276871

shifa26@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/shifa.mustafa

https://www.instagram.com/shifamustafa26

 

 

48

Shyama Sridharan.

Shyama is a Storyteller, Mime Artist, Certified NLP Practitioner, and Corporate Trainer.  She is a freelance Storyteller and Trainer with 3 years of storytelling experience in public, and more than 30 years of experience in using stories in corporate environmements.  She has performed in various platforms and conducted storytelling workshops in schools and training institutes.  She has experience in telling stories in children's activity centres in Chennai, and has been part of the team implementing storytelling in teaching by the Tamil Nadu Government.  Shyama is also an NLP Practitioner and Life Skill coach using stories effectively to bring transformation in lives.

     Storytelling-related Services offered include:

1) Power-packed sessions/workshops on the art of storytelling, along with nuances of the art of miming and the way it can be used effectively in telling stories.

2) Fun-filled storytelling sessions for children using ventriloquism and hand puppets.

3) Storytelling sessions as part of Training the Trainers workshops.  Shyama is a member of the Panace Valley Organisation as a storyteller.

4) Shyama provides customised workshops for professionals, college students, teachers, and children.

5. Shyama also provides ustomised workshops on Health and Fitness using personal-experience stories for effective realisation of fitness in life. (Shyama is a full marathoner.)

     A photo of Shyama is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

94441 72345

shyamasri66@gmail.com

 

 

49

Sivakumar Davamani (SKD).

SKD is an Entrepreneur turned Storyteller.  He founded an initiative called Go Green Guru, which he uses to promote Go Green awareness with children and corporates.  He creates customised stories and training programs for people of all ages to promote the Go Green concept.

     SKD is a graduate of the seven-session Storytelling Workshop for adults conducted by Dr Eric Miller, Director, World Storytelling Institute.  Training from Dr Eric polished his skills and helped him to discover the storyteller within himself.

     SKD conducts Storytelling Workshops for Teachers, Human Resource Professionals, Parents, Grandparents and Young Adults.  He often includes Technologies and Innovations in Storytelling to increase the impact a story makes on audience members.   

Contact

99419 88555

sivakumar.davamani@gmail.com

 

 

50

Soorya Gayathri.

When life took Soorya through many paths, she decided to pen them down and inspire others through her writing and speaking.  It was then that she realized that words and thoughts flow to her like an endless stream, giving her immense pleasure in forming beautiful phrases and essays. 

 

Being a staunch bibliophile, her storytelling journey blossomed.  With a master's degree in English Literature and a keen interest in philosophy, psychology, and spirituality, her storytelling content became more enriched and informative.

 

Soorya's foundation in storytelling dates back to her childhood days when her mother, an esteemed professor of English Literature, introduced her to the captivating world of stories and novels housed within the library of the college at which her mother taught.  Being a single child, literature has been a constant companion of Soorya's, fueling her passion for storytelling. 

 

Commencing her storytelling journey with her students at Lecole Chempaka International School in 2019 was an enthralling experience.  Witnessing their immediate interest in stories, poems, and novels, as well as helping them to understand the importance of stories in life, was truly encouraging.

 

Soorya's preparations for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) have equipped her with vast knowledge about different aspects of humanity, and have honed her ability to apply this knowledge in her storytelling.

 

Since childhood she has also been immersed in the world of music, learning to play instruments such as the guitar and veena.  Music flows through her and has become an integral part of her storytelling journey.  The veena holds a special place in Soorya's heart, and she has reached an advanced level of proficiency in playing it. 

 

In addition to her musical pursuits, she is deeply passionate about classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam.  Currently she is studying Odissi.  Through dance, she has delved into mythology and history.  She has been using dance as a means to enact characters in her storytelling, and she has found dance to be a powerful vehicle for artistic expression.

 

Over the past five years, Soorya has engaged audiences in Chennai, and across Kerala, with compelling narratives.  As a soft skills trainer in the Central Government's ASAP (Additional Skill Acquisition Programme) and as a Mindfulness Coach, her journey in storytelling has been profoundly fulfilling, bringing value to both her audience and her students.  Serving as a core member of "Kottu" (an NGO), she has led numerous English language classes tailored to visually-impaired students, contributing to their educational advancement.

 

Soorya has had the privilege of undergoing training with Ms. Geetanjali Kaul, director of The Secret Passages.  This experience has furnished her with an ocean of ideas and diverse viewpoints relating to therapeutic and healing powers of stories. 

 

Soorya founded Kathajalakam in 2019 to explore the realm of stories.  She has been a storyteller for five years. 

 

In addition to being certified as a Storyteller by The Secret Passage, Soorya has earned Certifications in –

1) Mindfulness Coaching, from Happiitude.

2) Vocal Dynamics in Storytelling, from Ms. Deepa Kiran. 

3) Foundations of Anthroposophy, from Aantarya

 

She has also earned an MA (First Class) in English Literature and Language by Kerala University.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

 

97464 78962

 

sooryagayathriprasad@gmail.com

 

Soorya Gayathri, Linked In

 

 

51

Sophie F. Augustina.

Sophie is an enthusiastic and passionate storyteller for children and young teenagers. She has earned a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Madras, and a PG Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Chennai Counseling Services. Sophie has also done an online certification in the Science of Happiness from the University of California. And she up-skilled herself by attending an Upper Intermediate M2 course in English from Chennai's British Council.

     Storytelling training from Dr Eric Miller, director, World Storytelling Institute, made her a confident storyteller. During COVID-19 she explored ways of storytelling to create a positive impact on young people between the ages of 6 and 14 years.

     In today's world, technology is booming in both positive and detrimental ways. During the pandemic Sophie observed that many young people were becoming more and more engrossed in technology. So she decided to engage the young people by conducting online storytelling sessions with fun, interactive activities pertaining to each age group. She was delighted to find that the young people were happy with this approach and that they actively participated in the activities. These interactive sessions helped the young people develop various interpersonal skills and moral values.

     Sophie conducts storytelling workshops both independently and in schools.  She also directs a startup named, Inner Insight Counseling Services.

     A photo is here.

Contact

94453 71378

joywithstories@gmail.com

LinkedIn, Sophie F. Augustina

 

 

52

Sornapriya Sachidanandham.

Sornapriya is a passionate and dedicated Montessori-trained teacher with over 13 years of experience.  She is also a Certified Phonics Trainer, Storyteller, and Puppeteer, and is Co-founder of Little Laudable Learners.  By merging phonics with storytelling, she strives to create a dynamic and inspiring learning environment. 

 

Her teaching approach revolves around storytelling and integrating imaginative tales and crafts into lessons to cultivate a love for reading and improve comprehension.  Her experience and expertise spans curriculum design, creative workshops, and administrative tasks.  She also creates and implements training programs for teachers, focusing on developing creative techniques and effective curriculum.

 

She is recognized for her innovative teaching methods that combine art, craft, and puppetry to boost student engagement and learning.  Her goal is to foster a lifelong passion for reading and learning in every child she teaches. 

 

Sornapriya is dedicated to continuous learning and growth, always seeking new insights from her students, surroundings and experiences.

 

Sornapriya leads storytelling sessions in both government and private schools and is deeply passionate about spreading this art to children globally, fostering young minds through holistic learning.  She offers storytelling performances and training for children up to the age of 8 years in the forum, Little Laudable Learners, both online and offline (in Chennai).

 

Areas in which Sornapriya gives training include:

 

1) Creating Stories: She helps children come up with original stories based on themes and messages.

 

2) Character and Plot Development: She guides children in creating interesting characters and plots.

 

3) Storyboards: She helps plan and create storyboards to support the storytelling process.

 

4) Storytelling Techniques: She teaches skills such as voice modulation, pacing, intonation, and emotions to bring characters to life and make the stories more engaging.

 

5) Puppet Storytelling: She creates and narrates stories using puppets to make learning fun for children. She also teaches children how to make their own puppets and guides them in using puppets in storytelling.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

 

98847 08911

 

sornapriya.sr04@gmail.com

 

https://littlelaudablelearners.com

 

 

53

Sreelekha Ramachandran.

Like everyone, my story, too, began when I drew my first breath in this world.  I believe that in every moment thereafter, we are part of some story being narrated.  Our thoughts, emotions and experiences translate into knowledge and understanding.  The entire creation in its totality seems like a beautiful picture with nature being arts and forms – and people, animals, and circumstances being the artists and actors.  In its summation, it’s a grand story of sorts broken down to smaller fables, folktales, mythology, fairy tales, epic, et al.

     Graduating in business management and then earning my diploma in pre-primary teachers’ training, provided me with creative and intellectual strength that enabled me to intuitively handle the curiosity of childrens’ imaginations in numerous schools.

     I first discovered the art of storytelling while teaching kindergarten.  It quickly dawned on me that storytelling delighted and enlightened adults and young alike.  It was like a form of therapy.  In order to deepen my understanding of storytelling and to develop a more critical approach to the performance practice, I obtained certification in storytelling from Kathalaya Trust.  This laid a strong foundation in the area of conveying ideas and stories combining visuals, tools, music, and illustrations to audiences of all ages.

     A story is never time wasted.  Listen, know, and share!

     I give storytelling performances (which often include discussions) and conduct storytelling workshops especially for children, and for seniors at old-age homes.

     A photo of me is here.

Contact

sreelaya80@gmail.com

72999 25965

 

 

54

Sridevi Srinivasan.

Sridevi is a self-motivated and passionate Storyteller, focused on inculcating reading ability, and the love for reading, in young minds.

     Sridevi is an IT professional, metamorphosed into an Academician, Storyteller, and Trainer.  The training on “Raising a Child as a Reader” from Scholastic Publications (USA) was the moment of epiphany that changed the course of Sridevi's journey, re-directing her to use Storytelling to work with children.

     On returning to India, bubbling with energy, she travelled around Tamilnadu with a bag full of storybooks.  She transported children to the illusionary world of stories through storytelling and exposed them more deeply to the wonderful world of words.

     This journey persuaded her to use Storytelling as the lifeline of her Reading Program.  She worked in a CBSE school and developed a Reading program.  With her multi-potentiality, she headed School Events, Dramatics Club, and Library activities.  Her work on innovative, creative, and collaborative "Story Way" annual events was applauded.  The street plays, library activities, and her involvement in organising foreign exchange programs, Tedx events, Green School Programs, and other social initiatives were also much appreciated.

     Sridevi's joy lies in the facilitating and activating curiosity in her students, encouraging them to imagine, think, read books, and tell stories.

     A photo of Sridevi is here.

 

Training and Certification

* Diploma in Montessori and Primary School Teacher Training.

* "Foundation Course on Storytelling", by Ms. Geetha Ramanujam, Kathalaya, Bangalore.

* "Storytelling for Teaching" Workshop, by Dr. Eric Miller,

World Storytelling Institite, Chennai.

* "Storytelling as a Teaching and Educational Tool", by Ms. Marion Kenny.

* "Teaching Through Stories", by Storywallah, Hyderabad.

* “Raising a Child as Reader,” by Scholastic Publications (USA).

* M.Sc. in Computer Science.

 

Sridevi provides the following workshops

(all online and in-person) --

 

Workshops for Teachers

* Raising a child as a reader.

* Identifying and working on specific reading problems.

* Storytelling in teaching.

* Online Classroom management.

* In-person Classroom management.

 

Workshops for Parents

* Raising a child as a reader (0-8 years).

* Ways to inculcate reading and instil the love for reading in children (9-12 years).

 

Programs for Children

* League of Little Legends (3L).

(3L is a club that envisions to unfurl young minds inside out and create a community of students, educators and parents.)

* Storytelling sessions for students.

* Train students to perform storytelling.

* Reading program for children aged 4 to 7.

* Customised classes for children with reading difficulties, ages 7-12,

 

Contact

98408 02406

sridevi.srinivaasan@gmail.com

Facebook

 

 

55

Srividya Veeraraghavan.

Srividya Veeraraghavan was awarded as the best house captain from her school, Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT, and post graduated from Madras School of Social Work. She has always been known for energy and passion to perform at best any given assignment. She has worked for some of the leading global organizations in the role of HR and Corporate Social Responsibility professional.

 

Post her quitting from corporate life in 2015 and adding super stories from her rich experiences, she has currently marked her unique space in the global oral storytelling fraternity. As a visual storyteller since 2016, she is known to transport her audience into the story without any complex words, props or fittings. Termed as one of the top 10 storytellers of Chennai as per Dina Malar exclusive coverage in 2018, she is known to share her knowledge and skills widely to benefit and empower all groups.

 

She is the founder of an initiative Story Train aiming to promote and inculcate the traditional oral storytelling system in educational institutions, corporates and voluntary organisations to teach and empower beyond the term entertainment. She has conducted numerous programs and workshops for all ages under her banner. As a freelancer, she has also worked with the some of the best global names, brands and institutions. She has been featured in DD Podhigai, Radio Mirchi, Hello FM, All India Radio, Indian Express, The Hindu, Dainik Jagaran, Dinamalar and other national and local newspapers.

 

Key Milestones / Recognitions

Ø  Recognized by honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi who specifically mentioned about her contribution to oral storytelling in his “Mann Ki Bath” series- September 2020.

Ø  Officially recognized internationally by Northlands Storytelling Network USA with the “New Voices" Scholarship.

Ø  Featured in an exclusive Women Achiever’s program in DD Podhigai, “Mangaiyar Solai”.

Ø  First Edition of her Story Book “Happy Box” got its place in Amazon book shelfs. 

 

HAPPY BOX –

Kindle edition 

Paperback edition

 

YouTube:

1) Welcome to Story Train - Happy path to success

2) Happy New Year 2023. A Quick Recap

 

Photo 1.  Photo 2.  Photo 3.

 

Member, Chennai Storytellers.

 

Contact

97911 19634

storytrain@yahoo.com

 

Google:  Srividya Veeraraghavan

 

LinkedIn:  Srividya Veeraraghavan - Professional Story Consultant/Story Performer/Trainer/Voice-over Narrator /Founder Story Train

 

Facebook, Story Train

 

 

56

Sudha Umashanker.

Sudha is a Senior Freelance Journalist with bylines in leading newspapers of the country such as The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express, The Asian Age, and The Economic Times.

     She forayed into Storytelling about nine years ago (2011).  She enjoys telling stories to children and adults and has used Storytelling to create awareness about social issues like Gender violence, Infertility, Environment protection, Personal safety, etc.

     She leads Heritage walks (sharing stories about little known people and places) and conducts Storytelling workshops upon request.

     Sudha founded Storycorner at Bookmine, an organisation that promotes excellence in Storytelling, in 2015.

     She recently launched a "Read aloud series" and a "Festival Storytelling series" on her YouTube channel.

     Sudha received the Laadli Media award for Gender Sensitivity in 2017.  She has also received the Probus Vocational Excellence Award.  Her book on APJ Abdul Kalam was published in 2018 by DK India.  She served as a Language Consultant for 1000 Useful words Tamil- English (to learn and build vocabulary skills in two languages), also published by DK India.

Contact:

98402 47624

sudha.umashanker@gmail.com

Storycorner-at-Bookmine Facebook

Sudha Umashanker Facebook

Sudha Umashanker Twitter

Sudha Umashanker Linked In

 

 

57

Suriya Lakshmi.

Suriya is very passionate about the environment, and conducts storytelling sessions and workshops for children on protecting the environment.  She is currently working on a workshop model to recreate traditional storytelling methods with Storytrails.  Over the weekends, she conducts free book-reading sessions (in both Tamil and English) for young children, which helps them to sharpen their listening skills and imaginations.  By profession, Suriya is a business analyst in the banking domain.

Contact info

98847 28412

suriyalakshmig@gmail.com

Facebook, Suriya Lakshmi

 

 

58

Trupti Sayani.

Trupti is a passionate Mental Wellness Coach Specializing in the use of Storytelling, Game-Based Learning, and Art Therapy.

 

She has discovered the profound impact storytelling has on healing and personal growth.  She firmly believes in the transformative potential of stories, which speak directly to our core and evoke profound emotional connections.  Leveraging narratives as a modality for healing, Trupti strives to empower individuals to unlock their fullest potential and become the best versions of themselves.  She is deeply motivated to contribute her expertise and passion for storytelling.

 

Dedicated to transforming lives and fostering positive change, she has embarked on a fulfilling journey spanning over two decades.  Initially drawn to the power of storytelling, she has since expanded her expertise to include various modalities such as game-based learning and art therapy.  Her commitment to personal development led her to pursue IQ and EQ training from the National Institute for Learning Development, Regent University, USA, where she successfully completed a Special Educator course.  This was complemented by certifications in Pranic Healing and Life Coaching.  Along the way, she discovered her true calling in Neuro-Linguistic Coaching. 

 

Trupti conducted IQ and EQ training sessions with a prominent Mumbai-based company ( B FiT ) for three years.  In this way she honed her skills in helping individuals and groups to unleash their inherent capabilities.  Throughout her career, she has facilitated impactful leadership camps and conducted enriching theatre workshops.  She is deeply passionate about guiding individuals and groups, both in-person and online, to achieve mastery over their minds.  She has witnessed transformative results in individuals with whom she has worked.

 

Trupti's workshops, tailored for individuals aged 12 and above, integrate healing and therapeutic techniques for the mind and body, utilizing the immersive mediums of stories, games, and art.

 

She is also enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals.

 

A photo is here. 

 

A Youtube Interview is here. 

 

Contact

Email:  transformwithtrupti@gmail.com

Mobile:  99403 54505

Linkedln: Trupti Sayani

Instagram: Transform with Trupti

 


59

Vasugi Ram Manohar.

Vasugi is the founder-director of Madras Story Works.  She has a post-graduate degree in Literature, and has trained in Storytelling with Eric Miller (World Storytelling Institute) and with Geetha Ramanujam (Kathalaya).

     Vasugi specializes in interactive Storytelling sessions for children.  She believes that Storytelling can bring about wonderful changes in children, making them creative, wise thinkers, great speakers and problem solvers.  Storytelling is an excellent method to overcome shyness, excel in public speaking and develop communication skills.

Madras Story Works offers,

1) Storytelling sessions with arts-and-craft activities.

2) Storytelling activities at summer camps.

3) Storytelling workshops for people of all ages.

4) Storytelling competitions in schools, bookstores and children's activity centers; for children, parents, teachers and early childhood development personnel.

5) Storytelling sessions on Saturdays for children (3-9 years).  Online.  Please inquire for details.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact

98401 18590

vasugi83@gmail.com

Facebook, Madras Story Works

 

 

60

K.R. Vidhyaa.

Vidhyaa was a senior executive in a Public Sector General Insurance Company.  In 2021 she took voluntary retirement to follow her passion for storytelling.

     Vidhyaa has been writing a blog from 2013 -- now converted to a website, www.storibuzz.in -- wherein she shares stories from Indian culture and heritage.  Over a hundred and thirty stories have been shared in this site till now. 

     Vidhyaa has participated as a storyteller in Kathalaya's Kathasangama.  From August 2020 she has been narrating weekly audio stories in English and Tamil for an NGO for their channel in Telegram App.  Earlier trained by World Storytelling Institute in 2009, presently she is pursuing a diploma from the International Academy of Storytelling.

     Vidhyaa tells stories for children and adults.  The stories she works with are mostly from Indian heritage and culture.  She has started a story podcast in Tamil and English.

     A photo is here.

Contact

99405 57749

vidhyaa65@gmail.com

www.storibuzz.in

 

 

61

Vineetha C.B.

Vineetha was trained as an Engineer, and has also pursued her passions for Fashion designing, Foreign language teaching, and Storytelling.  She is proficient in English, French, Italian, and Tamil.

 

The stories she tells focus primarily on finding meaning in life.  She utilises a purpose-driven approach to help young people develop their Decision-making, Problem-solving, and Character-development Skills.  She has received training in Story and Storytelling from Dr. Eric Miller.

 

Vineetha is currently authoring a collection of Short Stories.  She is planning to start an after-school Activity Center where Life Skills, Problem-solving Skills, and Decision-making Skills would all be taught through Storytelling.

 

In the 4th June 2024 session of the Storytelling by and for Adults series, Vineetha told "The Woman who Married a Man Five Times" (a folktale from Turkey).  The recording is here.

 

A photo is here.

 

Contact

Email:  vineethacb@gmail.com

Mobile:  99620 18708

 

 

62

Vithya Dhanaraj.

Vithya narrates STEM stories (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Green Earth Stories in very child-friendly ways, along with related art and craft activities, sing-along, music, and drama.  She conducts age-appropriate science experiments along with the storytelling, to make the whole a memorable experience.

     New methods are introduced every week by using different modes like puppets and handmade models, mostly made using materials from everyday life.  The activities are designed to impart life-skill lessons and environmental awareness in fun ways.

     These methods allow Vithya to become a part of the learning processes the children go through.  The children take home experiences they will always cherish, while being enriched in terms of holistic learning and development through fun and play (without gadgets).

     Vithya  was trained in storytelling by Mark Leach of the UK.  She has 5 years of experience in IT, and is also an MBA graduate.  Working with kids was something that always attracted her and henceforth she earned a Diploma in Early Child Care and then stepped into storytelling.

     Vithya is the founder of S4Stories, a platform for children to experiment and learn.  She has performed in many places in and around Chennai, including at schools, and has been featured in Illakiya Darbar of Podigai TV.  Vithya is also an active member of Spring Board tales.

     Vithya is fluent in Tamil and English.  A photo of Vithya is here.

     Member, Chennai Storytellers.

Contact info

94873 38809

vithyad@gmail.com

Facebook, Vithya Dhanaraj

Facebook, S4Stories

 

 

63

Zarin M.

Zarin represents the women of Chennai who are aspiring to be self-sufficient and who are taking challenges one at a time.

     Zarin has over eight years of experience in the IT industry, specialising in Analytics.  She has worked with multi-national corporations such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Accenture, and Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS).  She is currently pursuing a PhD in Analytics, and is looking to venture into Educational Analytics in the future.

     Zarin began storytelling as an amateur for children at home.  She took a step further to enroll in a Storytelling Workshop at the Word Storytelling Institute, directed by Dr. Eric Miller.  She is certified as a "Professional Storyteller" by the World Storytelling Institute.

     Zarin has told stories in,

* Chennai Storytelling Festival 2020 and 2021 (video recording).

* Madurai Children's Literary Festival 2021.

* Towson University (Maryland, USA) Story Fest 2020.

* A Feast Story Swap session in 2020.

     In addition to being a professional Storyteller, Zarin is also a trained Artist.

     Zarin has now set up a centre named Story Fills on OMR-Karapakkam, Chennai.  Story Fills provides workshops and other activities for children, teenagers, and adults relating to,

1) Developing English language skills.

2) Storytelling.

3) Puppet-making, Drawing (still life, landscape, portrait, illustration, etc), Painting, and Crafts.

4) Animation.

     A photo is here.

Contact info

99628 28065

fathimazarin12@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/tellatalecorner

 

 

______________________________________

 

 

Storytelling Organisations in Chennai

 

***

 

1

Madras Story Works (directed by Vasugi Ram Manohar) presents

 

A) Storytelling Performances with Activities for Children, Saturdays.

 

B) Storytelling Coaching for Children, Saturdays.

 

C) Storytelling Coaching for Children, Thursdays.

 

For details, please click here, and call 98401 18590.

 

***

 

2

The Narrative (directed by Indu Divya) hosts monthly open-mic sessions of "Storytelling about Personal Experiences, by and for adults".  For details, please call 98407 12328.

     Storytelling is at the core of all services offered by The Narrative, including training, coaching, and content development. 

 

***

 

3

Tale Spin (directed by Asha Sampath) presents Storytelling performances (and activities) for children.  Every 2nd Saturday of the month, at 5pm.  At Odyssey, Adyar. 

 

For additional info, please click here and call Asha at 98408 33953.

 

 

***

 

4

Eloquens (directed by Sandhya Ruban) frequently presents Storytelling Performances and Classes for -- and Dramatic Productions by -- Children.  Based in Ayanavaram.

 

For details, please click here and call 98401 77215.

 

***

 

5

Once Upon a Time (directed by Kavitha Thyagarajan and Debjani Bhaduri) frequently presents Storytellling Performances and Classes for Children, in R.A. Puram.

 

For details, please click here and call 99400 36390.

 

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6

Fables N Tales (directed by Banumathy) offers Storytelling performances, with activities, for children.

 

A) Saturdays, 10:30am to 12 Noon, at Fables n Tales, No.1, Nithyanandam Street, VGN Mahalakshmi Nagar, Perumalagaram, Tiruverkadu, Chennai, 600 077.  Admission is Rs 100. 

 

B) Saturdays, 4pm to 5:30pm, at Virutcham Kidz Castle, 5069, Z Block, 12th Street (near Chinmaya School), Anna Nagar, Chennai.

 

C) Sundays, 10am to 11am, at Sastha Tution Centre, #270, Selvavinayagar Koil St, Co-operative Nagar, Tiruverkadu, Chennai, 600 077.  Admission is Rs 150.

 

For additional info, please contact Fables N Tales: Stories for the Soul, at 80560 50606.

 

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7

Katha Kamamishu (directed by Lavanya Srinivas) offers Storytelling Workshops and Performances at numerous locations, including the Gandhinagar Club, in Adyar.

 

Katha Kamamishu especially conducts Storytelling Workshops for pre-primary and primary school teachers.  The "Story Mantra" series of Workshops occur in three levels: introductory, basic and advanced. The Workshops are customised and conducted with a restricted batch size to ensure effective communication and training, with a special focus on the specific needs and challenges of each individual teacher.

 

For additional info, please click here, and contact Lavanya Srinivas, at 98844 72301, laavanyasrinivas@gmail.com .

 

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8

Kalaa Manjari and Alvin "Storyteller for All" are offering Saturday Storytelling Sessions for Children.  These programs aim at developing Oratory skills, Life skills, and Reading skills.  The Poster is here. 

 

There are two batches on each Saturday afternoon:

Batch 1,  for Children 3 to 6 years old, occurs 3-4pm.

Batch 2,  for Children 7 to 13 years old, occurs 4-6pm.

 

Venue: Kalaa Manjari, 6/12, First Street, Venus Colony,

Alwarpet, Chennai - 18 (near Tangerine Restaurant)

 

For additional info, please call 044 2431 2676 ,

e-mail to kalaamanjari@hotmail.com , and see

www.kalaamanjari.com .

 

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9

Pumpkin Chariot is a Storytelling unit founded by Sai Pradeep Indhirran.  Sai is the Storyteller.  Pumpkin Chariot helps children learn a variety of aspects of communication involving values and morals and ranging from conversational speech to stage speech, and from team skills to leadership skills.  The method is to blend storytelling with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and TA (Transaction Analysis) techniques.

 

Pumpkin Chariot has its first branch @

Sa Buu 3 Kids Play School, Navaneethammal Street (adjacent to Shoba Kalyana Mandapam in Arunachalam Road), Saligramam. 

Day and Time: : Sundays 11:30am

 

Pumpkin Chariot has its second branch @
Yoyos Activity Center, K K Nagar.

Day and Time:  Sundays 10am .

 

Sai Pradeep, 98412 92063, Founder - Pumpkin Chariot

 

For additional info, please call 98412 92063,

e-mail to saipradeep.indhirran@gmail.com , and see

www.facebook.com/PumpkinChariot .

 

 

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10

Geetha Kailasam conducts a Storytelling Workshop for children at Grandma and Grandpas, Besant Nagar, on Wednesdays, 5pm to 6pm. 

 

This includes Storytelling with Puppets, Mask-Making, and Arts and Crafts. 

 

For info, please call 99529 57031.

 

 

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11

Genius Factory, directed by Sheetal Rayathatha, provides arts-and-education activities for children, including Phonics, Maths, Arts and Crafts, Dance and Dance Composition (Choreography), Storytelling, and Event Management (specialising in Birthday Parties).

 

For details, please click here and here, and call 98400 91290.

 

 

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12

Kathalaya (directed by Geeta Ramanujam), based in Bangalore, is developing a "Story Space" in Chennai.  For info, please contact: 080 2668 9856, kathalaya@gmail.com .

 

In Chennai, Geeta Ramanujam is collaborating with Success Manthra regarding training educators in "Using Storytelling to Teach English Language".  Info about this training is here.

 

 

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13

Kadhai Kadhaiyaam (KK) is a Storytelling group based in south Chennai.  KK believes in inspiring adults and children through stories.  KK conducts monthly sessions in a Montessori school in Velachery, and also in other activity centers, libraries, and schools by request.  KK was co-founded and is directed by three Storytellers: Subha Hariharamahadevan,  Ramya Arivazhagan, and Subha Ramanathan.  Mohan Krishnan is mentor of KK.  For additional info, please call 90032 53726, and email to kadhaikadhaiyaam@gmail.com .

 

 

***

 

14

ReaderzForge offers Kathas by Uncle Kay

Storytelling performances for kids on Saturdays, 5-6 pm.

At Narthanam School of Performing Arts, Madipakkam, Chennai, and online via Zoom.

 

***

 

15

The Chennai Storytelling Association (CSA) has approx 320 members.  Most CSA members have conducted and/or attended multi-session WSI Storytelling Workshops.  The CSA hold monthly meetings at 6pm on the 1st Monday of each month at Cafe Coffee Day Square (on Khader Nawaz Khan Road), before the storytelling by and for adults sessions there.  Info about these sessions is here.  For additional info about the CSA, please click here and call 98403 94282.

 

 

***

 

16

World Storytelling Institute (directed by Eric Miller) offers 7-session Storytelling Workshops for adults, on Sundays, 10am-12noon, near Nungambakkam High Road.  Info is here.

 

WSI also presents a monthly "Storytelling by-and-for Adults" open-mic event.  This occurs on the 1st Monday of each month at 6pm, at Cafe Coffee Day Square, on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam.  Additional info about these events (including links to articles about them) is here.

 

 

 

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