Storytelling was also a means to enjoy and share the world’s different cultures now present in Canada. Through PUENTE I conducted different programs to encourage immigrant storytellers to come forward and share their stories. I devised a Storytelling Workshop, a simple and effective way of demonstrating that we all have significant stories to tell, and creating an environment where it feels safe and natural to do so. I love sharing stories from Chile! I feel that through them I can communicate at a deeper level with my community. Strangely enough, telling stories about Chile makes me feel more rooted in Canada! I’m sure many share these feelings.
I have been telling stories for many years now. It is an intrinsic activity in theatre, but it is also an art form in itself, coming from very old traditions and from a human need to share experiences and to entertain each other. It has become very popular lately and there are many associations of storytellers in the world that do a wonderful job of promoting this art form and of creating opportunities for tellers to practice their skills. The Victoria Storytellers Guild is one of those organizations and they have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have taken part in their story concerts and workshops, and in several national conferences. In 2009 the Victoria Guild hosted the Storytellers of Canada National Conference. I was honored to be nominated Keeper of the Stories In it. In 2011, I was workshop leader and teller at the Symposium “Re-Awakening Storytelling” organized by African Stages in Vancouver.
I am available to conduct storytelling workshops at different levels, and to tell traditional folktales from Latin America, in English and in Spanish, suitable for all ages. I also tell personal stories, mostly based on my life in Chile.