Bangalore’s storytelling scene is burgeoning, with several clubs springing up in the city in the last two years. Whatever their function and their background – some of these clubs exist for children, some for “children of all ages” – at their heart is a love for the narrative.
Storytelling in the city: Six Places in the City to look for Tall Tales
Ever After
Deeptha Vivekanand founded Ever After in 2012 as a way to encourage learning and critical thinking through the stories that surround us all. Ever After conducts storytelling workshops, summer programmes, and performances. We know we’d love to try Bake A Tale, a workshop in which participants (aged 7-10) can bake their story and eat it too.
Where: 81A/1, Sunny Brooks, Sarjapur Road
Contact: +91 9916641717
Find them on Facebook here.
Check out their webite here.
Bangalore Storytelling Society
Kathalaya
Run by the inimitable Geeta Ramanujan, Kathalaya has been a home for stories since 1998. It has since blossomed into a “storytelling academy”, offering storytelling training to students, actors, journalists, and people from various other backgrounds. They also coordinate the Indian Storytelling Network, which acts as a hub of all storytelling-related activity in the country.
Where: #88, BHBCS Layout 3rd Main, 2nd Cross, Bannerghatta Road
Contact: +91 8277389840; 080 2668 9856, or email kathalaya@gmail.com
Find them on Facebook here.
Check out their website here.
Storipur
Storipur specialises in using storytelling as a means to all sorts of other interesting ends: building community, encouraging learning, or creating a sense of social responsibility. Founded in 2013 by Priya Muthukumar, Storipur’s sessions are intended for everybody, not just children.
Contact: +91 9611075804/ 9902099702, or email priyastoripur@gmail.com.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Storywallahs
Ameen Haque’s outfit trains businesses and teachers in storytelling, and conducts storytelling performances for the general public and underprivileged children. The Storywallahs are firmly rooted in the ethos that stories are more than just entertainment but actually a tool for change.
Where: 1650, 4th Cross Road, Jeevan Bheema Nagar
Contact: +91 9845536114
Find them on Facebook here.
Check out their website here.
Katharangam
Katharangam trains teachers in storytelling, conducts open-mic sessions in which anyone can share a story, and reaches out to underprivileged children with storytelling sessions. Shreya Biswas, the force behind Katharangam, is a multilingual storyteller: her stories come in English, Hindi, and Bengali. Katharangam also coordinates story clubs in schools.
Contact: +91 9900234613, or email piubiswas67@gmail.com or shreya@katharangam.com.
Find them on Facebook here.
Check out their website here.
