We are delighted to announce the theme of our 2015 conference…

 

Transformations: Spinning Straw into Green and Gold

 

After the success of our inaugural conference in June, we are so excited to bring you another day of fairy tale discussions.

Here are the details:

When:  Just to make things even more enchanted, the conference will be held on a magical day – the Winter Solstice on Sunday 21st June, 2015.

Where:  For our venue, we have chosen the Judith Wright Room at the NSW Writers’ Centre – Garry Owen House, Callan Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle (enter from the Balmain Road gate opposite Cecily Street and follow the green signs to the Writers’ Centre).

Our call for papers in now officially open, and will close on January 30th. See the call for papers below, or print off a PDF version here: Call for Papers 2015

 

Call for Papers

Conference theme: ‘Transformations: spinning straw into green and gold’

Transformation is a key element within the enchanted realm of fairy tale, both within the stories themselves and the history of the genre. The possibilities of change are explored in tales where frogs become princes, boys become swans, and many a poor girl is revealed as a true princess following a trial of courage and endurance. Over time and across cultures universal ideas have wrapped themselves in an array of motifs, shifting to suit their audience, setting, and times while retaining the same underlying truth. How have Red, Cindy and Snow adapted to the Australian climate? Are there fairy tales born of our cultural landscape? What changes and what remains the same in a transformation?

Proposals are invited for presentations on the following fairy tale topics:

* cross cultural transformations

* cross generational transformations

* cultural appropriation

* European tales from an Australian perspective

* oral to written and back again

* folkloric to academic

* magical transformations – human / non-human

* therapeutic – personal transformation through story

* adaption across forms – storytelling, music, dance, film, visual arts, etc

* personal to public and back again

* maturation / coming of age

* changing status

* objects of transformation

* myth to fairy tale

* adapting for audience (age, gender, class, sexual orientation, dis/ability), place, and time

* curses to blessings

Performers are invited to present short works or a taster to showcase longer works.

Artists are invited to exhibit and discuss their work.

Along with academic papers, performance, and exhibitions, we are also seeking panelists.

Presentations will run between 15-30 minutes.

The conference will be recorded, with the permission of presenters, and uploaded to the AFTS website.

Please send 100-200 word abstract submissions to: austfairytales@gmail.com

Submissions close 5pm Friday 30th January, and presenters will be announced in March 2015.

Conference tickets will be discounted to $50 for successful applicants.

 

So, fairy tale lovers. Start spinning those abstracts and stories, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Let the enchantment begin!
The Australian Fairy Tale Society Committee

 

If you’re looking for a magical experience this December, then look no futher. As the River Tells It, is the final performance of the Words on the Wind series. Storyteller and resident oddity, Roslyn Quin takes the audience on a trip around the new myths of the Docklands.

 

In the shadowy mirrors of her tales, immigrants tales transform in to soulful spirits, colourful characters feel a little too familiar, and a old monster gets a new breath of life. As The River Tells It, is an immersive, original storytelling performance of transformation, inspired by the myth and history of the Docklands. Roslyn brings her haunting tales to the stage with music, puppetry and movement, to draw the audience into a world of familiar strangeness and to wonder at the waters around them will be presenting a free hour long show with original tales exploring the local environment and history. All details on our Events page.

Have a magical weekend!

Belinda Calderone
AFTS Committee Member

Louisa John-Krol
Melbourne Fairy Tale Ring