Anne’s Workshops

Contact: jennison.anne@gmail.com

• In all honesty, you’ll reach me faster if you email me than if you call me!   

• Please Note: Currently Anne’s Performances, Presentations, & Workshops are only being offered as live online virtual events via Zoom, Teams, Google Meets, etc.

• NO IN-PERSON BOOKINGS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME, OTHER THAN THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONTRACTED, BUT I’D BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN A HYBRID EVENT!

All workshops are limited to no more than 12 - 15 people in each session. (with the exception of the People of the Dawnland presentation that is limited only by the number of people you can accommodate online.)

Storytelling Workshops

 In small group settings, Anne teaches several workshops related to storytelling, using interactive as well as hands-on techniques she has developed throughout her years of teaching and telling traditional Northeast Native American stories to many audiences.  

• People of the First Light: 13 Moons on Turtle’s back

  Traditional Abenaki/Wabanaki Lesson Stories and Storytelling Traditions. Explore the traditional knowledge and values of the Wabanaki Peoples as revealed in their stories. These stories flow through the seasons of the Abenaki Lunar Calendar - making clear the absolute interconnectedness of the Indigenous Peoples and their environment throughout the millenia.

• Hear her roar!

  Reclaiming Powerful Images of Women Through Traditional Indigenous Storytelling. In Wabanaki traditional stories - as in the stories of many Indigenous tribes throughout the Americas - female characters are featured in many stories that show them as powerful, resourceful, autonomous living beings (some human, some absolutely terrifying while others bring sacred gifts, some animal, some from the spirit world) who hold tremendous power and respect within their cultures.

• Spread Your Wings and Fly!

   Becoming a (better) Storyteller!  This workshop is geared toward beginning storytellers, although there are some good take-aways for more experienced storytellers as well. Traditional storytelling is explored in this 2 hour session through deepening the understanding that all humans are natural storytellers and need only to learn how to sharpen their storytelling skills. This workshop teaches the basic structure (the “bones” of the story), ways to immerse oneself in a story in order to become its “keeper”, and also ways to “flesh out” the bones of the story by sensory exporation of the storyscape and learning how to coax each character within a story to reveal its knowledge.

• moving from stem to steam - Using the Art of Storytelling in Science Communication to Breathe Life into Your Narrative.

  Scientists will benefit from learning ways to translate their research conclusions from technical, jargon-filled “science speak” in “everyday person speak” by honing their natural abilities and giving themselves permission to become “science storytellers”. We live in a technological age of critically important and ongoing scientific research. The discoveries that are made every day, every month, every year will have lasting impact on the survival of the human race. It makes sense then that scientists be able to communicate what they have learned/are learning to the people outside of their fields of academic research. All the knowledge in the world will not save the world if the knowledge is hoarded within academic institutions. Tap your inner storyteller and free yourself to learn methods that will help you relay your knowledge to non-specialsist - i.e. the rest of us! When I think of scientists and mathematicians who have sparked my imagination while sharing their excitement of discovery, I am reminded of Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Jacques Cousteau, Stephen Hawking, and even Bill Nye the Science Guy… all fine storytellers, each with a style all their own.

  This is a 2 hour (+/-) interactive workshop presentation that includes a PowerPoint presentation, interactive story sharing, and an informal Q & A discussion session. Anne will email handouts and other workshop materials to workshop organizers prior to the event.

Abenaki/Wabanaki History Presentation

• the people of the dawnland

  Who are the Abenaki/Wabanaki Peoples? An introduction and overview of the Abenaki/Wabanaki Peoples from first contact to the present day. This 90 minute workshop presentation makes use of a PowerPoint followed by an expanded informal Q & A discussion.

Cornhusk Doll Making Workshops:

• the doll with no face - a northeast woodlands tradition-

  In small group online workshops of 10-12 participants, Anne teaches workshops on how to create a cornhusk doll.  Every participant will experience success in this hands-on workshop and end the 2 hour session with a completed cornhusk doll and a traditional Northeast Woodlands Native American story:  The Doll With No Face.  (A list of all basic workshop materials is provided in advance so you have time to gather the supplies you need before the day of the workshop.) 

Storytelling Coaching - 1:1 Individual Attention

• becoming a truly polished storyteller!

  Individual coaching sessions with Anne to shape and craft your stories into the best, strongest performance pieces you can offer.  Anne has many years experience coaching performers, such as storytellers, vocalists, and musicians, to help them sharpen their performance techniques.  Sometimes all it takes is a coach who believes in your success - and is really paying close attention to what you're doing - to help you discover and hone the strengths you already have, so that you can bring more of those strengths to every aspect of your performance.  Anne studied storytelling coaching with Doug Lipman, an internationally acknowledged storyteller and storytelling coach (and an all-around good guy!).