News and Events
Online Concert in support of StorySave- Join us for an afternoon of tales told by Caribbean and African Tellers
2021-01-08
Stories from the Motherland & Many Lands: Tales told by Caribbean and African Tellers
This show is mostly in English with short pieces in French
Sunday January 31, 2021 | 4pm EST
Click here to register for the concert!
The event will be hosted on Zoom. Having trouble registering? Email admin@storytellers-conteurs.ca
This is a free online concert with donations supporting the 2021 StorySave Rita Cox Project.
Donations can be made through CanadaHelps.org, or by contacting admin@storytellers-conteurs.ca.
Artist Biographies
Rita Cox
Rita is an award-winning, master storyteller who has performed across North America, in Europe, Brazil and the Caribbean, on stage, radio and television. She teaches courses, leads workshops and seminars, and performs for adults and children. She has been on the Board of Storytelling Toronto and has served as chairperson. Her stories have appeared in many anthologies and school readers. She tells stories from the Caribbean, Africa and around the world. Rita was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1997 and is a recipient of honourary degrees from York and Wilfred Laurier Universities and of the 1995 Black Achievement Award.
Anthony Audain
Anthony is an African Canadian storyteller, artistic director (Jazz Haz Productions), producer, language and arts teacher, writer, playwright, singer, songwriter, and motivational speaker. He was born in the Caribbean (St. Kitts, W.I.) and raised in Eastern Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Riverview, New Brunswick). His stories cover everything from Afro-Caribbean Folklore, to Ancestry, to the Environment, to the Underground Railroad, to Medieval Fairy Tales, to Autobiographies. He has an Honors Diploma in Theatre-Acting from Ryerson University’s School of Performing Arts, an Honors Diploma in Entrepreneurial Business Applications from The Academy of Learning Computer and Business Career College, and an English Degree from Mount Allison University where he also studied Theatrical Production. Anthony was honored to have been asked by Dr. Cox to participate in the 2020 Storytellers of Canada Story Save Fundraising Concert.
Kesha Christie
Kesha is an animated storyteller and passionate motivational speaker. She ignites the imagination and weaves tales that carry listeners on a captivating journey. Kesha is proudly sharing, Caribbean folklore, West African tales, and original stories. She has worked with school boards, community organizations and storytelling events such as world storytelling day. Kesha is also the founder of an annual storyteller event celebrating oral traditions and showcasing local entrepreneurs to in the community. Kesha also hosts a weekly storytelling podcast called Walk Good available on most podcast platforms including, Google podcast, apple podcast and more. For more information about Kesha, workshops, performances and more visit www.talkintales.ca or follow on IG @talkin_tales.
Comfort Adesuwa Ero
Comfort has been a part of our storytelling world here for many years and has run a very successful theatre in Surrey… and much more. Raised in a Nigerian Benin chief’s household, Comfort has learned and told folktales and songs ever since she learned to talk. She studied languages and drama and became a high school principal at a time when it was very unpopular in Africa to send girls to school. She has a BA in French, post graduate diploma and a master’s degree in Education. Although she is currently retired from classroom teaching, she is active on the storytelling scene.
Comfort uses theatre and storytelling techniques to help students deal with issues of bullying and discrimination in schools and communities. “Story-Powering our Youth” successfully moves them from depression to high self-esteem, allowing them to win awards, friendships, and good jobs. Comfort’s repertoire is distinct and unique – based on traditional African tales (mainly Nigerian) and her own original stories. Fascinating biographies of her Nigerian family give us an entry into Nigerian history and culture.
Gail Miller
Gail was captivated by the character of Anansi at a young age and now specializes in telling Anansi stories. Children were her first audience, including her own four children. She told stories at her church’s annual summer Vacation Bible School for several years. She joined the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in 2013 with her youngest daughter and quickly became an assistant and now a teacher and storyteller at the Malvern Library program. Gail was the recipient of the Storytellers of Canada 2018 Emerging Storyteller Award. She has shared Anansi stories at the Canada Day celebrations in Queen’s Park, Toronto City Hall for International Children’s Day, 1,001 Friday nights, the Whychwood Barns Story Tent, the Free Times Cafe and at U-Bora Education Services’ inaugural Black History Month event.
Djennie Laguerre
Actress, Author, and Storyteller is a graduate of the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory (New York) and the University of Ottawa (BAC in Art; Theatre and Literature). She has been acclaimed as the performer and author) of Manman la mer at Théâtre la Catapulte. She is the author and performer of Rendez-Vouswith Home/Lakay at the SummerWorks Festival, 2008, & at the Théâtre français de Toronto, 2010 ALSO presented in several storytelling festivals such as Les contes nomades (NAC) and Le Festival du loup de Lafontaine et Festival Les vieux m'ont conté. She is proud of the ambitious tour of both English and French versions of Rendez-vous withHome/ Lakay with the iconic Black Theatre Workshop (Montreal, February 2018 andNovember 2019) and the English version with Roseneath Theatre in Toronto 2020!
Rita is an award-winning, master storyteller who has performed across North America, in Europe, Brazil and the Caribbean, on stage, radio and television. She teaches courses, leads workshops and seminars, and performs for adults and children. She has been on the Board of Storytelling Toronto and has served as chairperson. Her stories have appeared in many anthologies and school readers. She tells stories from the Caribbean, Africa and around the world. Rita was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1997 and is a recipient of honourary degrees from York and Wilfred Laurier Universities and of the 1995 Black Achievement Award.
Anthony Audain
Anthony is an African Canadian storyteller, artistic director (Jazz Haz Productions), producer, language and arts teacher, writer, playwright, singer, songwriter, and motivational speaker. He was born in the Caribbean (St. Kitts, W.I.) and raised in Eastern Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Riverview, New Brunswick). His stories cover everything from Afro-Caribbean Folklore, to Ancestry, to the Environment, to the Underground Railroad, to Medieval Fairy Tales, to Autobiographies. He has an Honors Diploma in Theatre-Acting from Ryerson University’s School of Performing Arts, an Honors Diploma in Entrepreneurial Business Applications from The Academy of Learning Computer and Business Career College, and an English Degree from Mount Allison University where he also studied Theatrical Production. Anthony was honored to have been asked by Dr. Cox to participate in the 2020 Storytellers of Canada Story Save Fundraising Concert.
Kesha Christie
Kesha is an animated storyteller and passionate motivational speaker. She ignites the imagination and weaves tales that carry listeners on a captivating journey. Kesha is proudly sharing, Caribbean folklore, West African tales, and original stories. She has worked with school boards, community organizations and storytelling events such as world storytelling day. Kesha is also the founder of an annual storyteller event celebrating oral traditions and showcasing local entrepreneurs to in the community. Kesha also hosts a weekly storytelling podcast called Walk Good available on most podcast platforms including, Google podcast, apple podcast and more. For more information about Kesha, workshops, performances and more visit www.talkintales.ca or follow on IG @talkin_tales.
Comfort Adesuwa Ero
Comfort has been a part of our storytelling world here for many years and has run a very successful theatre in Surrey… and much more. Raised in a Nigerian Benin chief’s household, Comfort has learned and told folktales and songs ever since she learned to talk. She studied languages and drama and became a high school principal at a time when it was very unpopular in Africa to send girls to school. She has a BA in French, post graduate diploma and a master’s degree in Education. Although she is currently retired from classroom teaching, she is active on the storytelling scene.
Comfort uses theatre and storytelling techniques to help students deal with issues of bullying and discrimination in schools and communities. “Story-Powering our Youth” successfully moves them from depression to high self-esteem, allowing them to win awards, friendships, and good jobs. Comfort’s repertoire is distinct and unique – based on traditional African tales (mainly Nigerian) and her own original stories. Fascinating biographies of her Nigerian family give us an entry into Nigerian history and culture.
Gail Miller
Gail was captivated by the character of Anansi at a young age and now specializes in telling Anansi stories. Children were her first audience, including her own four children. She told stories at her church’s annual summer Vacation Bible School for several years. She joined the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in 2013 with her youngest daughter and quickly became an assistant and now a teacher and storyteller at the Malvern Library program. Gail was the recipient of the Storytellers of Canada 2018 Emerging Storyteller Award. She has shared Anansi stories at the Canada Day celebrations in Queen’s Park, Toronto City Hall for International Children’s Day, 1,001 Friday nights, the Whychwood Barns Story Tent, the Free Times Cafe and at U-Bora Education Services’ inaugural Black History Month event.
Djennie Laguerre
Actress, Author, and Storyteller is a graduate of the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory (New York) and the University of Ottawa (BAC in Art; Theatre and Literature). She has been acclaimed as the performer and author) of Manman la mer at Théâtre la Catapulte. She is the author and performer of Rendez-Vouswith Home/Lakay at the SummerWorks Festival, 2008, & at the Théâtre français de Toronto, 2010 ALSO presented in several storytelling festivals such as Les contes nomades (NAC) and Le Festival du loup de Lafontaine et Festival Les vieux m'ont conté. She is proud of the ambitious tour of both English and French versions of Rendez-vous withHome/ Lakay with the iconic Black Theatre Workshop (Montreal, February 2018 andNovember 2019) and the English version with Roseneath Theatre in Toronto 2020!
She received the Spotlight Award at the SummerWorks Festival in 2008 for Rendez-Vous with Home. She is a Dora Awards nominee for "OutstandingPerformance - Individual" Rendez-Vous with Home 2020, for "Outstanding Performance - Individual" for Les Zinspirés and "Outstanding Performance - Ensemble”. Also nomination for "Best Actress" at the METAs Awards 2018 for Rendez-vous Home/ Lakay. Your children know her as the storyteller and dancer Madame Bonheur at MiniTFO/CBC.
Bernadette Gabay Dyer
Bernadette was born in Kingston Jamaica, and has lived in Toronto Canada for many years. She is a Poet, a Storyteller, an Artist, a Playwright, and the author of four novels, and a short story Collection. Bernadette is a member of the Writer's Union of Canada and Science Fiction Canada. Her work has been widely anthologized, and her poetry and short stories have appeared in the University of Miami Journal, as well as in Wasafiri from St Mary's University in London England. Bernadette is currently awaiting the publication of a new collection of short stories in 2021
Itah Sadu
Award-winning author, storyteller and owner of Toronto bookstore, A Different Booklist, Itah Sadu shares the rich oral traditions of the Caribbean, Africa and North America with students and teachers. Her stories, workshops and keynotes often address issues of racism and equity as well as demonstrating the wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom gained from oral traditional cultures of the African Diaspora.
Natasha Charles
Natasha's first storytelling performance was at 6 years old, recounting Roald Dahl's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' to her mom. Entering the realm of the Toronto storytelling scene in 2014, she has since performed in Storyfire events and in the 2019 Toronto Storytelling Toronto Festival. Her varied story cache includes tales featuring the denizens of Trinidad, where she was raised, and fairytales and myths from both living and dead cultures. She is especially drawn to dark twisted tales with inhabitants from the gloomy realms of our worst nightmares. and cats, cats often run through her stories. Natasha is also a member of Storytelling Toronto. You can view her profile here.
About StorySave
Started in 2002, StorySave is a project of Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada that records the voices of tellers from the Canadian storytelling community. Each year, a new teller is chosen from nominees across Canada who’ve developed a marked personal style in the craft of storytelling, or who have a remarkable body of work that should be kept alive.
These voices are then made available to listeners world-wide as part of a living legacy through our website and through the production and sale of CDs and downloadable albums, and in a new initiative beginning in 2018, the production of an audio documentary on the teller, to accompany the album. StorySave stands out as yet one more way in which storytellers across the land are reaching out to their audiences.