Storytelling in the Gallery

Experience the Gallery with storyteller Helen Lawry.

The Nightingale

Written by Hans Christian Andersen 

The Emperor is surprised to discover that the most celebrated thing in his illustrious realm is a plain bird who lives in the woods.

Can a jewell encrusted toy-bird be its equal?

Give your students the opportunity to hear Hans Christian Anderson's classic story bought to life.

First published in 1843, this story remains relevant today, exploring as it does issues of freedom and captivity and authenticity and artifice.

Performed with music

Recommended for upper and middle primary

The Magic Garden

A story from Kazakhstan
A young man journeys to the city to buy seeds for a splendid garden, but things don’t go quite according to plan.
A story full of wonder told with music, for anyone who has ever wondered why doing the right thing can be so complicated!

Recommended for upper and middle primary

Two Terrific Tales

A storytelling program for junior primary students.

The program starts with 'The Golden Eye Hatches the World', a Finnish creation story filled with wonder. This story is followed by a fun Japanese folk story about a thumb-sized boy with a big appetite for adventure.

Performed with music

Recommended for junior primary students

45 minutes

Dates and times by request.

$280 class, $200 equity/country class, plus GST.
Classes are divided into groups of 15 students per session.

Helen believes that storytelling has the capacity to capture children’s attention in a special way and it builds language, imagination, empathy, and community like nothing else.

Helen studied creative writing at Flinders University, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) and Emerson College (UK). A graduate of the International School of Storytelling (UK), Helen is a seasoned storyteller who performs original and traditional stories for adults and children. She has been telling stories for the Art Gallery of South Australia for many years.

Helen introduces her stories by drawing little props out of her in her ‘Mary Poppin’s bag’ and peppers her stories with music.

Helen creates and performs immersive theatrical experiences. Career highlights include performing in and assisting with the development of Return to the Village. (Winner 2022 Bank SA Adelaide Fringe Award Best Family show) and being awarded Adelaide Fringe Artist Fund grants which enabled her to write and perform the successful children’s storytelling shows Party for Two and I Spy With My Little aaahhh!!!