Asha Sampath has a happy story to tell: it’s about how stories changed her life for the better. It’s going to be one year since she launched Tale Spin, a story-telling initiative involving children and adults at Anna Nagar, and the effort seems headed for a fairytale ending.
“I advertised my first session on Facebook, and the response was great,” she says. Close to 35 people from in and around Anna Nagar attended the event. Ever since, she has used social media (facebook.com/TaleSpinaplatformforstories) to announce her monthly sessions.
Asha, who has worked as a teacher in various schools and as a principal in two Indian Air Force schools, developed an interest in story-telling along the way. She signed up for a course at the World Story Telling Institute and took a plunge as professional story-teller.
“I gained experience by narrating stories at Oxford Bookstore as well as by conducting workshops in schools,” she says. Soon, her stock as story-teller went up; neighbourhood groups in Anna Nagar, Mogappair and Ambattur requested her to conduct sessions in their respective areas. Today, a majority of my sessions are full (I take a maximum of 40 participants). Her sessions have people coming in from as far away an area as Nanganallur.
Talking about her journey with stories, she says, “The more I read and tell a story, the richer it gets. I bring to people the wonder, imagination, creativity and morals stories teach us.” As Tale Spin enters the second year, Asha plans to entertain more people with her stories. “I also try to use stories to help people become better public speakers,” says Asha.
To mark the first anniversary, Tale Spin is conducting an interactive storytelling session on the theme ‘Story on a plate’ at Aark Coffee House, Anna Nagar. Registration fee is Rs. 150 per head.
To register, call 9840833953.
