Cindy Campbell

Dartmouth, NS

Home/Résidence: 902 466-4545
Cell : Cell: 471-3971
Email/Courriel :  Cindy Campbell

I was born and raised in Nova Scotia with roots in Prince Edward Island. I heard my first oral stories as a child while sitting around my grandparents kitchen in P.E.I. , listening to the adults talk. I heard stories about people, events and the history of a community. I especially loved hearing family stories or humourous stories. Singing and music weren’t long after the stories in that kitchen and I loved the old songs which were really ballads and folksongs that told a story.

After 25 years of performing, I am foremost a storyteller but also a varied performer: singer, musician, puppeteer, actor, writer.

I tell a wide variety of stories to a wide variety of ages in a wide variety of forums. I tell many kinds of tales: folk, fairy, tall, true (sort of), untrue (outright lies), super silly, personal, family, historical, community. I have told stories to all ages from babies to seniors. I have told stories in a Yert and on the back of a flat bed truck. I have told tales dressed as a pirate or a Cape Breton bag lady and as just plain ol’’ me.
In 2000, I started an educational entertainment company called StorySong Express. Along with operating the business, creating and telling, I am also trying to finish a CD, book and website....so much to do, so little time!

My interests and experience in storytelling are generally in these areas:
• Oralcy based programs for preschoolers: oral based language learning via stories, songs, rhymes.
• Collecting family stories and offering workshops to help others collect family stories.
• Community stories projects with museums and elders in the community.
• Storytelling for teens and by teens.
• Youth in storytelling projects and workshops for children and teachers.
• Traditional music, folk songs and ballads: songs that tell stories.
• Storysongs: songs and stories together as one performance piece.

Career highlights include:
• Storytelling Tour for T.D. Canadian Childrens Book Centre, 2006.
• One of three storytellers chosen from a national competition. I was a Storyteller on tour throughout various communities on the lower North Shore of Quebec which included visits to schools (Grade primary to grade ten), and community centres.
• Storytelling Tour for Community For Anglophone Social Action (CASA), 2006.
• Tour of the Gaspe region of Quebec. Promoting storytelling in high schools and community centres. Encouraging teens and adults to tell their community stories for a Storytelling Festival planned for the following year.
• Project Manager for Youth In Storytelling Initiative, 2006/2007:
• A partnership project between the Storytellers Circle of Halifax, Pier 21:Canada’’s Immigration Museum, and funded by the Helen Creighton Folklore Society, this year long project was in three stages:
1. Storytelling Presentations for School Classes visiting Pier 21 in June of 2006. In conjunction with pre activities of the Storytellers of Canada Conference 2006.
2. ‘Tell Your Family Story’ Contest for Youth of ages 9 - 18. Stories of Immigration to Canada or how immigration influenced your family or culture.
3. Storytelling In the Classroom: encouraging oral storytelling clubs in the schools and encouraging teachers to use oral storytelling across the curriculum.

Youth Programmer for Public Libraries:
• Super Silly Cindy Show for Laugh Out Loud Summer Reading Program, 2008:
• Halifax Public Libraries, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• St. Johns Public Libraries, St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Saskatoon Public Libraries, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Performances In Festivals and Other Events (just a few)
• Ottawa Storytelling Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, 2004.
• Living Sky Stories: From Prairie to Pine Concert, Regina, Saskatchewan, 2004. Recorded by CBC radio.
• Atlantic Storytelling Festival, St. Peters, Cape Breton, 2005.
• A’'tukwey Storytelling Festival, Isle Madame, Cape Breton, 2006.
• Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Awards Ceremony, Halifax, NS, 2005, 2007.
• Ancestry In Song Concert: traditional and contemporary songs inspired by the Dr. Helen Creighton Folksong Collection, 2008. Recorded by CBC radio.
• Mahone Bay Mussel Festival, Nova Scotia. Sponsor, Biscuit Eater Café, 2008

Over several years:

• Word On The Street / Pier , Halifax, NS
• Child Care Connections Conferences and Child Care Celebration Days, Halifax, NS
• Nova Scotia Public Libraries, Performances and Workshops.
• Halifax Public Schools
• Halifax Regional Municipality ChildCare Centres, Daycares, Preschools, Family Resource Centres.

Other Interests

• Board member and Storytelling Liaison for the Helen Creighton Folklore Society, NS
• Co- Chair of the Storytellers Circle of Halifax and former Newsletter Editor
• Provincial Coordinator for Storytellers of Canada/ Conteurs du Canada (SC-CC), Co-Chair of SC-CC Conferences 1999 and 2006, Former editor of Le Raconteur, news journal for SC-CC.
• Member, Canadian Society For Traditional Music / Société canadienne pour les traditions musicales (CSTM/SCTM), Co- Chair with Clary Croft, Conference for CSTM/SCTM, Halifax, NS, 2008.
• Member, Cole Harbour Heritage Society, NS.
• Member, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers (SOCAN)
• Member, Professional Storyteller, online network, http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com

Jan 30 2009