Ginger Mullen

8132 Hunterview Drive NW
Calgary, AB T3K 1B1

Home/Résidence :    403-695-7761
Email/Courriel :   Ginger Mullen

My passion for folklore began when I first met Rapunzel  and was drawn to her beautiful song of longing. This first appreciation for the bittersweet kindled my lifelong love of world folktales and my career as a storyteller.

Since 1992, I have immersed myself in the oral tradition - through performance, academia, group facilitation and festival planning- cultivating a unique approach to storytelling.   Working as a library programmer and a freelance artist in schools, festivals and museums, I honed a broad repertoire of folktales for all ages, but especially for families, preschoolers and elementary-aged children.  I was selected to tour Ontario during Canadian Children’s Book Week in 2002.  My work over five years as a leader in the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program™ developed my expertise at using oral stories and rhymes with babies, toddlers and their caregivers.  In 2003, I also earned a Master of Arts degree in Children’s Literature from UBC, focusing on folklore. I have served on the boards of The Vancouver Society of Storytelling and the Storytellers of Canada /Conteurs du Canada, and I currently participate in T.A.L.E.S.(The Alberta League Encouraging Storytelling).

My diverse experiences and repertoire allow me to create a rich program of world folk and fairy tales especially tailored for any audience.  I lead workshops for beginning and intermediate storytellers, with a speciality in teaching storytelling to those working with young children.  I also deliver lectures for college and university classes on various aspects of the oral tradition.

Publications/Recordings:

“Snowgirl and the Chinook.”  Tales on the Wind [CD].  Calgary: The Alberta League Encouraging Storytelling, 2009.

“The Mouse Bride,” “Stone Soup,” and “Ruth’s Red Jacket.”  What’ll I Do with the Baby-o? Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Stories for Babies.  Vancouver: Black Sheep Press, 2007.

The Transformations of “Tam Lin”: An Analysis of Folktale Picture Books [Thesis].  Vancouver: UBC, 2003.

“Making Sense of the Senseless: Interpretations of ‘Bluebeard’.”  Sixth Annual UCCB Storytelling Symposium, 2002.

“The Twa’ Sisters.”  How Music Came to the World & Other Stories [CD].  Vancouver: Vancouver Society of Storytelling and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2000.

Dec 2008