Himalayan Workshop on Storytelling with Kathalaya
June 15 – June 18
The Kathalaya Workshop on Storytelling happens in cities too. Why travel all the way to the Himalayas?
This is the Kathalaya Beginners Workshop on Storytelling, but with a difference. Normally the course is packed into two frantic city days, with your busy urban life snapping at your heels.
In the Himalayas, the same workshop on storytelling is spread over two full days. The workshop on storytelling is led by Geeta Ramanujam, but in a unique location – the five-star rated Himalayan Writing Retreat. Another big difference is we take only 10 participants as opposed to 20 in the normal batches. With the peace and serenity of the beautiful Himalayas, this residential workshop on storytelling is a one-of-a-kind experience.
The benefits of storytelling, of course, are many. Have you seen some people tell stories, and wished you too could tell a story like that? Holding your audience spellbound – whether it be little kids or grown adults? Geeta Ramanujam is easily India’s best known storyteller and teacher.
In this two day workshop on storytelling you will learn every trick in the storytelling book. You will learn how to craft a great story. You will learn to use your voice and your body. With only ten learners, each student gets a lot of time and personal attention. Once you master storytelling, you will be a better teacher, a better parent, and a lot more fun to be around.
At the end of the two days, you will be awarded the beginners certificate in storytelling from Kathalaya. Scroll down to learn more about Geeta Ramanujam, and see the day-wise course details.
About the Instructor
Geeta Ramanujam
Geeta is the founder and Executive Director of Kathalaya, India’s leading storytelling organization. She created the Kathalaya Trust to revive the traditional art of storytelling,
Geeta is an internationally renowned storyteller and teacher. She uses storytelling as an effective educational and cultural tool for parents, teachers, NGOs and corporations both in India and abroad.
Geeta talks about how she was once shy of speaking in public, forget telling stories. But now when you see her tell a story – where she may roar like a lion or do a brilliant enactment of a little squirrel, you wonder how that could be true. Ramanujam, who was formerly a teacher at the Valley School, bring her classroom genius and applies it to the subject of storytelling to deliver an amazing learning experience. For more details about Geeta, please see her profile on the Kathalaya website at http://kathalaya.org/about-kathalaya/
Detailed Program – Workshop on Storytelling with Kathalaya
| 15th-18th June | Saturday-Tuesday | ||
| Day | Time | Topic | |
| Day-1 Thu, June 15 | Arrival of Participants | Free day and getting to know each other. | |
| Day-2 Fri, June 16 | 9.30 AM -5.00 PM | Introductions What is Storytelling/ &listening types of listening – fish bowl activity-the 3 Rs of the Oral Tradition. Elements of Storytelling based on the narrative. Pillars of storytelling and Q and A VOICES- The How of Storytelling. | |
| Day-3 Sat, Jun 17 | 9.30 – 5.00 PM | Voice, AEIOU, sounds, movement, expressions, Gestures, Body language Actions and other techniques of telling.Chitrakathas and group presentations Childhood stories Creativity in Storytelling. The what when Why How of storytelling and the Story board with structures. Participant prepare the stories with lunch . Presentations with evaluations Feedback Q&A and certificates and Products. | |
| Day-4 Sun, Jun 18 | Participants leave |
Travel and Stay
The Himalayan Writing Retreat is built for writing and learning. We are rated 5-star on google and facebook.
Once here, you will be sharing a room with a fellow participant (unless we’ve confirmed a single). All essentials like food, hot water, towels etc. are provided. No hidden costs.
It can snow in winter. Weather can vary and the weather chart of Mukteshwar (12 km from the retreat) is here. A pair of sturdy walking shoes, some rain protection and an extra layer or two are always a good idea.
Our rooms are built to let nature in and inspire you. To see pictures of the rooms click here . To see pictures of the writing spaces click here
Depending upon where you travel in from, you can reach us by road, train or air. Even if flying or taking a train, the final stretch is a drive, and the last 150 metres is a walk.
By Road
The retreat is a 370 km/9 hours drive from Delhi. If driving, we recommend you leave early. Note that parking at the retreat is on the road – we do not have any private parking. We have limited driver accommodation, so please check in advance.
Overnight Volvo buses ply between Haldwani and Delhi, the more reliable of which are government operated. You con book those here. Private Volvos and Sleeper buses also ply between Delhi and Haldwani, which you can book on redbus. Make sure you pick a bus with a high (4+) rating.
By Train
There are three trains a day from Delhi to Kathgodam, the nearest train station. Some others also come in from Kolkata, Lucknow and Dehradun. From Delhi, Ranikhet Express is a convenient overnight train both ways, but finding tickets can be difficult.
Most people prefer to take the Kathgodam Shatabdi (Delhi dep: 6.20 AM, Kathgodam Arr: 11.40 AM). A cab from Kathgodam to Satkhol takes about 2.5 hrs / Rs. 2200 (more for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants.
By Air
There are daily flights from Delhi to Pantnagar. A cab from Pantnagar to Satkhol takes about 3.5 hr / Approx INR 4K.
There are direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Bareilly 3-4 days a week. Satkhol is a 5hr / INR 5.5k cab ride from Bareilly. (More for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants.
One of our past attendees – Radhika, has beautifully captured her experience of this retreat in her words. You can read her post Here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should I choose HWR Workshops?
- Personal Attention: We don’t take more than 10 students in a class. You get a lot of personal attention and feedback. No classrooms of 20-30 people or one-way pre-recorded videos here.
- Class Quality: For most courses, we filter our participants. You can’t just pay and sign up. We need to see a writing sample (in our application form) to ensure the class is of a uniform standard.
- Cost per hour: Our courses are long and intense. As an example, the Creative Writing course is 18000 for 24 contact hours (3 days, 8 hours each day). The cost per hour = 750 / hour. That is comparable to many of the “cheaper” courses.
- Quality of faculty: No lightweights here. Many of our faculty are award-winners. All are experts and great teachers. We don’t settle for average.
- Feedback scores: Across courses, we are rated 4.5/5, or higher. You can read our reviews HERE.
- Do I get a certificate of participation?
Yes, certificates are available on request.
- Any discounts for students / other categories?
At the Himalayan Writing Retreat, we follow a strict No-Discount policy.
- Is the workshop fee refundable?
Our cancellation policy is as follows:
- Online Writing Workshop: 100% refund if cancellation 2 weeks before the event start date, 50% if cancellation one week before the start date, 0% if less than one week before the start date.
- Creative Writing Workshop at the Himalayas: 100% refund if cancellation 4 weeks before the event start date, 50% if cancellation two weeks before the start date, 0% if less than two weeks before the start date.
- Is the Himalayan Writing Retreat a business or an NGO?
The Himalayan Writing Retreat is a social enterprise. It works closely and actively with two local NGOs in its community work initiatives: Chirag and Alaap. In 2020, HWR raised INR 6.1 Lakhs to support the Chirag School.
Have more questions? Feel free to write to us at info@himalayanwritingretreat.com or connect with us at +91 73035 16665 (Call/ WA/Signal).
Event Summary
** 32000 is the early bird price. Regular price of INR 34000 applicable after 25th May, 2023.**
One male spot open, Waitlist open for Ladies.
