February 23^rd → 28^th , 2026

MELBOURNE
Australia

THE STORYTELLER

The actor as a storyteller, shapeshifter and voice crafter

Welcome to a journey in the world of storytelling, an archetypal form of performance and a fundamental artistic expression found in all cultures.

We tell stories to entertain ourselves and others, to put children to sleep, to make people laugh, to make people cry, to remember, to be remembered, to forget, to rebel, to exorcise, to celebrate.
We tell stories in order to communicate, to share, to know, to teach, to inspire changes, to remember the past, to imagine the future, to make sense and meaning of the present.

Stories take us inside ourselves, outside and beyond.
Stories can emerge from any emotional landscape: from joy or from fear, from anger or grief, love or hate…
With stories we can curse and we can bless, we can reawaken wounds and we can heal.
We tell stories because we exist, because we have existed and because we will continue to exist.

For thousands of years, humans have been narrating. Moved by the irreversible desire, instinct and need to communicate to their fellow humans the fundamental facts and feelings of life, both directly and through the telling of symbolic stories: fairy tales, fables, myths, legends…

As a theatre form, storytelling is a celebration of the essence of performance, and requires a wide set of skills. These performance skills must culminate in the here and now of the story in the presence of the audience. At their core, every actor is first of all a storyteller, who is moved to take the center of the stage to be possessed by The Muses of poetry, the characters, roles, figures and powers of the story.
Each audience member is moved to go to the theatre by the ancestral desire to be entertained by a good story.

In these times of collective dis-embodiment and migration into the delusions of virtual reality, on-line entertainment and Artificial Un-Intelligence, live theatre is an endangered art and live storytelling is its soul. Its defence and its celebration is a call for us all.

The world can only end when it runs out of stories.

Michael Meade

Solo storytelling at HELIKOS school, 2012

THE PROGRAM

The workshop proposes a practical exploration of embodied narration, an active laboratory of creation and representation. Participants will have the opportunity to explore different techniques involving both gestures and voice.

These are the main topics explored during the workshop:
– The poetic body in space: levels of physical engagement
– Stage presence and the urgency to perform
– Elements of action mime and pantomime
– Embodiment of characters and shapeshifting
– Elements of voice technique
– Staging of existing stories brought both by the participants and by the teacher.

There will also be space for a reflection on the origins and the archetypal power of stories.

Solo storytelling at Kiklos school, 2000

ADMISSION

This workshop is for theatre practitioners who have previous experiences in movement theatre and for anyone interested in the Pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq and in its evolution in the work of Giovanni Fusetti.

A fierce and playful urgency to perform is required!

HOW TO APPLY
There is no application form. To apply to the workshop please email a letter of motivation sharing the essence of your story, vision, dream, desire, fear or inexplicable intuition that leads you to this work. Please include in your letter
– your experience with movement based theatre;
– your experience with the pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq;
– your experience with stories and storytelling;
– anything about your physical or emotional state that you feel it is important for the teacher to know (ex: injuries or pre-existing physical conditions; specific physical or emotional needs; psychological states, diagnosed or undiagnosed).

Before applying please read this document about the rules of engagement of the participants with the workshop: with oneself, with the group, with the teacher and with the work.

Giovanni will contact you after receiving the application.
The first selection will happen on December 1st.
The class will be confirmed as soon as it reaches 8 participants. Once Giovanni has selected 10 students, the workshop is full, and a waiting list will be created.
If you intend to participate, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please send your application to giovanni.fusetti@helikos.com

ENROLLMENT SITUATION AS OF DECEMBER 2nd
The workshop is full and a a waiting list is in place.

PRACTICALITIES

Please note that the tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Melbourne.

Please note the workshop is a learning continuum, so it is not possible to attend the class only in parts, or to miss any session of the work.

Once completed the enrollment, participants will receive a message containing further practical details about the workshop.

Solo storytelling at Kiklos school, 2000

LOCATION
Pascoe Vale Uniting Church
10 Cumberland Rd, Pascoe Vale South VIC 3044, Australia
Directions

SCHEDULE
The workshop is an intensive 6 day Masterclass, from Monday February 23rd to Saturday February 28th, with the following schedule.
Mon 23rd 9.30 – 5.30pm
Tues 24th 9.30 – 5.30pm
Wed 25th 9.00 – 3.30pm
Thurs 26th 9.30 – 5.30pm
Fri 27th 9.30 – 5.30pm
Saturday 28th: 1 to 10pm, with a performance of the stories to an invited audience at 7pm
Storytelling Community Performance Night at COBURG HALL

LANGUAGE
The workshop will be taught in ENGLISH and a basic understanding of this language is required.

by Herman Werner (1872)

INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS

For further information about the content of the workshop
and for APPLICATIONS, please contact Giovanni Fusetti at

For enrollment and practical enquiries please contact

Giovanni Fusetti in the Storytelling Show WELCOME TO SLOTALIA (2025)