Take Your Storytelling to the Next Level - with John Knowles

Inside each of us is a great story—one that will move an audience, be remembered, and passed on to others. Consciously crafted and well-delivered stories captivate, entertain, and move people. ‘Take Your Storytelling to the Next Level - with John Knowles’ is a fun, immersive story-crafting workshop that will show you how great storytellers construct and deliver their amazing short oral stories and how you can learn to do it too!

In this 7-week in person course, professional storyteller, comedian, and writer John Knowles will help you uncover incidents from your life experience that have the potential to be wonderful oral stories. Utilising playful story-swapping activities, customised resources, and his proven methods, John guides participants through the enjoyable process of fleshing out their narrative and then shaping it into the best way to tell that particular story for maximum impact and heart. John calls his method ‘STORYTILLING’. Together, you’ll dig through the dirt and drama of your life to uncover your storytelling diamonds.

This course is ideal for anyone who has done some storytelling workshops already or is looking to dig deeper into John’s teaching and story-crafting methods. The small class size ensures plenty of individual attention.

The course will be conducted on 7 consecutive Monday evenings, beginning on March 18th, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The venue is a 5-minute walk to Summer Hill Train Station and regular buses.

In this course, you’ll learn:

*  Simple effective tools for constructing an engaging narrative

*  How to unearth potential stories with John’s own ‘Storytilling Whirligig Model©

*  How to use John’s 7-Beat Story-building Scaffold to keep you on track

*  Tips for audience engagement and reading the room as you deliver your story

*  How and when to use humour to enhance your story and create a connection with your audience

*  Methods for underpinning stories with your personal values and unique perspective

*  Voice and Stagecraft tips for presenting your story

John will demonstrate the principles and subtle tricks that great storytellers use to hook and hold the attention of their audience. We’ll watch and analyse video clips showing examples of excellent and ‘not so excellent’ storytelling to discover what works, what does not, and why. John infuses the course with laughter and interactive storytelling activities that ensure the sessions stay energised and interesting.

By session six of seven, each participant will have had the opportunity to brainstorm and pitch potential story ideas, choose the best one, write out and read aloud numerous draft versions of their story, and receive valuable feedback from John and the group. On week seven, we will all present our stories to the group in a casual showcase. 

Our storytellers can choose to have their performance videoed if they wish.

Each of you will finish the course with your own polished, engaging story that you can confidently tell (without notes!) anytime, anywhere.

Here are some of John’s unique tools and templates that you will receive and use in this course: 

•  Storytilling Values Integration Chart©

•  Storytilling Terms and Phrases definitions and glossary

•  Storytilling Whirligig Model© for uncovering potential stories

•  Our DODO© method for proactive listening

•  John’s Storytilling Scaffold© for constructing powerful stories

Your tutor:

John Knowles has been performing onstage and teaching storytelling at colleges and corporate events for most of his life. He is a 2020 winner of The Moth international storytelling competition in Sydney and is heard regularly on ABC Radio and stages around Sydney, hosting his storytelling segment ‘I Can Top That!’.  He co-developed the ‘Impro Crash Course’ for storytellers and stand-up comedians taught at The Sydney Comedy Store and was awarded the prestigious Moosehead Comedy Award for his solo show, John Knowles is Saddle Sore, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. His decades of experience as a professional comedian, writer, and improviser have fine-tuned John’s ability to help people ‘find the funny’ in their true stories. He also teaches professional courses in ‘Mastering Conversation Skills’ and ‘Perfecting Your Personal Pitch’. John has a special interest in teaching teens and adults with Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder to be better communicators. He is a father of four teenagers, loves to play the harmonica, and was delighted to play on the ARIA award-winning Bluey The Album.

Feedback about John’s courses:

"John, you truly are a master storyteller and I’m so glad you agreed to grace the Stories that Stir stage last night."
- Monica Rosenfeld, Founder & Director of Stories That Stir 

“I enjoyed your course very much. You made it a safe space for us all, and your insights into storytelling were invaluable. Most of all, I liked listening to everyone’s stories - especially yours! Second most of all, I enjoyed the opportunity to be silly 😊”
- Penny Robertshawe, student

“It was an awesome class, and I'm more than happy that I decided to do it. John is an excellent teacher who provided us with many tips and tricks to deliver a story. It was great to meet John and the wonderful group.
- Tony, Sydney Community College Student

“John delivers lively, practical, and laughter-filled classes in the life-changing art of spinning a yarn. People attend - and keep coming back - to build confidence, nail their elevator pitch, or learn storytelling stagecraft and small talk. They say things like “I’m so glad I signed up!” and “John Knowles makes this a sensational course - it is more than mere storytelling, it is empowering."  He’s a keeper, that’s for sure!” 

- Claire Pickard, Director,  Sydney Community College