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Session information on: Buckley | Lest We Forget | Australia In A Suitcase | Primary School Workshops | The Language of Story | Folk, Life, Literature | Feedback
Download: Jan's Story Menu
Biography
 Storyteller, musician, singer, author and radio broadcaster, Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky is one of Australia’s most respected and popular performers of folk song, story and literature. You pronounce Jan as "Yarn" and Wositzky is just phonetic.
His credits include being a founder of the Bushwacker's Band (1971); author of the best-selling biography of Phar Lap’s strapper, Tommy Woodcock (1985); writer of ATOM Award winning documentary, Buwarrala Akarriya – Journey East (1988); and honorary performer at the Gallipoli Dawn Service on Anzac Day 2003, with his solo show Lest We Forget.
Over his four-decade career, Jan has delivered hundreds of performances and workshops to Australian students. His books, The Bushwackers Song Book and The Bushwackers Dance Book are still used in schools Australia wide.
 Having traveled and worked in most parts of this land, and lived from inner city Melbourne and NT indigenous communities, he carries a wealth of personal tales. Along with his trademark humour Jan draws on this experience to lace together the heritage material he knows and loves so well.
And of course, there’s music, for it’s own sake and to enhance the stories, with Jan on a variety of unusual instruments, including claw hammer style 5-string banjo, bones, spoons, bodhran and harmonica.
Jan lives in Castlemaine, with his partner, writer Lee Fox.
For more information on Jan, and for any of his sessions, visit www.storytellersguide.com.au.
Session Information
Jan has a selection of main performances, outlined below, however there is always the possiblity of booking a more open-ended session, in which Jan can tailor the performances to the themes and issues being studied.
Buckley
Format
Storytelling theatre that involves students as part of the show. (Scripts for 3 students to join Jan are sent in advance.)
Summary
The story of escaped convict William Buckley: his 32 years with the Wathaurong, and as the go-between in the establishment of Melbourne.
Curriculum
This show has 2 versions, Secondary & Primary, with the pitch different to suit the different age groups.
Primary Level 4 History (Colonisation)
History CSF Level 6 & VELS Level 5
English CSF & VELS Level 5
Drama CSF & VELS Level 5/6
More info on Buckley.
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 Lest We Forget
Format
Storytelling/musical theatre, with student participation. (Scripts for 5 students to join Jan are sent in advance)
Summary
A unique re-telling of the Gallipoli story, using Turkish and Australian literature, song and oral history. Contextualised within Australia's involvement in WW1.
Curriculum
Suitable for years 7-12
 History CSF & VELS Level 5/6
English CSF &VELS Level 5/6
Drama CSF & VELS Level 5/6
Music CSF & VELS Level 5/6
More info on Lest We Forget.
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Australia In A Suitcase
Format and Description
A storytelling and music show with students participation.
Jan has a big suitcase of treasures from all over Australia. It could be the photo of an immigrant family arriving in Australia; a set of ironwood songsticks from Darwin way; an old waistcoat and hand shears; the various flags of Australia; a dog-spike or a conch shell.
All have a story or song attached to the part of Australian culture to which they belong.
Students participate by forming a band and playing simple instruments such as: shakers; clap sticks; spoons; and the tea chest bass, as well as singing and taking part in short character pieces.
Aboriginal material is performed with the permission of traditional owners.
More info on Australia In A Suitcase.
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Primary School Workshops
Format
Schools may take these workshops as stand alone incursions, or may tie them in with a performance of the show Australia In A Suitcase.
With the latter option a typical day runs as follows, with variations according to timetable:
• 9am'ish Show
• By lunchtime 3 workshops with separate groups
• After lunch Rehearsal/refresher with each group
• Last thing Show and tell performance.
An average class is suitable for one workshop group.
These workshop suggestions extend elements of the performance and its material to enable your students to:
• Enjoy closer interaction with Jan
• Develop their skills with a professional performer
• Generate further study ideas
More info on primary school workshops.
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The Language of Story
Workshop - Primary years & Secondary - 60 mins –
VELS: English/ Arts/ History
In this workshop storyteller, musician and writer Jan tells and talks about various types of stories - yarns, myths, legends, news reports, anecdotes, poems, songs and stories themselves - and illustrates how the ancient art of storytelling is important to a writer.
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Folk, Life, Literature
Performance - Literature, History, Drama, Music - Secondary - 60 mins
VELS: English/ Arts/ History
For over three decades Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky has been collecting, researching, writing and performing Australian song, story and poetry. Some material is anonymous, some by gifted unknowns, and some by the big names - Lawson, Dennis, and Gilmore - to name a few.
With Jan's wide range of performance skills – including playing traditional music on 5-string banjo, bones, spoons, bodhran and spoons - it’s a heritage he brings alive for students today.
But as Jan has many hours of material, the performance can be tailored to individual teacher needs by selecting works off a 'menu' of songs, poems and stories. Teachers are invited to discuss their requirements with Jan in advance.
For example, one presentation could focus on issues, such as the relationship between black and white Australians or green politics; or highlight a series of historical events such as convict times, the gold rush or World War One. Or the presentation might focus more broadly on Australian literature and/or music – providing students with get a wealth of history on the way through.
Jan has a broad variety of stories to tell, songs to sing, poems to recite, and more. For some further ideas, take a look at his Performance Menu. Alternatively, teachers can leave the selection to Jan's discretion on the day.
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"Well prepared, informative, challenging, and inspirational!"
-Veronica Stark, Werribee Secondary College, August 2008
"A visual and meaningful way to bring alive the story of the settlement of Victoria and to give students an understanding of the characters involved - Batman, Fawkner, Gellibrand and Derrimut as well as indigenous people. The stories were excellent. Very useful for curriculum."
St Joseph's College, Geelong
"Excellent. It supported what we learnt in class, and the participation aspect was great! Jan's rapport with the students was commanding and credible, and they really enjoyed it."
Karingal Park SC, Frankston
"The performance was excellent; varied and relaxed, but quite structured. Having students involved showed that this was cool. The stories challenged the students to think, and it was great for SOSE, Australian History and English."
-Horsham Memorial SC
"Fitted in with the study of war in Year 9 History, and as an alternative to class work gave expression to other 'intelligences'. The music gained a very positive response from students, It was commendable to weave in the Turkish perspective. The participation kept the group engaged with a feeling of sharing the event."
-Xavier College
"His handling of the children was excellent. They sat enthralled."
-Iola Warner, Port Pirie PS, SA
"It was terrific for curriculum. The children completed a story related to a possession of their own. His rapport with the students was brilliant. Jan was extremely relaxed, enthusiastic, and very friendly."
-Elisha Eddie, Waaia-Yalca South PS, Vic
"Thanks for a great day. It covered all aspects that we wanted and it was great that you were so receptive to our ideas and tailored the show to suit. The rapport with the students was excellent and they kids were totally engaged.It was good to be able to link music and performance to curriculum and to have an outsider do it. Couldn't have hoped for more."
-Point Cook PS
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