StoryArts Festival Ipswich is a biennial festival bringing together award-winning authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers from all over Australia to deliver an exciting program of literary experiences for children and families.
Presented by the Ipswich District Teacher-Librarian Network, supported by Ipswich Libraries, and sponsored by Ipswich Festivals, SAFI is back with an exciting array of FREE events in 2024!
The festival will be officially opened on Sunday 4 August at the Ipswich Community Gallery, where there will be an exhibition of illustration by four festival illustrators alongside an exhibition created by local students in response to the Book Week theme, Reading is magic.
This year popular storyteller from New Zealand, Tanya Batt is coming back to the festival.
Other highlights include an exhibition of illustrations, workshops, a weekend program for adults and a fun program for families after school.
The festival program will end on 18 August at the start of Children’s Book Week when the Reading is Magic exhibition in the Ipswich Community Gallery closes.
Family program
There are five free sessions for families to get involved with StoryArts Festival this year.
Events include Imaginary Friend Factory with Matt Stanton, How to make a Comic with Remy Lai, High Tea with Jacqueline Harvey and A Story and A Song with Tanya Batt and Peter Forster.
To celebrate the end of StoryArts Festival Ipswich and the start of Children’s Book Week, three of Queensland’s finest storytellers, Jenni Cargill-Strong, Sue Robin and Anne E Stewart will spend the day telling stories. They have over a hundred years of experience in the oral tradition, the art of storytelling between them.
They will do sessions throughout the day, on the half hour. Each session will be a mini concert with the three tellers mixing it up as they share stories. Family audiences will be enchanted and engaged with vivid tales of wonder and magic. Bookings are limited.
Find the family program here.
Adult program
The adult program is designed for teachers, teacher-librarians, librarians, emerging writers and illustrators, readers, or anyone else with an interest in children’s literature. It is an opportunity to mingle with the writers and illustrators on an informal basis and being held at Woodlands of Marburg 10-11 August.
Sessions will include panels, demonstrations and talks. The conference will be a single program with no concurrent sessions. There will also be a dinner (Saturday night) which will include an additional panel and entertainment by the authors.
More information on the adult program can be found here.
Reading is Magic Exhibition
Explore the illustrations of festival stars including award winning Gold Coast illustrator Lucia Masciullo. It will be launched Sunday 4 August and be open to the public at various times during the festival.
Book to attend the opening event here.
There will also be a schools program running with free sessions for students in years P-7.
