Storytelling
“I got started on my storytelling adventure quite by chance when in 2017 master storyteller Paola Balbi invited me to a storytelling café. As a classical dancer I already had a repertoire of traditional stories from the Puranas, Mahabharata and Ramayana so when I was asked to perform, I spontaneously drew from what I already knew and told the story of Mahabali through words, music and dance. That was the moment I realized that I had always been a storyteller, this was only a different format.”
Trained at Kathalaya’s International Academy of storytelling (Bangalore, India) by Ashoka Fellow and veteran storyteller Geeta Ramanujam, and mentored by master storytellers Paola Balbi and Michael Harvey, Shereen is known for her physical storytelling style that integrates elements of music, dance and theatre.
A passionate advocate of oral storytelling, she has performed her rich repertoire of traditional Indian folk and mythological tales to audiences all over the world both online and offline.
Her solo “A Woman’s Mind” was awarded the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation Production grant (2021) and premiered in 2022 with the support of Alserkal Avenue, HIBA Art Project and The Junction.
Work
Projects
Story Wok
2021
A Woman’s Mind
2021
Quarantine Stories
2020
Kathotsava
2019
Tales on the Island
2018-19
Roots and Roads
2018
other Story telling projects
Jeff’s Picks | 2023
YouTube show of select FEAST Stories, produced by Six Feet Apart, U.S.A.
This is Our Story | 2023
Multi-lingual, multi-artist storytelling show curated for the Alserkal Avenue, U.A.E.
Igniting Hope | 2021
World Storytelling Day Special Performance | 2021
Online performance for Kathalaya, Bangalore
Storytellers Cafe | 2020
Online talk and performance, hosted by Usha Venkatraman for Bharat FM (U.S.A)
Holidayopolis Diwaliwood | 2020
Online show for Holidayopolis, U.S.A
Tales in the Spotlight | 2020
An olio of horror stories at The Junction, Alserkal Avenue
Training
Train the Trainer Programme| 2022
4-day intensive led by Kathalaya’s International Academy of storytelling, Bangalore
Shadow Play | 2018
Workshop with Michael and Wendy Dacre (Raventales, U.K.) organized by Kathalaya Trust
Story Telling Workshop| 2018
Federation for European Storytelling (FEST) Workshop led by Davide Bardi, Paola Balbi, Johan Theodorsson & Anders Peev
Performing Storytelling Workshop | 2017
Intensive by Paola Balbi – Master storyteller and Artistic Director of Raccontamiunastoria (Italy) & The Storytelling Company FZE
Diploma in Storytelling | 2017
Course affiliated to the University of Sweden and Scottish Storytelling Centre (Edinburgh), trained by Geeta Ramanujam, Founder of Kathalaya Trust, Bangalore, India
Conferences
Feast Storytellers Conference | 2019
Federation of Asian Storytellers (FEAST) 2nd Annual Conference, Bangalore, India (Attendee)
Teaching & talks
Once upon a Ta-Ka-Dhi-Mi | 2022
Workshop for students of the Theatre-in-Education Programme at National School of Drama, Tripura
The Smell of Home | 2021
Storytelling and tea tasting workshop as part of Jubilee, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Once upon a Ta-Ka-Dhi-Mi | 2017
Dance & Storytelling Workshop at Festival Internazionale di Storytelling, Rome, Italy