Director, The Story Tree Company

Storyteller, Singer and Teacher

Jenni Cargill-Strong has been telling stories professionally since 1993. While touring for ten years she told stories from Perth to Hobart to Auckland at folk festivals, corporate and community events and in over 1300 schools. She has taught for the Sydney Opera House Bennelong Program, has performed and taught at Woodford Folk Festival since 1993, The Byron Bay Writers Festival 2004 and The Whole Woman Festival 2007.

In 2006, Jenni founded The Story Tree Company.

Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Sociology from the University of Queensland, and a diploma from the Drama Action Centre in Sydney. There she studied clowning, improvisation, dance, singing, mask, mummers, percussion and workshop facilitation, having specialised in storytelling. Her trainers used a very hands-on approach and Jenni teaches in a similar way, but has adapted the exercises for those without a background in drama.

Her CD “Wonder Tales of Earth and Sea” claimed a special award from the National Library of Australia in 1999. She has performed for ABC national radio as well as ABC TV’s ‘7.30 Report’ and has been invited to tour South America in 2009.

In 1996, Jenni won the Declan Affley Songwriting Award at the National Folk Festival with her song Emily Jane. This followed a 1991 encouragement award in the same competition for Glad I Knew Him. At the 2007-08 Woodford Folk Festival, Jenni will be competed in the Spoken Word Finals of the ‘Spirit of Woodford Award’ with her original story ‘The Mulberry Tree’.