“If we are talking Rock ‘n Roll, Tina Turner was a national treasure; country has Dolly Parton and in the world of storytelling we have Kim Weitkamp.” Steve Perry from Highway 89- SiriusXM
Kim grew up as the red headed middle child of exhausted parents.
Her childhood adventures with story was shaped by T.V.’s Sanford & Son, All in the Family and M.A.S.H. …plus the old worn out fairy tale collection she read over and over. Add to that her father’s love of Johnny Cash and old time radio shows being played throughout the house and the dye was cast. Kim carved out her role as the class comedian at a young age; writing plays and skits and sharing stories that exasperated her parents while thrilling her high school theater teacher.
The results of these influences show up in her work time and time again. One review stated,
“Kim is a master at seamlessly building bridges from story, to song, to story. Like all good storytellers she evokes both laughter and tears, but her impeccable timing, and dead-on anticipation of her listeners’ needs place her at the pinnacle of her craft. Then, she pulls her guitar out and you think, where did that come from, that milk and honey voice?”
In her work as a humorist, storyteller, singer and songwriter, she has taken home an armload of awards and recognitions. Kim currently has 9 albums, 7 of them award winning audio collections, the latest being, Dead Bird Singing.
“It’s all about the people, Kim says, I love people. People are a walking, talking story…I am no different; I just get to share mine from stage. When I am on stage, I am at my most, I feel whole. I make no apology for that, it’s how I was created. When I get a good laugh from the audience I know we are getting somewhere and that somewhere is the meaty part of the story I am telling. I tell stories not only to provide a release valve through humor and comedy, but to deposit a piece of myself, my story and the stories of others, into another person and hope that it makes a difference. Actually, that is what we are all called to do.”
The Oregonian stated, ‘Kim studs her storytelling performances with bits of musical Americana that match the sweet and gentle tones of her narrative”.
Her material is played regularly on NPR affiliate stations and on SiriusXM Radio. Kim travels the continent full time performing at theaters and at festivals. She has hosted a successful morning show and has keynoted for some of Forbes most recognized companies and high profile national non-profits. She has received the Blue Ridge Excellence in the Arts Award, the Toastmasters International Leadership in Communication Award and 7 Storytelling World Awards.
Kim Weitkamp
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Our Festival Performers
"Now that the world is standing still, people are asking for stories" Achira.
Justine de Mierre
A passionate, energetic and inventive storyteller who delights in connecting playfully
Gerry Donlon
aka Bards Aloud. Stories comic, and stories quirky
Trevor Millum
a writer of… poetry for children and adults, short stories, a novel, books of local interest, education resources.
Deeptha Vivenkanand
India based storyteller who loves to tell stories about stories, strong women, and political satire.
Fabio Lisboa
Storytelling Trainer who has performed/taught in Brazil, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
Bob Kanegis
A fortunate day spent on the trail with a park ranger who combined, poetry, puppets and folktales showed Bob the possibilities of the Storyteller's Way.
Irene Lofthouse
Irene uses words to inspire all ages, regularly appearing at arts/literature festivals and children's events; she's regularly booked by schools, museums, libraries, theatres, community groups, NHS, charities and more to facilitate bespoke sessions.
Maria Papanikolaou
The last 10 years I combine storytelling with educational programs for children, in Museums, Cultural Centers, Schools, Art places, etc. I love working with children. I have also published two books, a Greek Myth and a tale of my own.
Raine Geoghegan
Raine Geoghegan, MA, poet and prose writer of Romany, Irish and Welsh descent will share tales of the English Gypsies, Romanichals through poetry, monologue and song.
Antonio Rocha
Antonio has received several awards and grants, including the once in a lifetime Circle of Excellence Award. This award was presented to him in 2015 by the National Storytelling Network for his exceptional commitment and exemplary contributions to the art of storytelling.
Dawn Ellis
Dawn’s parents calmed her down with Grimm stories at bedtime and they stayed with her. She has been performing, one way and another, ever since.
Jan Williams
Her most popular books are An amazing storytelling cat and Essex folk stories for children.
Csenge Virág Zalka
She published several folktale collections, including Tales of Superhuman Powers: 55 traditional stories from around the world (McFarland, 2013), and Dancing on Blades: Rare and exquisite folktales from the Carpathian Mountains (Parkhurst Brothers, 2018)
Zouhair Khaznaoui
Zouhair has been sharing the magic of Hikayat since 2017 in the Clock Storytelling programme.
Theresa Kelleher
Theresa was born within the sound of Bow Bells to Irish parents. Out on the streets she was known as the ‘little Irish girl’, at home admonished for her cockney accent.
David Heathfield
He runs Creative and Engaging Storytelling for Teachers courses onlinehttps://davidheathfieldblog.wordpress.com/teacher-training/ and has worked online as a storyteller and storytelling teacher trainer internationally with the British Council, IATEFL and the Hands Up Project .