Happy New Year!  Thank you all for sharing your stories.

We received comedies, horror stories, superhero romances, zombie apocalypses and a few science fiction tales (robots and techno-mages).  All of the stories were full of adventure, fun to read.

Thank you!  Keep writing and keep sharing your work.

After careful consideration, we have a winner.

Antonio R.

Schulze Elementary

You will get to choose between a gift certificate to Toys R’ Us or Gamestop and enjoy tickets to an AMC movie theatre!  We will contact your school with details.  CONGRATULATIONS!

Hands-On would like to give an honorable mention to the runner up, Farron B.  Great story, Farron.  We hope to read more of your work in the future.

Drumroll Please…

Hands-On Folktales proudly presents the winning short :

Practice Makes Perfect! by Antonio R.

Goku, you need to practice so you can beat Fre22a.  

Just remember, practice makes perfect.

I know, Dad.  I’m on Supersan two.  

Now, since I practiced.. I think I can beat him.  

He’ll be easy. I’ll beat him using this form.  

…

DAD!  When I was fighting him, I got beat.  

I thought you said ,  Practice Makes Perfect

It does.  You need to do it more in order to beat him. 

Get some rest, Goku.  I’ll show you my ways in the morning. 

Ok  Dad.  Good night , Dad.

Mean while Goku and Dad was training so he can train his child in the morning.  

So Goku can beat Fre22a at the tournament tomorrow morning.   

His Dad trained all night.  

Contest!!

Deadline extended- by popular demand.  You can submit your stories until noon on Tuesday December 27th.  The winner will still be announced January 2nd.

Have a great holiday, everyone!

Last year we had a request from a High School Student for a short story contest.  It went so well, we are doing it again!

See the link above for the 2015 details.

Drum roll please…

Hands-On Short Story Contest

Have you participated in a Hands-On class during 2016?

Do you have a story you want the world to see?
Send in your stories to:

Ramona@HandsOnFolktales.com

• submit by noon on Monday Dec. 19, 2016.   Tuesday Dec. 27, 2016

• Your story must be 100 words or more.

Eugene M. (our 2015 winner) has chosen the theme for this years contest.

The 2016 short story theme is:

                 Practice makes Perfect.

The winning story will be published on our site and you will receive a prize.

Last year’s prize was:  A moleskin journal, $25.00 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble, 2 tickets to a Matrix Theatre play.

The winner will be announced on

Monday Jan. 2, 2017.

How to win?

A panel of judges will be looking for:

1. original ideas,

2. clear characters,

3. word choice,

4. well defined “five parts of a story”,

5. and IMAGINATION

Stories may be submitted in Spanish, English, or both.
We at Hands-On wish all of our contenders well. May the odds ever be in your favor. In our eyes, every storyteller is a winner. So remember, HAVE FUN!!!

Wow, this year has been so great.  We are teaching semester long residencies in Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw county in 14 classrooms for grades 2-12.  So many stories!  Some of the stories we are working on, you’ll get to see as short films.  Others will showcase stories through live theatre, or visual art.  We’ll do our best to keep you updated.

Stay tuned!

Here is a sneak peek of how classes are going so far…

It’s our own Hands-On holiday!  Today we process our remaining instruments and recyclable materials at a center.  This year, we went to SOCRRA in Troy.

Here are some shots from this beautiful day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Huge THANKS to the Detroit Artists’ Test Lab!

#DATL

The community focused founders of DATL have offered us a pop-up office.

We met DATL at their photography studio, for an upcoming project photo shoot.

But- let’s not spoil that surprise.  Keep your eyes on us this spring for that announcement.

#DetroitWolfTrap

Let’s celebrate our new pop up office!!

Hands-On offers professional development courses!

VSA Michigan invited Hands-On to share our innovative storytelling classroom strategies with a group of educators, and artists for their summer retreat.  Such a beautiful place to learn and share what we know about working with all ages and abilities using storytelling to support classroom goals.

Looking forward to next year!

student creates prop sign

student create props for show

Our Gardening field trip at Caddilac Farms

performing our show on Food Justice in our community

Hands-On Folktales spent our summer with Matrix Theatre, leading their Our Growing Communities creative writing/acting camp for ages 11-14.

We created our own show, and props, and costumes- then went out into the community and performed it.  We performed at the Detroit Zoo and Matrix  Theatre.  Our All Star students worked together to create a great experience for about 100 audience members!

Thank you for telling a story with Hands-On Folktales!

I hope you continue to share the Bantu Folktale with others, as we continue the tradition of storytelling together.

Special thanks for the invitation from the

Detroit Association of Black Storytellers   

Come join us at the Charles Wright African American History Museum for Family Juneteenth Celebration!  Today Hands-On is dancing with the Detroit Association of Black Storytellers.  We have storytelling, songs, activities for kids, dancing, workshops and more!!!

Come see us strut our stuff as we celebrate Juneteenth!