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BRINGING THE
DOME TO LIFE
Tales of characters and events that
made Dome history
Schools, families and friends, come and listen to the
wind on the water and thrill to the dancing firelight as
your storyteller unfolds the mysteries of past and present.
If you’re hooked by stories, want to learn how to tell
them, or simply enjoy great tales well told and want to meet
the story tellers themselves, come along and share the
experience. We are developing a whole range of story telling
formats to encourage creative writing and broaden the market
for narratives of all kinds.
There are fireside chats and dramatic performances
 in
our small, intimate conference
room at
Otters’ Haunt, as well as story hours
under the oak tree and by the Vaal river. The Dome area is rich in folklore but we won't confine
ourselves only to this is if there is a remarkable tale to
tell from long ago and far away! We have worked hard to
bring in the local people and apart from stories there are
also choir performances in which the choirmaster tells us
what the songs mean and how they arose from traditional
sources.
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STORY EXAMPLE
SCATTERLINGS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
Two hundred years ago an amazing
woman – the “Cat Queen” MaNtatisi - collected
refugee scatterlings of shattered Sotho, Tswana
& other tribes in Central Southern Africa to
become a new force in the politics and warfare
of the subcontinent. Writer Graeme Addison has
researched her history and will unfold the
startling canvas of her life and that of her
son, Sekonyane.
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SCHOOL VISITS
Inspire the imagination of youngsters
Depending on the age and level of your group,
we tell stories about people, animals, historic events and
great scientific marvels. Stories may be fact or fiction,
tragic or comic, and sometimes they are performed with staqe
props to thrill and amuse the audience. Tell us about your
school or student group and we'll come up with a programme
to leave them inspired with a vision of Soiuth Africa and
its peoples.
You may wish to prime us with the kinds of
stories or performances you would like: tell us whether you
are interested in African folklore, science fiction, nature
and wildlife, or whatever else your school or student
projects focus on. We'll do the research and come up with
stories and presenters who can bring it all to life.
Go to
Dome School & Student Outings page
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 FAMILY STORY TELLING
Bring the kids for an absorbing visit
The storytellers who gather at
Otters' Haunt are drawn from many walks of life. If you want
a truly original weekend away with the kids, join us at
Otters' Haunt. Some story tellers come
from theatre and the writing profession, others are local
people who have absorbed the myths and legends of the area.
You too can share your stories, and we encourage everyone to
respond to the stories that are told with comments and
memories. It's all aimed at developing the collective memory
of South Africans towards a shared cultural identity.
We would obviously like you to stay over at
Otters' Haunt but you may also just come for the sessions.
Ask for more information about scheduled weekends and
costs. When a weekend is planned we'll put up a notice on
the front page of this website in the news block.
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WRITING WORKSHOPS
Self-expression
for pleasure and profit
Everyone, said the author H G Wells, has at least one
tale to tell – the story of their lives – so if you want to
impart your wit and wisdom by spoken and written word, come
along and contribute. Or just come to listen and enjoy!
Since the 1980s, Graeme Addison has been a successful
freelance writer and teacher of writing skills. Join him for
a writing workshoop on story-telling. Sessiions are given by
Graeme and other published writers,
interspersed with Tell-Tale Hours where the lights
go down and the teller enchants you with myth, fable and
true-life experiences.
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FREELANCE SHORT STORY WRITING – produce stories for the
media
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NARRATIVE JOURNALISM – turn that in-depth research into
a gripping read
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WRITING RETREATS – develop self-expression skills on
5-day breakaways
As a freelance
journalist and author of several books, Graeme Addison
convenes the writing classes and runs many of the sessions.
He lectured in journalism at Rhodes University for five
years and is a Professor of Communication at the University
of North West. Colleagues are drawn from journalism and
publishing to teach the classes and mentor participants
afterwards.
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I'm
a writer of popular science and technology books and
articles, a former Professor of Communication whose
hobby is now "backyard astronomy" with history thrown
in! I'm a keen mountain-biker and kayaker, so the
Dome and Vaal River are my playground.
I'm
a former teacher who has worked with Graeme on many
aspects of science & local history research, and I have
got to know the Dome by preparing the maps and data used
in our various presentations. My passions are mountain
running and education. I manage Otters' Haunt.