A Brand New Look for a Brand New Decade
2020 caused the world to stop, reflect and experience new ways of living. 2020 propelled us into more localised lives while simultaneously flying open a world wide web of digital communications and international opportunities. We began experiencing the possibilities (and challenges) of breakfasting at home then zooming into a storytelling event in another country, hemisphere and time zone, and back in time for morning tea at our own dining table. Meeting storytellers in other lands without jet lag or exorbitant flight costs holds much promise. Or is it an illusionary magic mirror that evaporates the visceral pleasure of mirror neurons ignited through oral storytelling?
Many people in businesses and organisations have used the challenges and new experiences of 2020 to creatively reimagine and pivot their services and means of communicating. Christine Carlton, Lindy and Liz have been working with student interns from UTS on a project of reimagining. This was sparked by the very real potential that our International Storytelling Conference (delayed from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID 19) might need to be a digital event.
We reflected on the confusing variety of brands, visual identities and names used by our organisation. Was this messy branding suitable for the eyes of the world when compared to our peers overseas? We loved the cohesive and delightful animation used by the Korean International Storytelling Festival (e.g. video intros on YouTube). Would international audiences know that New South Wales is a state in Australia? Or would they imagine a group of Welsh folk tellers in a fairytale castle on the edge of Newport? Is the lyrebird logo just a little too National Parks and Wildlife? These and many puzzling questions formed our deliberations.
You may have noticed the new look brand popping up - a sneak preview of the new look for a brand-new decade. Our refreshed look reflects the ethos and purpose of our organisation (below). It is uniquely Australian, reflecting our land, plants, animals and people of many cultures. The bold and consistently recognisable brand will be used across all platforms and channels of communication.
Australian Storytellers is our new brand name.
Australian stories, Australian tellers with all the rich diversity of the Australian population. Like many organisations, we want to feature and expand the diversity of voices of storytellers and genres of stories told. We want members, followers and the public to see us as an inclusive organisation for all people in all states. We operate in a diverse community and welcome and encourage participation from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally, linguistically diverse groups, spiritual beliefs, the LGBTIQ+ community, veterans, refugees and those with disability.
An Australian community with an international family. Since 2010, we have hosted an international storytelling conference to inject a burst of energy and excitement into the Australian storytelling community by bringing us together and introducing us to accomplished and well-known storytellers from overseas.
Storytellers practice an ancient skill and culturally important means of making a living in the world. We work to promote and cultivate the skills and value of storytellers in the Australian community. In many countries, oral storytelling remains a skill practiced as widely as reading, writing, arithmetic and art. Oral storytellers are culturally valued artisans earning a living from their skills just like bakers, brewers, carpenters, teachers, and farmers. With traditional crafts and artisan-made goods experiencing a resurgence of interest, we see an opportunity to enhance the cultural standing of storytellers in Australia. Our registered name remains the Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW) Inc.
We work as a team. As a volunteer-run organisation we want everyone to contribute and share the workload. Streamlining the logos and looks across all our platforms is easier to make our organisation work. We continue to enjoy the financial means to be a vibrant and professional organisation.
Lyrebird logo gets a fresh new look and will be used across all our channels – website, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Meetup, TryBooking.
Australia’s lyrebird first flew into our logo in 2006. The lyrebird was chosen for its amazing array of voices, reflecting not only the diverse cultures in Australia today but the many settings in which storytelling is used. The lyrebird and the tagline “the many voices of story” journey with us into 2021 with a fresh new look. We have the crisp clear black logo on a white background, a stunning white version on a blackground as well as a grey version.
Storytelling takes many forms. The form that unites our organisation is the oral tradition of storytelling - spoken, voiced and preferably live. Storytelling is the magical art of transmitting an image, an emotion and a deep metaphor from teller to listener. A magic that has happened for millennia – since long before printing, before telephones and before the internet.
Liz Locksley, Vice-president