Who is Deborah Dunleavy?




		Storyteller Deborah Dunleavy wears many creative hats - storyteller, author, composer, musician and arts facilitator. Recognized internationally as a performer for close to 30 years, in the past ten years as a storyteller, Deborah has toured Ireland, Scotland and much of Ontario. She is the 2008 recipient of the Anne Smythe Travel Award from Storytelling Toronto. Deborah spent three weeks in Scotland under the mentorship of acclaimed teller, David Campbell and she toured Beaver Hats & Bag Pipes to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Wigtonshire. In the October 2008 Storytelling Toronto premiered Beaver Hats & Bag Pipes for their AGM concert. The Toronto International Festival of Storytelling featured Deborah’s performance of She Who Dares in 2007 and Northern Nights at the 2005 Festival. In 2004 The Canadian High Commission, London and the Canadian Embassy, Dublin supported Deborah=s ten concert tour of Northern Nights throughout Eire and Northern Ireland. Deborah has create three adult storytelling performances, Beaver Tails & Bag Pipes (2008), She Who Dares (2007) and Northern Nights (2004). The programs have been well received at festivals and in theatres, museums, libraries and high school auditoriums. In addition Deborah has created several storytelling programs for youth and she is a frequent presenter in Ontario schools. An active arts administrator, Deborah is the Artistic Director of FOS – Festival of Storytelling and a founding member of The 1000 Islands Yarnspinners in Brockville, Ontario. She is the editor of Pippin, the newsletter for Storytelling Toronto. In her previous career as a children’s performer Jim Henson Productions engaged Deborah to write and produce songs for the Muppets. She appeared on Mr. Dressup and Fred Penner’s Place for CBC, and on Eureka’s Castle for Nickelodeon TV. Deborah created five award winning recordings and penned two award winning books: AThe Jumbo Book of Music@ (2001) and AThe Jumbo Book of Drama@ (2004), Kids Can Press. Deborah is one of three storytellers from across Canada invited to participate in the Canadian Children’s Book Week tour, November 2009. Deborah is a member of SC/CC, The Storytellers School of Toronto, The Writers' Union of Canada, The American Federation of Musicians, The Canadian Society of Authors, Illustrators and Performers, The Society of Composers Authors and Music Publishers and The Canadian Childrens' Book Centre.