Our Story

When storytellers, Australian Lindy Mitchell and Swedish Ulf Nilsson, met at the International School of Storytelling UK, little did they know where a simple story and a barefoot walk through the forest would lead... ​

Heart to Heart Storytelling

Storytellers  Celebrants  Imaginators

Why The Imaginators?

Storytellers are the bridge between this world and the fantastical world of imagination, the imagine~nation.
Storytellers, bring the images we see and feel inside and convey them to others so they can see and feel them too.
As storytellers, ​we take the audience on a journey, and the audience in turn are not passive consumers, but fellow travellers,
"stories unite us in our imagination and carry us to other lands and times and bring us back home again forever changed"

Our role as Imaginators and Storytellers is something we take very seriously,
activating imaginations, connecting hearts and creating magic,
and we seriously love what we do,
​It is magic!

Biographies

Ulf Nilsson is a bilingual storyteller and celebrant with a big heart, a surprising sense of mischief and a love of connecting heart to heart through the power and joy of storytelling.  

Ulf grew up in a picturesque village nestled between two lakes in rural Sweden. His family's history even includes an encounter with trolls.

As a young man Ulf  lived and worked in Steiner Camphill communities, supporting young people with learning disabilities in England and Sweden. It was at an English Camphill, where Ulf met his first wife Leslie & together they had 4 children, 2 in England and 2 in Sweden. 

During this time Ulf also studied drama and performed in many amateur productions. On moving back to Sweden after the death of his wife, Ulf's daughter handed him a brochure on a storytelling course... and a new path opened before him.  

In 2007, Ulf studied 'Storytelling as a Healing Art' in Sweden, and then trained extensively at The International School of Storytelling, UK.  In 2015, Ulf began training in English Speech Therapist's Louise Coigley's "Lis'n Tell", a storytelling program designed especially for people with learning disabilities.

Experienced in Intentional Community living, Ulf realised the potential of the storytelling for building stronger communities, and he witnessed the great potential storytelling holds for people with learning disabilities. Ulf now combines his love of story with his theatrical skills in storytelling performances and workshops to break down barriers, build confidence and create stronger communities. 
Role Model: Books in Homes
​
Ulf's Qualifications;
Bio-dynamic market farmer.
​Disability Support Worker.
Biographical Storytelling
Storytelling as Performance Art.
Storytelling as Healing Art.
Lis'N'Tell Storytelling

Accredited with Australian  Storytelling Guild, NSW
Working With Children Check WWC1270603E
ABN. ​25 398 685 809
​
Lindy Mitchell-Nilsson is a storyteller, celebrant and author with a flair for the dramatic, a love of laughter and a passion for sparking imaginations and creating magic.

​Lindy grew up in Sydney at a time when children were encouraged to play outside until dark. The local bush was a place where nature and a child’s imagination created magical worlds and endless stories. Lindy always expected to meet fairies and bunyips.

Lindy’s love of nature led to a career in horticulture and land management. Later in life she decided to pursue her other love, story. After completing an English Literature degree, Lindy then worked in Mental Health and as a volunteer telephone counselor.

​During this time Lindy became aware of society’s disconnection from the natural world and the rise in mental illness. Lindy’s experience and innate wisdom spoke of how spending time in nature was not only beneficial to mental and physical health but vital for the spirit.

It was 2010 when Lindy decided to combine the healing possibilities of story with healing essence of nature and began writing nature tales. After her first two books were published, Lindy then decided to give voice to her tales and she became an accredited storyteller through the Australian Storytelling Guild NSW in 2011 and began performing under the name, Lindy Lady of the Forest. Lindy has since trained at the International School of Storytelling in the UK.

Co-host and founder of Heart to Heart Storytelling Nights
President: Australian Storytelling Guild, NSW
Role Model for booksinhomesaustralia.com
Lindy's Qualifications:
Bachelor of Arts; English Literature, Newcastle University. 
Certificate IV Celebrancy 
Certificate III in Horticulture. 
Certificate in Land Management with Indigenous Practices.
Storytelling: International School of Storytelling, UK.
Accredited Storyteller: Australian Storytellers Guild NSW.
Lindy was a featured guest twice, on the USA Radio Show "Spiritually Raw".

​Accredited with the Australian Storytelling Guild, NSW
Working With Children Check WWC0075385E
ABN  25 398 685 809
​Heart to Heart Storytelling 
Lindy and Ulf are performative storytellers, animated, entertaining and educational. Folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends, tall tales and inspirational stories come to life through their passion as imaginators: activating imaginations, connecting hearts and creating magic. Trained at the International School of Storytelling, UK, the Australian/Swedish couple share their heart to heart storytelling and workshops with children and adults around the world.
Festivals and Conferences we have performed and/or presented workshops at are;
The International Pop Up Storytelling Festival UK, 2014
The Illawarra Folk Festival 2015
The Elderflower Festival UK, 2015
​The Sydney International Storytelling Conference, 2016
The Illawarra Folk Festival 2017
Council Earth Day Festival, 2017
 2019, 2020
Community Early Learning Australia: Outdoor Conference 2017 & 2018
The Illawarra Folk Festival 2018 
Children's Services Conference 2018
The Sydney International Storytelling Conference, 2016, 2018
Under the AAlamaram Storytelling Festival, Chennai 2018
The Illawarra Folk Festival 2019
Earth Day Celebrations Palm Beach 2019
Generation Women, Sydney 2019
Early Childhood Language Symposium Gold Coast 2019
Illawarra Folk Festival 2020