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About Rumah Dongeng Mentari (RDM)

Rumah Dongeng Mentari (RDM) is a storytelling community based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the art of oral tradition.

The philosophy of the community is deeply embedded in its name:

• Rumah (Home): A safe, welcoming, and nurturing space where anyone can gather, belong, and grow together through stories.
• Dongeng (Storytelling / Folktales): Our core vehicle and craft. It represents the ancient art of oral narrative used to pass down moral values, culture, and wisdom across generations.
• Mentari (The Sun): The warmth, hope, and enlightenment RDM aims to spread. Just as the sun brightens every corner of the world, RDM strives to bring light, joy, and inspiration to children and communities far and wide.

RDM was founded in 2010 in a small village in Yogyakarta by three sisters: Rona, the youngest sister and a passionate young storyteller, along with her two older sisters, Arum and Ayu, who were students dedicated to education and volunteering.

Initially, they opened their home regularly to neighbourhood children, offering storytelling sessions alongside various learning activities. Over time, friends and fellow enthusiasts joined their mission. Today, RDM has grown into an active storytelling community with more than 100 volunteers that continues to spread the spirit of oral narrative, foster literacy, and organize impactful storytelling events.

Recognizing that storytelling is profoundly beneficial for human connection and development, the founders and volunteers established RDM to bring stories back into homes, schools, and public spaces-turning storytelling into an accessible tool for social good and acting as an incubator for storytellers and community growth.

RDM organizes a variety of regular agendas and major cultural events:

• Storytelling Workshops: Tailored skill-building sessions for both children and adults.
• Jogja Storytelling Circle: A supportive storytelling night for adults to listen and share stories.
• Awicarita Festival: A local festival dedicated to highlighting regional stories and local storytelling talent.
• Pagelaran Dongeng Jogja (Jogja International Storytelling Sowcase - JISS): A flagship event connecting Indonesian oral traditions with the global storytelling community which held in the middle of Pine Forest.
• Literacy & Publishing Projects: RDM collaborates with writers and illustrators to produce children’s storybooks based on Indonesian folklore, such as the 10 Dongeng Nusantara project (bit.ly/10dongengnusantara).

In recent years, RDM has actively worked to bridge local storytellers with the global storytelling community. Over the past two years, three RDM members have completed FEAST’s (Federation of Asian Storytellers) Foundations of Oral Storytelling (FOOS) course, deepening their narrative craft through structured international training. Furthermore, this global connection was beautifully celebrated when two FEAST directors, Kiran and Roger, joined us to perform at our storytelling festival amidst the pine forests during the Jogja International Storytelling Showcase 2025.

Reach RDM at:

Instagram @rumahdongengmentari

Website : rumahdongengmentari.com

Email: rumahdongengmentari@gmail.com

Lavanya Prasad is a Storyteller, Cultural curator, and Arts educator whose work is deeply rooted in the power of oral traditions connecting people across cultures and generations. Kickstarting her storytelling journey in 2012, she has emerged as a passionate advocate for preserving and reimagining oral storytelling traditions in contemporary spaces, and currently is the founder of Talescope, an initiative dedicated to fostering these experiences.

A core member and driving force within the Bangalore Storytelling Society (BSS), Lavanya has played a key role in nurturing the storytelling community in Bengaluru, holding monthly meetups for adults and curating storytelling festivals celebrating the heritage of Bengaluru.

Lavanya has also been an active member of the Federation of Asian Storytellers (FEAST) since its inception and currently serves as one of its Directors, contributing to the growth of storytelling networks and collaborations across Asia. 

Her notable achievements include

* A commendation from the Honourable Prime minister of India, on her "Roots" project with senior citizens.

* FEAST Conference/Jakarta: Spearheaded a multicultural collaboration on the Ramayana 

* 398.2 Festival/Singapore : Represented Bangalore storytelling society on a cultural exchange

* FEAST Conference/Seoul: Presented a workshop on telling stories to senior citizens

* Bookaroo/Colombo: A VilluPaatu performance, showcasing an Indian oral storytelling tradition

Known for her distinctive style weaving music and movement, Lavanya creates an immersive and deeply engaging experience for her audience through her performances. She continues to build creative collaborations with storytellers across the world that celebrate unique and common heritage, identity and cultural memory.

Her Contact Details

Website : www.talescope.in

Insta : lavanya.talescope

Gmail : talescope.blr@gmail.com 

Phone : +91 9845680816

Springboard Tales(SBT): A Journey of Stories, Collaboration and Community

SBT Member Speaks....

"Springboard Tales emerged from the shared vision of a small group of passionate storytellers in Chennai. One afternoon in 2016, at the invitation of a young storyteller, Alvin, we gathered at a café with curiosity and open minds. We were honoured by the presence of esteemed storyteller, Jeeva Raghunath (Akka), whose guidance would later become central to our journey.

In that informal setting, ideas were exchanged with warmth and enthusiasm, gradually shaping into a collective dream. Like any new beginning, this vision was accompanied by uncertainty and self-doubt. However, with Jeeva Akka’s encouragement and practical direction, we found the confidence to move forward. Thus, Springboard Tales was born.

Our collective, fondly known as SBTians, brings together storytellers with diverse styles and strengths. From musical storytelling and theatrical narration to science-based stories, multilingual sessions, and interactive performances, each member contributes uniquely to our shared purpose of engaging and educating audiences through stories.

We began our journey with themed storytelling sessions, documented through videos that received an encouraging response. This led to our first live showcase, Tales Day, at the historic Madras Literary Society in Chennai. The event’s success opened further opportunities, including collaborations with The Hindu - a leading newspaper, for storytelling programmes across the city.

Over time, we expanded our work to include performances for adult audiences and presentations across varied platforms, including educational institutions and cultural events. Our journey has been enriched by continuous learning, experimentation, and collaboration.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted to digital platforms, conducting online storytelling sessions and remaining actively engaged with many similar initiatives. We have consistently participated in the Chennai Storytelling Festival and celebrate World Storytelling Day each year through thematic performances.

Our growth has been deeply supported by FEAST (Federation of Asian Storytellers) and the mentorship of Jeeva Akka. Through FEAST initiatives, including workshops and festivals, members have explored diverse storytelling formats and gained exposure to international storytelling practices.

Today, under the guidance of experienced mentors and collaborators, we continue to evolve as storytellers.

We are now motivated to take our SBT a few steps ahead and hence we are organising a storytelling conference in partnership with FEAST in Chennai this September.

Springboard Tales stands as a testament to the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and build community. We look forward to continuing this journey of shared stories, learning, and collaboration.

Reach us @

https://tinyurl.com/springboardtales

https://www.instagram.com/springboardtales/

https://www.facebook.com/springboardtales

Email: springboardtales@gmail.com

Niharika is one of the driving forces behind Hong Kong Stories, a community that believes everyone has a story to tell and offers free workshops and monthly live shows focussed on personal stories. She's deeply invested in the art, the application, and the ethics of storytelling. 

Professionally, she's always exploring - from engineering, to finance, to creative entrepreneurship. She currently runs a business focused on designing experiences that create deep connections, through storytelling, games, and outdoor activities. In 2026, she's most excited about writing children's stories which capture the magic of real life. 

FEAST is deeply appreciative of her strong involvement in and contribution to our social media team in 2025.

Niharika is always open to collaboration ideas. 

Reach out to her @

Instagram: niharika.stories

Email : niharika@backstory.pro

Website: backstory.pro