Welcome

'Story-telling’ can occur in many different forms – using words, letters, and punctuation or perhaps using leaves, buds, and blossoms. Every story appeals to us on different levels and allows us to experience our world in different ways.

Find out more about the stories being told on ‘Bingalum’, by exploring this website where the two creative aspects of Irena Kobald are combined.

Irena Kobald

Irena Kobald was born in Austria and has a master's degree in Russian. By the time she came to Australia at the age of 26, she had picked up English while living in other countries.

She has worked in a wide range of remote schools in the Northern Territory, taught German in Queensland high schools and English as a Second Language to both adults and children, so her understanding of how language is acquired is both personal and technical, experiential and academic.

Irena

Publications

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

BINGALUM PUBLICATIONS

My Two Blankets includes the themes of friendship, family, feelings, cultural diversity, integration, and social issues, to name a few. It succinctly describes what it feels like having to learn a new language. While the book falls into the category of a 'children’s book’, adults also find it highly inspiring due to its underlying messages of change, adaptation, loneliness, resilience, and rebuilding your identity in a ‘strange’ or new environment.

My Two Blankets was the 2015 Australian Book Council Picture Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for the 2015 Prime Minister’s Literary Award, received a 'starred’ review for the Kirkus Prize (U.S.) and was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review (23/08/2015). Irena has completed over 250 presentations with My Two Blankets in 9 countries and 3 languages. While this is a great achievement, Irena considers this a 'work in progress'.

Irena's second book, The Dream Peddler, is a very personal story about a young man's battle with drug addiction.

'Remember when you held your baby for the first time? Remember the wishes and dreams you had for that baby? Every parent, no matter whether rich or poor, black or white, has those dreams.

Sometimes, no matter how hard parents try, these dreams do not work out because your baby, your child, is lured away from all you gave him or her by a peddler of very different dreams.

These dreams turn very quickly into nightmares. A seemingly never-ending nightmare that destroys everything that you once held dear and believed in. When this nightmare becomes reality,  the only thing you can’t afford to lose is hope.'

BOOKSHOP

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CHARITY PROJECT

Where Happinesss Hides

Taking part of a very special project, Irena was delighted to lend her knowledge and expertise into helping author Anthony Bertini and publishing house Dirt Lane Press translate their new book “Where Happiness Hides” into German. Available in over 35 different languages “Where Happiness Hides” is a story that captures child-like imagination on a journey through the things we need to hold on to in tough times – happiness, curiosity, resilience and hope. Check out Dirt Lane Press' website for more information on this heart-warming book.

VISUAL LITERACY PRESENTATIONS

(No restrictions on group size)

Schools: Primary and Secondary

Irena's Travel/Accommodation: To be split between schools in one location

Requirements: 

• 1x Interactive Whiteboard

• 1x Large blanket

• 1x Packet of tissues

• 3x Different coloured hula-hoop rings

Author of the 2015 Australian Book Council Picture Book of the Year, Irena Kobald, will be available for visits to your school offering a range of interactive reading sessions and presentations.

The themes of My Two Blankets include friendship, family, feelings, cultural diversity, integration, and social issues, to name a few. It succinctly describes what it feels like having to learn a new language. While the book falls into the category of a 'children’s book’, it is also highly inspirational to adults due to its underlying messages of change, adaptation, loneliness, resilience and re-building your identity in a ‘strange’ or new environment. The author talks include detailed explanations of the illustrations and the most important metaphors in My Two Blankets, as well as background information.

Irena is a registered teacher in both Queensland and the N.T. with many years of experience in teaching all age groups. Since the publication of MY TWO BLANKETS, she has delivered close to 300 visual literacy presentations in 9 countries and in 3 languages. The responses and feedback have always been unanimously positive, providing the motivation for Irena to continue wanting to share this universal message with as many readers in as many places as possible.

Pricing

Full-day workshop (max. 3 sessions): $1300  (Schools and organisations)

Half-day (max. 2 sessions): $850

Per session: $425

Payment Conditions: 50% Deposit & 50% on Delivery

Please note: GST has not been applied

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Creations

BIO ART CREATIONS

Unique creations out of Nature's ingredients, photographed and captured for you to enjoy. Something to lift your heart and intrigue your mind.

BINGALUM CREATIONS - WORKSHOPS

Bio-Art workshops exists to offer our society the opportunity to reflect on and reconnect with Nature. After participants explore suitable environments, resources are collected and then arranged on trays of sand, either under guidance or self-directed, according to personal abilities and ideas.

Each workshop concludes with artworks returning to Nature, allowing participants a chance to 'let go'. 

Primary School Students

(Preschool and special needs options available.)

Time: Half-day workshops (negotiable, depending on age and needs of children)

Group size: Groups of up to 8 children

Requirements: 

• Containers for collecting resources

• Sand

• Sieves for sifting sand

• Shallow trays

• Tweezers

Bio-Art is the artistic form of ‘Nature Play’ - exploring the natural environment, collecting natural ‘ingredients’, followed by simple identification and creating simple shapes and designs.  If desired, the designs can be photographed and used for fund-raising material for school.

Please take into account  that seasonality will affect the availability of local resources. Irena can provide additional resource material if required. Contact Irena prior to the event.

Pricing

Price for half day workshop: $555

Time: Morning OR Afternoon Session

Payment Conditions:  50% deposit at time of booking;

remaining 50% to be paid within 7 days of workshop.

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Upper Primary and High School students

(Special needs options available)

Time: Full day workshop

Group size: Groups of up to 8 students 

Requirements: 

• Containers for collecting resources

• Sand

• Sieves for sifting sand

• Shallow trays

• Tweezers

Option 1: Discussion of indigenous names of plants, their uses past and present.                          

Option 2: Use of photography and IT can allow for the creative process to be documented by students.

Option 3: Designs can be photographed and turned into calendars or cards for use by the school and parents.

Option 4: A combination of the above.

Design Themes could include: patterns, shapes, contrast, texture, native vs imported species plus student-generated ideas.

Pricing

Full day workshop: $1200  (Schools and organizations)

Time:  9am – 2:30pm

Payment Conditions:  50% deposit at time of booking;

remaining 50% to be paid within 7 days of workshop.

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ADULTS

(Rehabilitation requirements are also catered for)

Time: Full day workshop

Group size: Groups of 8

Bio-Art workshops provide a consciously meditative experience for participants. The photographic documentation of the creative process with participants’ own devices is an option. It is possible for photographed designs to  be printed onto accessories such as scarves, tea-towels, mugs, etc.

Irena can provide contact details of suitable companies providing these services.

Pricing

Full day workshop: $1200  (Schools and organizations)

Time:  9am – 2:30pm

Payment Conditions:  50% deposit at time of booking;

remaining 50%  to be paid within 7 days of workshop.

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TESTIMONIALS

Irena worked with the Art Teachers and students across Year 7 to 12 presenting her ideas about bio-art. She was able to take the students on a journey, discovering their local environment, enabling them to create art from found objects within school grounds; ie. flowers and leaves.

These artworks were created in the school grounds and became ‘sacred spaces’ where other students could enjoy them. As part of our NAIDOC celebrations, Irena and a group of students created a heart labyrinth made of camellia flowers. Nearly a week later, the labyrinth was still intact and students went to walk in it. Irena is a wonderful woman. At all times she was cooperative and willing to contribute her time and talent in service for others. Her attitude and presentation were always first class. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Irena as an artist-in-residence.”

Ms Julieanne Rasmussen, Assistant Principal - St Joseph's College, Toowoomba.

”Exploring techniques with flora from within the local environment, Irena engaged our students in the creation of wreaths to commemorate ANZAC Day. Our students experimented with aesthetic design using buds, seed pods, nuts and flowers while our teachers learnt how to enrich contexts and embed visual arts in and across the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. Thank you Irena, for engaging our students in this respectful acknowledgment of ANZAC Day in such a beautifully unique mode.”

Ms Gail Williams, Deputy Principal - Clifford Park Special School, Toowoomba.

“Irena opened the students’ eyes to the possibilities of creativity that Nature provides. Instead of seeing very little other than plants and trees, Irena led them through the journey of seeing what could be found in the leaf litter, often in abundance. These available items became the media pieces of bio-art. The creative ideas and processes, guided and developed, led to inspired pieces. The final part to the process, to walk away and leave the art work behind, was, perhaps, the biggest challenge to students; impermanence in a culture of ownership.”

Mr Chris Fitzpatrick, Teacher-Librarian - St Joseph's College, Toowoomba.

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