Ina Buckner-Barnette, also known as The Sunshine Storyteller, weaves international tales, movement, and song together to create interactive storytelling concerts and workshops. An Emmy award-winning actress, video producer, and teaching artist, Ina’s work promotes themes focused on building character. She works with schools, libraries, hospitals, community centers, and art festivals across Southern California, and is a commissioned artist with the Getty Museum Family Storytelling Program
Ina is a National Storyteller Network State Liaison, a member of SAG-AFTRA, LA Dream Shapers, and LA’s BEST. She co-founded and performed with "Pyramid of Voices," a six-woman performance art troupe focusing on Black poetry for children. Her educational video producing and writing talents have earned her several awards for excellence over the years. Her on screen credits include ”America’s Most Wanted”, “Roc”, “Harry and the Hendersons”, “The Robert Guillaume Show”, KOCE-TV, "City Works”, and a host of music videos and industrials. Ina is also a veteran adult education teacher specializing in English as a Second Language and Accent Reduction instruction.
Handy Storytelling Guide (for grades 1-5):
In this workshop series, students explore story structure, world literature, and global geography; identify and practice successful presentation style, apply the parts of speech by using descriptive language; discover and employ stage directions; and use movement, sounds, and character voices to deepen the telling of a story. Each workshop is specifically tailored to target the curriculum standards and learning needs of the class.
Telling My Story (for grades 2-8):
These writing and performance workshops include imagination games, creative dramatics, and active listening games. Students explore the parts of speech, story structure, and storytelling presentation skills. They develop self-expression and storytelling performance skills through progressive interactive practice.