David Titus - "The String Man"
PO Box 1406
Lawton, Ok 73502
(580) 353 4710 - Cell (580) 695 0782
With a piece of string and a thread of a story, David Titus can capture an audience with just about anyone, anywhere in the world. It's something he's been doing since 1968.
David Titus is a professional storyteller - a person who has entertained children and adults in libraries, schools, churches, conferences and festivals across the world. From the frozen arctic to the Sahara Desert, David Titus and his string ministries has been there. Most importantly David has a lot of fun doing it.
"I collect string tricks from wherever I can," said Titus. "I've collected string tricks from Tibetan refugees in Nepal, Pakistani refugees in Cairo and a traveler in the Seoul airport. I then share them in other parts of the world and I absolutely love it."
This Master Storyteller spent five weeks in Nepal in 1999, renewing acquaintences he made two years earlier. David also traveled to very remote regions in Nepal to help at Leprosy hospitals teaching the patients to make string figures as physical therapy. "Needless to say they loved it and so did the staff. Not only as therapy, but as just plain fun." he said.
2000, David Titus spent August and half of September in Mongolia. "I took 20,000 strings to give the new organization String Ministries, Inc the acid test. The nomadic Mongolian people loved the diversion and activity these games provided," he said.
Eagle TV, the local Christian station had him on two live programs and is translating all three of his videos for airing in Mongolia. They taped almost two hours of short testimonies and stories to be inserted in future broadcasting.
The NGO'S (Non-Governmental Organizations) such as Habitat For Hummanity, UNESCO, VetNet, Christian and Missionary Alliance, and Joint Christian Services for thich David was involved saw this ministry as a useful tool for teaching people with their particular messages.
"The greatest blessing was the empowering three man and one woman in Mongolia to carry on the string ministry. One Mongolian carpenter, a Danish accountant, a Taiwanese Bible teacher, and a blind American woman working with orphans, reallh enjoyed learning these figures and their corresponting testimonies and stories. they have pledged to continue sharing in hospitals, orphanages and churgches, said Titus.
Titus has been to Eastern Europe - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia twice in the last three years as well as Poland and Finland. He also took String Ministries to South Africa twice - to the remote NW arid areas near the Kalahari Desert. He has just returned from a Liberian Refugee Camp where he stayed at Buduburam camp and worked with about 5,000 children. He was there in August and was so taken by the plight of the children that he wanted to return and take them some joy with strings.
What's new? David has a new video that explains the mission and goals of String Ministries, Inc. the 31 minute video, titled "Sharing with String through String Ministries:, gives practical examples of how string figures can be used for a tool for mission trips, youth groups, retreats, etc. directions for each of the figures are included in the video. This video is available through local bookstores and at www.StringFigureStore.com.
The video "String Magic from Around the World" has been a favorite with many schools, libraries and families since it came out in 1977. "this video shows more than 50 string figures, gives directions for over 20, and includes a practice string. It provides live-action demonstrations and storytelling with string figures." School Library Journal, Oct. 1977. He also has two new books in the World Culture Series, "Native American String Figures" and "African String Figures".
Titus' first in the series of Christian string videos for children is "String Fun with the Parables". Video Librarian gave it 3 stars out of 4 in the July/August review and School Library Journal said "...this engaging introduction to the Old and New Testament Parables will appeal to Christian schools and churches and to public libraries where its cross generation appeal will be a plus." School Library Journal, June 1999.
Two audiotapes, "Dave and Friends, Live" and "More Favorites" give children hours of enjoyment. David Titus is now traveling in cyber space with his new enterprise, www.StringFigureStore.com.
He estimates that Goodwill Industires, Inc who have the contract to provide the labor to produce the colorful knotless strings that he provides, will produce 100,000 strings this year. He pays them for each string the produce.
David Titus has been a librarian in Ohio, Michigan, Honduras - Central America and Oklahoma. he also worked with the Oklahoma State Department of Education as a consultant to library and media programs. He has been active in storytelling and was president of Territory tellers, which is the Statewide Storytelling guild.
David also consults, conducts workshops and artist-in-residencies as well as author visits. He instructs adults in storytelling, too.