Storytelling for Changing Times - Afternoon Workshops & Concerts
Saturday, September 15, 1:00-5:30
Normandale Community College
Archived 2018 information
All afternoon events are FREE!
1:00-1:50
Earning Your Audience's Trust: Why You Need It and How to Get It (for high school speech competitors).
Room C2013
Leader: Lindsey White
Focusing on performative techniques for high school speech competitors, this workshop will help storytellers learn the key elements of narrative performance to win over the audience and to feel the story is authentic and "trustworthy."
Lindsey White began her public speaking career competing for her high school speech team, where she earned a state championship and two national titles. In college, she competed for Western Kentucky University forensics, where she earned two national titles and an international title. As a graduate assistant coach for WKU she helped many students earn competitive success, while earning a MA in Organizational Comm. She is currently acting as assistant speech coach at Chanhassen High School and is excited to participate in more broad-range storytelling activities.
1:00-1:50
Performing the Story: Movement and Story.
Room C2016
Leader: Cia Sautter
Storytelling is more than the story, and more than the vocal delivery. It involves your entire self as you relate to the audience. Through simple creative movement, this workshop offers fun and interactive exercises to help raise awareness of your body and actions as part of storytelling.
We will:
· Learn simple warm up movements to gain awareness of creating storytelling “space.”
· Practice individual and inter-active exercises to build awareness of gesture.
· Work on building short phrases of storytelling with movement.
Cia Sautter, Ph.D. has taught numerous classes and workshops on dance, yoga, and storytelling. Her work includes teaching on the relationship between movement and story for The Graduate Theological Union, UC Berkeley, and United Seminary. But she has also worked with K-12 students for creative movement and storytelling classes. Her training ranges from workshops with Cynthia Winton Henry and Phil Porter, Dance Therapy classes, and sessions at the Globe Theatre in London. Cia is the founder and main performer for Cialuna’s Storydance Theatre.
1:00-1:50
Kids Concert: Family Friendly Stories for the Youthful and Young at Heart.
Room C2018.
Host: Pam Schweitzer
Tellers: Beverly Cottman, Margaret Meyers, Mindy Schroeder, Sue Searing, Alex Cleberg.
1:00-1:50
Journey Stories Concert.
Room C2003
Host: Chelley McLear.
Tellers: Christopher Lear, Amy Salloway, Peuo Tuy, Rothana Walbolt, David Zander
In ‘Journeys’ we will share tales of escape, returning home, cultural clashes, adjustments and survival. Humour and heartache intersperse; digging at the essence of what makes us human. We are all on journeys, some that we need to make, some that we want to make. This telling of physical travels will tug at your desire to go – but drive at the question of what makes ‘home’.
2:00-2:50
Make Five Minutes Matter: Crafting the Slam-Length Story.
Room C2016
Leader: Amy Salloway
This energizing, hands-on intensive will take you through the short-form personal story development process from beginning to end, giving you tools to feel confident instead of intimidated by the anvils of monthly story slams and open mikes swinging over your head. We’ll discuss the vital ingredients that define a story (as opposed to an anecdote, essay, or comedy routine); how to identify the “storyworthy” material in your own life; and the essential building blocks of plot and structure. We’ll then work with three techniques that’ll bump your stories up a notch in vibrance, authenticity, depth and connective power. Bring a five-minute story in progress, one you've done before, or nothing but a notebook and pen.
Actor/writer/teaching artist Amy Salloway is a big fan of the Venn Diagram spot where live theatre, social activism and human connection overlap. Her autobiographical solo plays -- Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?, So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!, and Circumference -- have toured to Fringe Festivals, solo festivals, colleges, conferences and communities across the US and Canada, earning her reviews like “raw and fearless,” “achingly honest and hysterically funny,” and “the voice for all of us who were picked last for kickball.” Amy’s performed on just about every story-inclusive stage in the Twin Cities; she’s currently the producer of Story Club Minneapolis, happening monthly at the Bryant-Lake Bowl. She’s contributed personal narrative to radio programs on MPR and CBC, and the national podcast RISK!, and she teaches classes in creative writing, memoir, humor, original solo performance and storytelling through Minneapolis Community Ed and The Story Studio. For more info, visit Amy’s woefully stagnant webpage www.amysalloway.com, or the much more responsibly-managed www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage.
2:00-2:50
Family Bedtime Stories.
Room C2003
Leader: Sara Logan
Telling a story at bedtime can be a chance for cozy connection with kids of all ages. Come and learn about different kinds of stories to tell, resources for stories and ideas, and why you’d want to tell stories in the first place. We will practice creating a story out of nothing, dig old favorites out of our memories, and share tips for working storytelling into your daily or weekly routine. You’ll leave ready to start spinning tales at bedtime tonight!
Sara Renee Logan has been telling stories to everyone who would listen since she was seven. She organized storytimes for her college roommates, and spent a year at Oxford studying folklore and folktales. Many years as a Waldorf teacher allowed her to tell stories about everything from Baba Yaga's hut on chicken legs to the water cycle to the life of Joan of Arc. Sara shares her life with her partner, Melanie, their son, and an unreasonable family of pets. She continues to share her love of storytelling and stories with audiences of all ages, specializing in bringing the wild beauty of folktales to young and old.
2:00-2:50
Traditional Story Swap.
Room C2018.
Host: Sue Searing.
What's a story swap? It's when people get together to trade stories. What's a traditional story? It's any folk tale, fairy tale, legend, myth, tall tale, ghost story, etc. that is part of our cultural heritage. If you have a favorite story to pass along, please come to this informal session. No experience necessary! (You're also welcome to simply listen.)
2:00-2:50
Youth Storytellers Showcase.
Room C2013
Host: Jennifer Isaac.
Listen to high school speakers deliver their stories they (might) showcase when speaking at speech forensics events. Just like a sport, high school speech demands motivation, hours of practice, learning several pieces, and dedication in competition. This session will feature several high school tellers - all are welcome!
3:00-3:50
Storytelling to Nurture Kindness, Caring and Compassion in Young Children: Toddlers, Preschoolers and Grades K to 2.
Room C2016
Leader: Carol McCormick
Abusive and aggressive behavior is learned (bullying). Children often don’t know alternatives that are respectful and effective. We need to educate young children before behavior patterns become habitual. Carol will share entertaining stories, songs, and finger plays for young children. Participants will get to practice learning them and take home some copies they can use immediately.
OBJECTIVES:
- Recognize the difference between normal peer conflict and bullying, the importance of avoiding discounting bullying as teasing rather than tormenting or as a necessary part of growing up rather than predatory aggression, and that bullying takes many forms.
- Learn some fun stories, songs, and finger plays to prevent bullying.
Carol McCormick used her B.S. in Elementary Education to teach 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades. As a Professional Storyteller for over 30 years she has presented programs to many preschool children in Day Care and K-G 2 in schools. She has presented this workshop as a staff training for Lexington Care for Kids in St. Paul; as well as at the MN Social Services Association Conference, and the MN Valley Association of Early Childhood Educators Annual Meeting.
3:00-3:50
Gather and Tell: Stories to Build Community.
Room C2003
Leaders: Nothando Zulu & Beverly Cottman
Building strong and viable communities requires the establishment of meaningful relationships. Participants will hear, create and tell stories that provide templates for nurturing relationships which lead to understanding and trust. They will be guided toward ways to facilitate cooperation between groups in communities and then how to share the generated stories. Participants will be provided with templates for all activities and a resource/reference list.Building strong and viable communities requires the establishment of meaningful relationships. Participants will hear, create and tell stories that provide templates for nurturing relationships which lead to understanding and trust. They will be guided toward ways to facilitate cooperation between groups in communities and then how to share the generated stories. Participants will be provided with templates for all activities and a resource/reference list.
Master storyteller Nothando Zulu has been sharing stories with audiences in local, national and international venues since 1976. The antics and foibles of her colorful and funny characters leave audiences with life lessons to apply to their own lives from stories that entertain, educate, motivate and inspire. As Director of Black Storytellers Alliance, Nothando, along with her husband and a Board of Directors produce an annual three-day storytelling festival celebrating the art of Black storytelling. Called “Signifyin’ & Testifyin’” it is now in its 27th year. Nothando is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grand mother, and a community and political activist who believes in the phenomenal power of stories. When working with or performing for seniors, she loves to share stories that relate their memories to the lives of listeners young and old. Nothando invites all to “come listen, remember, and join in the joy!”
Beverly Cottman is an interdisciplinary artist creating at the intersections of literary, visual, and performance art. As storyteller, Auntie Beverly, she delivers wisdom of the ages by telling stories, folktales, and fables rooted in African and African-American traditions as well as cultural tales from around the world. Auntie Beverly presents an enthusiastic and interactive storytelling program suitable and adaptable for any age or setting. Audience members may be asked to sing along, provide vocalizations, or play the part of a character. Programs may be aligned with whole school topics, grade level focus, or other subjects of interest. Her storytelling sessions pass on values, celebrate culture, and invite listeners to participate in the telling. Her workshop sessions support and encourage participants to create compelling narratives and stories that educate, enlighten, and entertain.
3:00-3:50
Slam-Styled Stories Concert.
Room C2013
Host: Leif Wallin.
Competitive storytelling? You bet! Tellers will perform short, first-person, true stories. The best ones win! (Some story content may be inappropriate for young listeners.)
3:00-3:50
Peace Stories Concert.
Room C2018
Host: Larry Johnson.
Tellers: Burt Berlowe, Larry Johnson, Paula Reed Nancarrow, Richard Rousseau, Katherine J. Werner, Elaine Wynne.
6 stories, not for children, but all about keeping the world safe for children of all ages. Performance reflects the ancient proverb, "If there is peace in the heart, there will be peace in the home. If there's peace in the home, it will be also in the community and if we have peace in the community, we can make it happen in the world." Stories range from bullying and homelessness to dealing with war and the threat of nuclear annihilation. All mirror the truth of Dr. M.L. King's speech on Vietnam, where he said, "I had great hope when LBJ started the Great Society program, but now I see clearly. We can never eliminate problems like poverty and racism, until we stop spending so much money to send our young people overseas to kill poor people there".
4:00-5:30
Storytelling for Changing Times: Closing Concert
Theater.
Hosted by Khary Jackson.
ASL interpretation by Deanna Fischer and Lisa Harper.
Content is appropriate for ages 16 and up.
Greg Pickett is a Spoken Word artist/storyteller originally from Chicago, IL. but currently calls Minneapolis home. He was a member of two teams that represented Chicago at the National Poetry Slam in 2009 and 2013 and was the SlamMN! Storytelling Grand Slam Champion for 2017. His hobbies include video games, and.... well just the video games I suppose. That and performing his heart out on stage. You can find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gregorypoet
Laura Packer's stories explore our oldest myths, modern landscapes, and the secrets and humor inside the human heart. She has performed around the world at theaters, festivals, on the streets and more. She is the Minnesota Story Slam 2018 Champion. When she isn’t telling stories, Laura consults with for- and non-profit organizations to foster better communication and develop clear corporate vision through storytelling and coaching. She also helps artists deepen their work through workshops, classes, and client-centered coaching. She believes storytelling builds community, crosses boundaries, and that everyone can tell a good story. www.laurapacker.com
Khary Jackson is a poet, playwright, dancer and musician. He is an alumnus of Cave Canem, the esteemed writing fellowship for black writers. He has written several plays, one of which (Water) was produced in 2009 at Ink and Pulp Theatre in Chicago. He has been a recipient of several grants, including the 2016 McKnight Artist Fellowship in Writing, the Minnesota State Arts Board’s 2012 Cultural Community Partnership Grant and 2010 Artist Initiative Grant for Poetry, as well as the 2009 VERVE Spoken Word Grant from Intermedia Arts. His first poetry book, Any Psalm You Want, was published with Write Bloody Publishing in the spring of 2013.
Christy Marie Kent was born in Mississippi and raised all over the south. Her parents moved to a new southern state every couple of years, but wherever they went, she found them. Her day job moved her further and further north, so now she finds herself in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.
Christy is a veteran writer and performer of Fringe shows, the winner of the 2016 SlamMN! Grand Slam champion, the playwright of 2017’s Fringe sellout hit “Pope Joan: The First Transgender Pope,” and the author of Moonshine, Madness, and Murder and her newest novel, coming in September, 2018, Transgression.
Nancy Donoval is a 30+ year veteran storyteller, story coach and artist/activist specializing in finding humor in the hard stuff. In 2010 she won the first ever National Story Slam Championship with a story excerpted from her one-woman show, Me Too: A Survivor's Journey from Rape to Healing. Nancy’s work has been heard on Minnesota and Chicago Public Radio, and she was a featured performer at the 2004 National Storytelling Festival. Other performance venues include Washington Storytellers Theater, the New York Society for Ethical Culture, and the WisCon Feminist Science Fiction Convention. Her one-woman shows Dancing Rats & Vampire Moms and Monster Movies with My Undead Dadplayed to sold-out houses at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Nancy's storytelling resume ranges from telling ghost stories for a junior high hay ride (with a bullhorn) to working with attorneys to craft opening statements.