Northlands Issues Call for Workshop Presenters, Showcase Stories and Fringe Submissions

The Northlands Storytelling Network ‘s website has been updated with the requirements for Workshop presenters, Showcase stories and Fringe submissions for Confabulation! 2020 .

The deadline for submissions is midnight, October 15, 2019.

Workshop presenters and Showcase stories are juried by a committee of your peers. Fringe/Ruffles stories are done by lottery. See all the requirements and submission procedures at the following:
Call for Workshop Presenters
Call for Showcase Stories
Call for Fringe Stories

Confabulation! 2020 will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, April 24-26, 2020. Any questions, contact the office at 612-730-5798 or by email to Dot Cleveland at northlands.storytelling@gmail.com

September 14: Seeking auction items, cash donations, and story lovers to support Tellabration 2019!

Don’t miss this fun evening of storytelling! Proceeds from tickets (just $10 at the door), the silent auction, and a raffle will support the all-day 2019 Tellabration! on November 30 at Open Book in Minneapolis.

The organizers are currently soliciting monetary donations as well as items to be auctioned. “Items for the silent auction include books, handmade items, professional services, and other artful objects that folks would consider purchasing. Suggested prices start at $10. We need to raise significant funds so please donate items of value. We appreciate your help in making this year’s Tellabration a success.” Please contact Richard Rousseau if you have items to donate or any questions: richard@tales-from-another-stage.com.

August 26: "Folklore of the State Fair" tour for SAM members

Master storyteller and SAM board member Loren Niemi is offering a 2019 Minnesota State Fair "folklore of the fair" tour for SAM members on Monday, August 26th.

Regular adult admission to the Fair is $15 at the gate; advance purchase discounts are available (https://www.mnstatefair.org/tickets/admission-tickets/). August 26th is "Seniors & Kids Day" with a discounted admission of $10 for folks over 65 or under 12.

The tour begins at 5:00 PM at Ye Old Mill, the oldest ride at the fairgrounds. The walking route will include the butterhead sculptures in the Dairy building, seed crop art, a hidden grocery store, and much more. Grab a Pronto Pup or some Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies and join us!

This event is a benefit for SAM members. Not a SAM member?  Just click Join/Donate, above, and become one for a mere $20 to take advantage of this and future member benefits. All who love storytelling are welcome! Your donation will directly support the storytelling arts in Minnesota.

June 13 & 14: SAM outings to storytelling shows

Explore storytelling shows in the Twin Cities along with Story Arts of Minnesota members!  We’re launching our summer series of outings with gatherings at Story Club Minneapolis on June 13 and The Liar’s Game on June 14.  Look for the SAM sign and join the fun!

Thursday, June 13 – Story Club Minneapolis
Produced and Hosted by Amy Salloway
Featured Storytellers: Laura Packer and Phil Gonzalez

Story Club Minneapolis is a live monthly storytelling show featuring both a curated set of performers and an open mic segment (3-4 tellers, randomly drawn, who tell up-to-7-minute stories). Story Club showcases true, autobiographical stories--especially stories that are bold, vulnerable, unexpected, and connected to the complexity of our cultural environment.  A full menu of food and drinks is available for purchase.

Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis
7:00pm – Doors open at 6:00pm
$8-$15 sliding scale at the door, or purchase tickets online
More info on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StoryClubMinneapolis/ 

Friday, June 14 – The Liar’s Game – Road Trip Edition
Featured Storytellers:  Allison Broeren, Howard Lieberman, and Rebecca Ramsden

Three featured storytellers tell tales on the evening’s theme.  Two are true; one is a lie.  Before voting on who they believe is lying, audience members may ask questions of the tellers.  Drinks and snacks are available for purchase.  A few lucky listeners will get door prizes!

Music Forest Café, 151 Seventh St. East, St. Paul
7:00pm
$10 at the door

More info on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2384375985125186/

SAM members honored by the National Storytelling Network

            The National Storytelling Network has announced the 2019 recipients of its Oracle Awards.  Three members of Story Arts of Minnesota are among the storytellers being recognized for their exceptional talents and contributions. 

Nancy Donoval will be honored with the Circle of Excellence Award.  This prestigious award is presented to artists who are recognized nationally by their peers as master storytellers who set the standards for excellence and who have demonstrated, over a significant period of time, a commitment and dedication to the art of storytelling.  Richard Rousseau will be given the Regional Excellence Award in recognition of his creativity, professional integrity, and artistic contributions in NSN’s North Central region, which includes Minnesota.  Dorothy Cleveland will receive the Regional Service and Leadership Award, in gratitude for her contributions to the North Central region’s storytelling community over the years, culminating in her current position as administrator of the Northlands Storytelling Network.  Nancy, Richard, and Dorothy are pillars of the Minnesota storytelling community who have made a significant impact on the regional and national scene.  SAM congratulates them on their achievements!

                 The Oracle Awards will be presented at the NSN’s annual conference in Fremont, California, on July 26.  Background on the awards and the complete list of 2019 recipients can be found on the NSN website: https://storynet.org/about-nsn/awards/nsn-oracle-awards/

SAM Hosts Storytelling Stage at the Festival of Nations, May 2-5

Story Arts of Minnesota returns to the Festival of Nations to host the popular Storytelling Stage at the heart of the Festival’s Marketplace Bazaar. Over the four-day event, at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, a diverse group of tellers will share tales from their own or their ancestors’ homelands.

On Thursday May 2 and Friday May 3, the Festival is open to students and teachers. Storytellers Margaret Meyers, Kathleen Johnson, Carol McCormick, Danielle Daniel, Larry Johnson, and Rodger Roan Eagle will provide half-hour shows featuring tales from many cultures. The Festival opens to the public on Friday evening; the storytelling resumes on the weekend.

On Saturday May 4, the daytime tellers include Mary Dubbs, Phuoc Thi Minh Tran, Sarah Nameera, Kayanja Jaffer Ssalabwa, Richard Rousseau, Sachi Venkatakrishman, Noel LaBine, and Katie Knutson. A special evening concert, 7:00-8:30, features a live performance by the rising Bokator star Sam Tharoth of Cambodia, along with storytellers Carol McCormick and Katie Knutson.

On Sunday May 5, Peuo Tuy, Tanya Brody, Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux, Pam Schweitzer, and Carol McCormick take turns on the Storytelling Stage.

Find information about the storytellers on SAM’s daily calendar of storytelling events, https://www.storyartsmn.org/events

Festival tickets: Adults $11-$18, Youth $8-$12.
Full info and link to purchase tickets online: https://www.festivalofnations.com/ticket/

Minnesota Storytellers Head to the Northlands Confabulation

The talents of Minnesotan storytellers will be on display at the Northlands Confabulation! in Madison, Wisconsin later this month.  The annual Confabulation! brings together storytellers from the upper Midwest and beyond for three days of workshops, classes, story concerts, and fringe performances.  New this year are “ruffles”—half-hour fringe shows. 

On Friday, April 26, Katie Knutson will present a ruffle, “The View from the South: Stories and Reflections from South America,” and Dorothy Cleveland will join Michigan storyteller Barb Schutzgruber in a fringe show titled “Bedtime Stories: Sex, Death & Violence.”  The evening story concert will include Dorothy Cleveland and Sue Searing.

On Saturday, April 27, Minnesotan tellers will lead several workshops:  Chad Filley, “How to Use Stand-up Comedy Techniques to Make You a More Effective Storyteller”; Loren Niemi, “The Stories of the Other”;  Carol McCormick, “Creating a Steady Storytelling Income Stream”; Bethany Ricks, “Finding Stories in Nature”; Dorothy Cleveland (with Barb Schutzgruber), “Enrich the Image”; and Katie Knutson, “Stunning Stage Pictures: Adding Physicality to Your Stories.”  In addition, Laura Packer will offer a fringe, “Haunted: Stories for the Brave of Heart; Loren Niemi will appear in the evening story concert; and Ward Rubrecht will emcee the story slam.

On Sunday, April 28, Laura Packer will lead a workshop on “Coaching for Meaning, Connection and Growth”; and Katie Knutson will perform in the closing story showcase.

And that’s just the Minnesotans!  There are many more workshops, opportunities to listen to expert tellers, open story swaps, and even a master class with renowned South Carolina teller Tim Lowry.  You can still register for the Confabulation.  Visit www.northlands.net for more information.

Another successful World Storytelling Day!

L to R: Elaine Wynne, Trista Matascastillo, Hector Matascastillo, Carol McCormick, Derek Anders-Turner and Mark Wagler.

On March 20, 2019, SAM member Larry Johnson organized and hosted a World Storytelling Day event “Myths, Legends & Epics of Coming Home from War” at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. It raised funds for the Veteran Resilience Project at www.resiliencemn.org. Larry believes “If I hear your story, it’s harder for me to hate you.” Audience members were profuse in their thanks and said they were impressed by the depth and power of the stories.

Elaine founded the Veteran Resilience Project to provide EMDR to veterans with PTSD. Derek served in Iraq as a Combat Engineer. Carol was the spouse of a veteran with PTSD. Hector served as an Army Ranger in Iraq. Trista is a veteran and early leader of the Veterans Voices Program and the Women Veterans Initiative. The story “Home” that she shared was first told at a Kennedy Center event in  Washington, D.C. in 2016. Mark, who lives in Madison, WI, was a co-founder of Northlands Storytelling Network. He was raised Amish-Mennonite and became a conscientious objector. Part of the story he told was about marching in Chicago with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Apply by April 6: Storytelling workshop leaders (2 needed)

Central Lakes College, which serves the communities in and around Brainerd, is seeking two individuals to lead storytelling workshops at a half-day storytelling event which is anticipated to be held on the Brainerd Campus sometime in April- May. The Brainerd campus features state-of-the-art audio recording equipment that will be put to use as part of Central Lakes College ongoing mission to deliver outstanding public offerings. To give the best possible experience to the general public, CLC would like to offer workshops on storytelling. Individuals experienced at leading workshops for community members with very little or no storytelling experience are being sought. There are four tracks of interest: 1) Storytelling for Your Business, 2) Storytelling for Your Family, 3) Storytelling in Patient Care and 4) Storytelling Basics. Workshop facilitators will be asked to offer follow-up coaching to participants at a mutually agreed upon time (for example: four emails/phone calls). Payment rate is to be determined. For more information about Central Lakes College, see www.clcmn.edu.

Central Lakes College will review all applications and make all final decisions. StoryArtsMN is not involved in any hiring decisions. All applicants are encouraged to be members of StoryArtsMN, though this will not effect application status. If you are not a member of SAM please go to https://www.storyartsmn.org/support-sam to join.

In addition to the information in this application, we will need a copy of your current resume. Please email it to storyartsmn@gmail.com within three days of applying.

Enter the Great American Story contest

The Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council is sponsoring the fourth annual Great American Story contest for oral storytellers.

Stories are now being invited from Minnesota storytellers. Judges will narrow the selections to four finalists who will perform the best-told stories at an event Saturday, September 28, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Park Rapids. The audience will vote to select the top two storytellers among the four finalists. The two semi-finalists will be given a prompt and tell a 10-minute extemporaneous story. The audience will then select the winner.

First place storyteller will receive an award of $1,000. Second place will receive $500, and each of the other two finalists will receive $250. Lodging arrangements will be made if needed.

For entry information and rules for The Great American Story, please go to www.theagreatamericanstory.org. Finalists will be notified by August 19.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council , thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Join a SAM committee!

Do you have a passion for stories, as a listener or teller or both? Would you enjoy collaborating with other story lovers to promote storytelling throughout Minnesota? SAM offers several options for members to contribute their skills and creativity. Currently we’re looking to grow the following standing committees:

Online Presence: This committee maintains this website, keeps SAM’s Facebook page updated, and builds a presence on other social media to share information and promote storytelling to a wider audience.

Finance: This committee develops SAM’s budget and works to grow the organization’s resources through grants, earned income, and fund-raising.

Membership: This committee reaches out to new and existing members, develops an annual guide to member benefits, and plans member get-togethers.

In addition to these standing committees, we’re always looking for people to work on special events and programs like the next Storytelling Festival in 2020. And finally, new board members are elected each year; the board is responsible for setting the organization’s priorities and guiding it in fulfilling its mission and vision.

If you can see yourself in any of these roles, please write to us at storyartsmn@gmail.com. Help SAM be a strong voice for storytelling in our state!

Register for the Northlands Confabulation!

Registration is now open for the Northlands Confabulation, April 26-28, 2019, at the Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin. See the full schedule of workshops, intensives, and performances at northlands.net. This year’s master teacher/teller is Tim Lowry.

The Northlands Storytelling Network is a community of storytellers and story listeners in the upper Midwest. The annual Storytelling Confabulation! features presenters from around the U.S. who provide workshops, presentations, and discussions on the practice and applications of storytelling. Minnesota will be well represented this year, as many SAM members have been selected to lead workshop sessions and perform in story concerts.

The full conference (Friday-Sunday) registration fee is $275 for Northlands members. Discounts for full-time students and seniors (65+) and single-day fees are available.

Meet and Greet - January 12

SAM’s next member “meet and greet” will launch a new year of storytelling! Bring a story to share and a wrapped present for the mystery gift exchange. Silly, re-gifted, used, and inexpensive items, please!  We'll gather in the Festsaal Room of the Black Forest Inn. Free pop, coffee, and tea; stronger beverages will be available for purchase.
Saturday, January 12
5:00-6:30
Black Forest Inn, Nicollet & 26th St., Minneapolis

Tellabration! 2018 - November 24

Story Artists Donate Day of Storytelling at Open Book

Tellabration!, an annual event promoted by The National Storytelling Network and hosted in over 300 venues around the world, will be celebrated in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, November 24, 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S.

The day-long event, which is free to all, features a dozen panel discussions, classes, and workshops that explore a wide-range of topics about storytelling, narrative techniques in other disciplines (e.g. film, podcasts, poetry), and how to craft, promote, and refine stories for audiences and print. Topics include: Storycrafting, Creating and Hosting a Spoken Word Series (with five veteran hosts), Growing a Social Media Presence, and Smart Micro-Publishing That Makes the Effort Worth It.

There will also be a literature/merchandise table, games and stories to which guests can contribute, and, most importantly, a hosted open mike from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. where all visitors are invited to tell a story, or a story about a story.

The event will conclude with an evening concert in the Target Performance Hall featuring the donated talents of Kevin Kling, Tom Cassidy, Erica Christ, Dorothy Cleveland, Loren Niemi, Laura Packer, Richard Rousseau, Sue Searing, and Jim Stowell.

Three of the region’s story organizations—Cheap Theatre, Northlands Storytelling Network, and Story Arts of Minnesota—combined efforts to produce this engaging showcase of spoken word expertise and talent as part of Tellabration!’s international reach.

For additional details visit www.tellabrationmn.org. All classes and the concert are free though donations are appreciated. Doors for the concert open at 6:30 p.m. 

Questions?  Contact: Richard Rousseau 

Richard@tales-from-another-stage.com or 651-649-1757

"Not So Spooky" Halloween stories & free pumpkins at October P.J. Stories

The Under Ground Music Cafe, Story Arts of Minnesota and The Neighborhood Real Estate Team of Jim Jaeckels, Kellen Jacobson and Matt Havel are partnering up for a Halloween Extravaganza. The Under Ground Music Cafe will have a $5 pizza special...$5 for a pepperoni, sausage or cheese pizza. (regularly $8.00), and one scoop of ice cream for $1.00. From 5-6:30 PM the Neighborhood Real Estate Team will be giving away free pumpkins and at 6:30-7:30 P.J. Storytellers will tickle your funny bone with "Not So Spooky" Halloween stories. Featured tellers will be Pam Schweitzer, Sue Searing, Kathy Johnson and Rose Johnson. What a fun way to start the Halloween season.

Call for proposals for 2019 National Storytelling Summit

The National Storytelling Network is now accepting proposals for workshops and presentations at its 2019 annual summit, which will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, July 25-28. Find more information at https://storynet.org/nsnevents/conference/cfp/.

The deadline to propose workshops and presentations is November 19. Information on applying for fringe, showcase, and story swap performances will be posted later at https://storynet.org/nsnevents/conference/summit-performances/.

Although workshop presenters do not need to be NSN members, members are given preference. SAM members who join NSN qualify for a 10% discount on NSN dues.

Northlands Confabulation 2019 - Call for Submissions

The call has gone out for submissions to the Northlands Storytelling Network’s 2019 Confabulation. Submit proposals for workshops, showcase stories, and fringe performances by OCTOBER 15. Submission guidelines are at http://northlands.net/confabulation/ The Confabulation will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, April 26-28, on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Signifyin' and Testifyin' - Sept. 27-29

The 27th Annual Black Master Storytelling Festival, “Signifyin’ & Testifyin’,” kicks off on Thursday, September 27, and continues through Saturday, September 2. The featured tellers are Mama Koku (Atlanta, GA), Oba William King (Chicago, IL), Mother Minter (Charlotte, NC), Toni Simmons (Dallas, TX), LACA Bridges (Fort Worth, TX), and Beverly Cottman (Minneapolis, MN).  Here’s the full schedule:

Opening Ceremony, Thursday, September 27, 2018, 7:00 - 9:30 PM
Perpich Center for Arts Education
6125 Olson Memorial Hwy., Golden Valley, MN
Opening Drum Call by Brother Ghana M’Baye ​Drum Troupe

Tall Tales and Liars Contest
Friday, September 28, 2018, 7:00 - 10:00 Pm
Ames Elks Lodge
1614 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411

Grand Finale
Saturday, September 29, 2018, 7:00 - 10:00 PM
Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis MN
Opening Drum Call by Voice of Culture Drum and Dance

 ASL interpretation for Opening Ceremony and Grand Finale will be provided

 All events are family-friendly, FREE and open to the public!

 More information at www.blackstorytellers.com

“This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.”