The Role of the Storyteller Today, March 9: A Conversation with Jack Zipes

Acclaimed storyteller Loren Niemi will engage renowned scholar Jack Zipes in a conversation about the role of the storyteller today. Among the topics they plan to discuss is the role of the storyteller in enabling school children to become storytellers of their own lives. Dr. Zipes will also share his enthusiam for doing research into the history of forgotten writers and illustrators--a practice that can reward any storyteller. And who knows where else the conversation may lead?

Jack Zipes is Professor Emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota. In addition to his scholarly work, he is an active storyteller in public schools, founded Neighborhood Bridges at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, and has written fairy tales for children and adults. Some of his recent publications include: The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre (2012), The Golden Age of Folk and Fairy Tales: From the Brothers Grimm to Andrew Lang (2013), and Grimm Legacies: The Magic Power of Fairy Tales (2014). Most recently he has published The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: An Anthology of Magical Tales (2017), Tales of Wonder: Retelling Fairy Tales through Picture Postcards (2017), Fearless Ivan and His Faithful Horse Double-Hump (2018), The Hundred Riddles of the Fairy Bellaria (2018), and Slap-Bam, The Art of Governing Men: Édouard Laboulaye’s Political Fairy Tales (2018). In 2019, he founded his own press called Little Mole and Honey Bear and has published The Giant Ohl and Tiny Tim (2019), Johnny Breadless (2020), Yussuf the Ostrich (2020), and Keedle the Great and All You Want to Know about Fascism (2020).

Loren Niemi began as a “child fibber” but soon realized he was less interested in telling lies than in improving the truth... He is an innovative storyteller, poet and the author of What Haunts Us, the 2020 winner of the Midwest Book Award for “Sci-Fi / Horror / Fantasy / Paranormal” fiction as well as the award winning The New Book of Plots and Point of View and the Emotional Arc of Stories on structuring narratives, and the critically acclaimed Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories. Loren is a member of the Story Arts board of directors and outgoing chair of the National Storytelling Network.

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

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

Feb. 17, noon - StoryFest 2021 proposals due

StoryFest 2021 Needs You!

Planning is underway for our next StoryFest in May 2021, so SAM is looking for tellers and workshop presenters and innovative thinkers with networking ideas! Take a look at our call for proposals, polish those stories and workshops and event ideas, and get them to us ASAP. Your voices and expertise are what makes StoryFest a great event, and we hope you will join us.
 

Call for Stories and Workshop Leaders StoryFest 2021

Although we don’t have a specific theme this year (we think that will emerge with the submissions), we would like you to think about where we all are in 2021 and along the lines of ‘betwixt and between’ and “from here to there”. 

Workshop Leaders needed for StoryFest 2021

May 10 – 15, 2021 online

Do you have a workshop idea that would motivate and elevate voices?  Or for ways of working in our new ‘normal’? Do you have storytelling workshop ideas for teachers or other online facilitators? Be as creative as you like with what you feel would benefit us at this time. We have maximum workshop times of 90 minutes this year due to the online format.  You do not have to use the full 90 minutes – please specify your workshop time in your application. We are looking for at least one storytelling workshop for beginning storytellers. A small stipend will be given to all workshop presenters. Submit your workshop proposals by noon on February 17th to storyartsmn@gmail.com, write "StoryFest 2021 Workshop Proposal" in the subject line. Please include your goal or learning objective and what you are going to do to meet that objective.

Storytellers needed for StoryFest 2021

May 10-15, 2021 online

Do you have a story about overcoming a challenge? How about a folktale that allowed you to see someone in a different light? A time that humor brought you back from the brink of despair? Or a time when a simple gesture allowed you to move on? What about a story that brings hope to the younger set? We’re interested in stories about where we are, how we got here and where we are going —be it personal narrative or folk tales, please submit the story you want to share. We are interested in both stories of how you got to where you are OR the story that helped your journey. There is no set theme and these are suggestions. We hope to host at least one event specifically for children (ages 3-12). Send an email with a short summary of your (up to) 8-minute story by noon on February 17th, to storyartsmn@gmail.com, write “StoryFest 2021 Concert Submission” in the subject line. Please include a few sentences about your storytelling and performance experience.

Networking Events needed for StoryFest 2021!

This year we are putting out an additional call – for innovative events to facilitate online networking at StoryFest.  More than ever, we are hearing calls for networking and ‘joining together’.  How can we get to know one another better and laugh and relax? We want this to be fun!  It could be an online game for participants, an idea for conversation starters, a communal activity: wherever your imagination takes you.  We would like proposals from presenters for 30-minute events and up to 90-minute events. If you have an idea but would prefer not to present the event yourself, please still let us know. Please indicate the length of your event proposal. Send an email with a short summary of your event proposal by noon on February 17th, to storyartsmn@gmail.com, write “StoryFest 2021 Event Submission” in the subject line.

Important information for all submissions:

Priority will be given to tellers/presenters who are members of Story Arts of Minnesota (click here to join: https://www.storyartsmn.org/support-sam ).

We particularly welcome applications from under-represented voices. Please read our Commitment to Racial Justice at https://www.storyartsmn.org/ Please indicate on your application if you identify as BIPOC or other under-represented voice.

A small stipend is available for all tellers and presenters, regardless of location, however MN state funding requires us to not use grant money for out-of-state performances. This means that in-state tellers/presenters might receive a higher stipend than out of state tellers.

Any questions?

Please reach out to us at storyartsmn@gmail.com

Digging Up the Past, Feb. 9: A Conversation on Telling Family Stories

Robin Bady, Les Kurkendaal-Barrett, and Chelley McLear will share their experiences of mining their family's legends and sorting fact from fiction to shape tellable stories. There will be time for audience questions.

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing. Learn more about our three amazing panelits and re-register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/digging-up-the-past-a-conversation-on-telling-family-stories-tickets-133774622497. After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.
Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

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

Story Pop! Jan. 12 workshop with Allison Broeren

Story Arts’ monthly online workshops continue in 2021. Join us on January 12 for Story Pop!

Do you think you're out of stories? Are you listening to a story and it's reminding you of that one time that... Do you marvel when somebody gets on stage and adjusts their story to fit the night just perfectly? Join Allison Broeren, queen of hosting storytelling shows and coming up with stories on the fly, for a session on finding inspiration, and taking it a step further, turning it into a story!

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

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

Telling Tales from Norway, Dec. 8 : Trolls, Nisse and other Delights

As the winter holidays draw near in Minnesota, look for red-hatted nisse decorating table tops, store windows, and Christmas trees. Do you know the stories behind these much-loved figures? Lise Lunge-Larsen will combine storytelling with folklore and legends about the origins of the Norwegian trolls and other mythological beings that populate Scandinavian folklore. You will learn how they interact with humans, why they are particularly active during the the equinoxes and solstices, and most importantly, how to trick a troll! There will be ample time for questions and answers at the end of this one-hour program.

This event is suitable for all ages and is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing. After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10 per family.

Lise Lunge-Larsen

Born and raised in Norway, Lise Lunge-Larsen came to the US on a scholarship to attend college. She planned to return to Norway but fell in love, married and remained in the US where, in addition to teaching at the college level, she has become a well-known storyteller and award-winning author. She and her husband have three children and live in Duluth, MN where she is known as “The Troll Lady.” Learn more about Lise at liselungelarsen.com/

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

Online Conversation, Nov. 10: Humor and Play in Storytelling

Humor is a storyteller's not-so-secret weapon. Young and old listeners alike applaud a well-told funny story. And even the most serious story can be made more memorable by injecting a moment of levity. Learn how the pros use humor to connect with audiences and incorporate playful elements into the shared experience of story. There will be time for audience questions.

Lynette (Lyn) Ford is a storyteller, author, Ohio teaching artist, Zoomiverse traveler and tale-spinner, great-grandmother, and certified laughter yoga teacher. Find out more at storytellerlynford.com. Follow Lyn on Twitter (@LynFord84) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lynette.ford1).

Nothando Zulu is president of Black Storytellers Alliance, producers of a three-day Black storytelling festival (“Signifyin’ & Testifyin’”) in the Twin Cities since 1991. She has been telling stories since she was a little girl growing up in Franklin, Virginia. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and Master storyteller who believes in the power of storytelling!

We anticipate adding a third panelist -- watch this space or follow SAM on Facebook for updates.

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

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

Story Circle Open Mics Continue on the 4th Thursday of Each Month

Story Arts of Minnesota created a virtual space for storytelling when we launched our monthly Story Circle last April. From the outset, we planned to continue the monthly open mics until April 2121, when our annual StoryFest will take place.

The Story Circles are open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  We’ve even had people log in from Australia and Canada! Register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/story-arts-of-minnesota-17294067957. After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Bring your favorite seven-minute tale and your listening ears. All stories are welcome, including traditional tales as well as original true stories.  (Spooky stories are especially welcome at the October 27 program!) Both experienced and new storytellers are welcome.  We ask that you offer content warnings if the story might be challenging, and that you let others know if they can retell it. If you'd like to reserve a spot to tell, please email us at storyartsmn@gmail.com.

Don't have a story to share?  We invite you to watch and listen.  

National Storytelling Network Throws a Halloween Gala

The National Storytelling Network is hosting a weekend-long virtual Halloween party! Packages will get your entire household into every performance, the workshop, the slam, and special events like the costume contest, swap, and social times! Everyone knows a storyteller makes Halloween better – Imagine what will happen when we join together!

This is from the NSN website: “We know that many people are struggling financially right now. NSN wants to support all storytellers and story listeners, regardless of current financial situation. Thus, we are making all events Pay-What-You-Can. We have suggested ticket prices for the weekend long package, and for individual events, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.”

For the schedule of events, suggested prices, more details, and link to register, please visit: https://storynet.org/nsnevents/gala/

Tellabration (TM): Online and Regional, Nov. 15

NSN North Central Region Tellabration (TM) Open House

Sunday, November 15, 1-9pm EST or noon-8pm  CST

Eight states make up the North Central Region of the National Storytelling Network and will be participating in the North Central Regional Tellabration this year. By random draw, Minnesota has landed the 3:00-4:00 Central or 4:00 to 5:00 pm Eastern slot.

The planners are looking for 5 tellers from Minnesota, who each will have 8 minutes to share a story with friends, family, and colleagues across the North Central Region between 3:00 and 4:00 pm Central time on Sunday, November 15. (Yes, the organizers state, they’re serious about the time limit).  Places on the line-up will be strictly first come first served.  They are producing this as a voluntary community sharing event – no one will be paid. Are you not an NSN member? That’s OK – if there are slots available, they want to celebrate Minnesota stories and storytellers with everyone! If you’d like to tell, please send an email to Jennifer.Pahl.Otto@gmail.com

The sooner you sign up, the more likely it is that you get one of these sought-after slots! The deadline to sign up is November 1, but sign-ups will close as soon as they get enough tellers.

This will be a free Zoom event with a maximum of 100 people at any one time.  Audience members and tellers can come and go as long as there is room.  Everyone participating, including tellers, MUST register here: http://tiny.cc/NCRegionTellabration

While this is a free event, those who attend are asked to please make a voluntary donation to the National Storytelling Network.  Did you know that Tellabration (TM) was originally designed as a fundraiser for the NSN? You can donate here: https://storynet.org/donate/

Have you never joined NSN, or has your membership lapsed? Check out NSN’s website, see what’s going on, think about joining or renewing: https://storynet.org/ (NOTE: paid-up members of Story Arts of Minnesota are entitled to a 10% discount on NSN dues.)

Workshop, October 13: Crafting Challenging Story Scenes, with Gregory Pickett and Laura Packer

Learn how to keep the teller and the audience safe, engaged, and present. Story Arts’ monthly online workshop series continues in October with a session co-led by SAM members Gregory Pickett and Laura Packer.

Stories of lived challenges are powerful for both the teller and the audience, but need to be crafted carefully so the audience never worries about the teller and stops listening to the story. Gregory and Laura both share stories of challenging experiences crafted for performance, and both always keep the audience in mind. This workshop will help you develop a challenging scene from a story so that it is visceral and well-told at the same time as it keeps the audience safe and focused.

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

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

Workshop, September 8: Social Justice & Folktales with Sheila Arnold

Folktales give us glimpses into cultural thoughts and norms. This session will combine hopes and cultural thoughts to address social justice issues, like suicide, PTSD, poverty, immigration, race reconciliation, etc. Hear a story combining fairy tale and a current issue, and then join a group discussion and brainstorm on how we can use the oldest stories as vehicles for awareness and change.

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is free, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

Sheila Arnold (www.mssheila.org) has been performing since age eight. She presents Storytelling Programs, Historic Character Presentations, Christian Monologues, Professional Development for Educators and Inspirational/Motivational Speaking for schools, churches and organizations throughout the US. She also manages and contracts new business for History’s Alive!, which mentors and provides opportunities and guidance to performers. Ms. Sheila, as she is fondly called, has been performing full-time since 2003, and travels nationally each year.

Sheila has received the honor of being selected as a Mt. Vernon Research Fellow and a 2019 Hewnoaks Artist Colony summer residence Noted Artist. In the past she has worked as a Drama Ministry Director; Colonial Williamsburg employee; Substitute Teacher; and Social Worker for aggressive teens with emotional problems

Sheila lives in Hampton, VA, near her son, Krisstopher; her grandson, Brooklyn; and, her father and stepmother, Wallace & Vera Arnold. She communicates often with her Atlanta-based sister, Stephanie.

In response to the restrictions on gathering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the canceling of its annual StoryFest in May 2020, Story Arts of MN is offering free online storytelling workshops on the second Tuesday of each month, through April 2021. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Laura Packer Honored with NSN's Circle of Excellence Award

The National Storytelling Network honored SAM member Laura Packer with its coveted Circle of Excellence Award. The award was presented during the NSN virtual conference in June. The Circle of Excellence Award is bestowed upon artists who are recognized nationally by their peers to be master storytellers who set the standards for excellence and have demonstrated, over a significant period of time, a commitment and dedication to the art of storytelling. Among Laura’s many contributions to the field, we are fortunate that she currently serves as vice-president of SAM’s board of directors. Congratulations, Laura!

Workshop, August 11: Storytelling in Song Structure, with Brian Quijada

Join solo performer and playwright Brian Quijada for an alternate approach to writing and performing, guided by music. Using the Villanelle poetic form as a jumping off point, participants will explore how poetic form informs pop song structure and how pop song structure can be explored in contemporary storytelling. This session is applicable to beginning storytellers and those with no musical background. Come ready to write, listen, and discover a new way into story!

This event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Registration is FREE, although donations are appreciated to support SAM's virtual programming. The suggested donation is $10.

Brian Quijada is an actor, playwright, composer, and Artistic Director of The Wild Wind Performance Lab for New Play Development at Texas Tech University. Quijada has spent most of his career acting in Off-Broadway and Regional Theaters including The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwright’s Realm, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Victory Gardens, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Brian has also acted on Television and heard voice acting on Spanish ad campaigns. As a playwright/composer, Brian’s plays have been developed at Pittsburgh CLO’s Spark Festival, Victory Garden’s Ignition Festival, Ars Nova’s Ant Fest, New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Festival, The Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage, and The Eugene O’Neill’s National Musical Theatre Conference. Commissioning institutions include Seattle Repertory Theater, A.R.T., and The Kennedy Center. His play Kid Prince and Pablo, recently received its World Premiere at The Kennedy Center Fall of 2019. His critically-acclaimed multi Jeff award-winning, multi Drama Desk nominated show Where Did We Sit in the Bus? has toured all over the country. As an educator, Quijada has taught solo performance, social justice, verse writing, digital music, and devised theatrical looping master classes at Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park University, University of New Mexico, Western Washington University, Hunter College, Carlow College, Slippery Rock University, Los Medanos College, and KCACTF Region 7 and Region 3. Brian is a proud member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre.

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

SAM's Board Adopts "Anti-Racism & Inclusivity Action Plan"

At its monthly meeting on July 14, 2020, the board of directors of Story Arts of Minnesota adopted an action plan to move forward on our organization’s commitment to racial justice. The plan focuses on actions SAM will take to fulfill our pledge to use story to help build a more equitable world. Please join us in this critical work.

Anti-Racism & Inclusivity Action Plan

Call for Stories: WNYC's Spooked

Story Arts received this request from Susanna Kemp, a story scout for the “Spooked” podcast:

Hi SAM, 

I'm looking for stories for WNYC's Spooked, a paranormal podcast. If you've had an experience that you can't explain, I would love to talk to you. You can email me at susannakemp2022@u.northwestern.edu or direct message me on Facebook. 

Here's a link to the podcast if you want more information: 
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/spooked

Thanks so much, and looking forward to hearing some spooky stories!

All the best, 
Susanna

Workshop, July 14: Making Something That Goes Bump in the Night

What makes for better ghost stories around the campfire? How do you decide what kind of ghost story is right for what age audience? Why should you let imagination do some of the work? This workshop with Loren Niemi answers those and other questions about the how and why of telling ghost stories. Suitable for any level of experience, it looks at what kinds of ghost stories we tell and what makes them produce a scream or a laugh.

This FREE event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020
7:00-8:00 pm

Loren Niemi is a storyteller, poet, writer, storytelling coach, and consultant who appears frequently at venues across Minnesota and around the country. He has taught and mentored many aspiring tellers. Loren received the 2016 National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the author of critically acclaimed books on the craft of storytelling and, most recently, a collection of retold and original ghost stories, What Haunts Us.

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

One week until the NSN virtual storytelling festival and conference!

The National Storytelling Network canceled its annual conference in Atlanta this summer and instead is offering nearly a week of workshops and performances online. Details will be posted on the network’s website, https://storynet.org/virtual-conference/. In the meantime, follow NSN on Facebook for announcements of confirmed events. Some events will be free, others will charge a fee. This is a wonderful opportunity for Minnesotans to network with storytellers from around the country and listen to amazing stories without the added costs of travel, hotel, etc.

Story Arts of Minnesota is a proud organizational member of the National Storytelling Network. Active members of Story Arts are entitled to a 10% discount on individual membership in NSN—another reason to make a donation to SAM in 2020 and keep your membership current!

Annual Membership Meeting on May 26, 6:30-7:00pm

Join us for our annual meeting and help plan SAM's future. The brief (we promise!) meeting will be held immediately before the monthly Story Circle. We need your input to make SAM the best it can be. We'll share updates, get your ideas, and introduce you to your Board. The Annual Meeting will be followed by our Story Circle. 

This meeting will occur on Zoom. Please sign up for the Story Circle and log in by 6:30 for the meeting portion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sam-online-story-circle-tickets-104341082988

The Annual Meeting is open to all current, past, and prospective members.

Using the Story Mountain Structure to Craft Any Story

Please join us for SAM’s second online workshop. We will be offering workshops through Zoom every month on the second Tuesday evening.

School children learn about the story mountain for analyzing and writing stories; it is a great model for adult tellers, too, and almost any written or oral story can be plotted along the mountain. Learn how to harness the power of this simple structure when writing your own stories, from personal narratives to folktales - and everything in between! Professional Storyteller and Teaching Artist Katie Knutson has been using this technique to help students writing original fables, pourquoi stories, and fractured fairy tales. She has recently started using it to write her own personal and historical pieces, and loves the results!

This FREE event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

REGISTER at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/using-the-story-mountain-structure-to-craft-any-story-workshop-tickets-105479606342

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Self-Care for Storytellers During Social Distancing

Please join us for SAM’s first online workshop. We will be offering workshops through Zoom every month on the second Tuesday evening.

Before you can perform, teach, or coach, you must first take care of yourself. This gentle workshop will lead you through a series of self-care exercises designed for storytellers. With guided meditation to enhance creativity, short story sharing, and other tips for self care, you will gain new insight into how to take care of yourself and remain creative through challenging times.  

This FREE event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing.  After registering, you'll receive an email message with the Zoom link.

REGISTER at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-care-for-storytellers-during-social-distancing-workshop-tickets-103639257810

Workshop leader Laura Packer has been performing, coaching, writing, consulting, and leading the storytelling field for more than 25 years. She knows the best way to the truth is through a good story and that this universally accessible artform creates empathy, builds bridges, and has the power to change the world. As the author of the award-winning From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story and the accompanying workbook, she is committed to helping others find their voice. As the creator of #storyseeds she is dedicated to helping others deepen thrive creativity.  Laura has won many awards for her storytelling and service to the storytelling community.  She currently serves as the vice-president of Story Arts of MN.

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