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.
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.
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.
SAM gets MRAC grant for StoryFest, adds online programs
Shortly after cancelling StoryFest 2020, originally scheduled on May 2 at Normandale Community College, Story Arts received word that our application for Arts Project Support funding was approved by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. We are very grateful to MRAC for the grant, which will enable us to pay workshop presenters and featured storytellers and meet other expenses associated with an all-day public event. We’re even more grateful that MRAC will allow us to hold and apply the funds to StoryFest 2021.
While many of the workshop leaders, storytellers, and session hosts have already re-committed to being part of the festival a year from now, we don’t need to wait that long to share the community spirit of StoryFest. With MRAC’s permission, SAM is tapping into the grant now to create opportunities for you to share stories, sharpen storytelling skills, and connect with other story lovers on Zoom.
Starting on May 12, you can join us each month on the second Tuesday evening for an online workshop. Participation is free, but you must register. The first workshop will be led by renowned storyteller, story coach, author, and SAM board member Laura Packer. Laura will explore aspects of self care for storytellers during social distancing. Please register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-care-for-storytellers-during-social-distancing-workshop-tickets-103639257810.
We’re on the lookout for more workshop topics and presenters. If you have an idea for a workshop, please drop us a line at storyartsmn@gmail.com.
In addition, SAM has already begun hosting monthly Story Circles – virtual open mics where anyone can tell a seven-minute story. No judging, no feedback, just stories. Any kind of story, true or fictional, traditional or contemporary, is welcome. If you don’t have a story to share right now, please come to listen. Stories need audiences! The Story Circles will occur on the fourth Tuesday evening of every month. They’re free, but pre-registration is required. To register for the next Story Circle – Tuesday, April 28, 7pm – please go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sam-online-story-circle-tickets-103089389138.
For information about upcoming virtual programs, please follow “Story Arts of Minnesota” on Facebook or watch this website. Until we can meet again in person, we look forward to seeing you on the screen.
SAM’s online activities are 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 Story Circle - Tuesday, April 7, 7:00pm
Please join SAM for our very first online Story Circle! This free event is open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing. Bring your favorite seven-minute tale to tell, or just bring your listening ears. All stories 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.
To sign up in advance for a spot to tell, please email us at storyartsmn@gmail.com.
To participate in the Zoom session as either teller or audience, please register in advance: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vJwtdu2tqjoqTQpkgIlgs2-P42npBAyq3w. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
There is no better way to break down distance and fear than by sharing stories. See you on the 7th for some great storytelling!
SAM launches online Story Circles and workshops
We are living through a challenging, unprecedented time. These are the events that might make a gripping movie, but experiencing it day-to-day can be harrowing. StoryArts Minnesota wants to remind you that you are not alone. That stories still matter. That we can still connect even when we may need to keep our distance.
SAM is adapting and changing right along with you. In response to the need for social distancing, we have developed several new programs that will launch in the next few weeks.
Starting the evening of April 7 and continuing every other week. SAM will be hosting story circles open to everyone via Zoom teleconferencing. There is no better way to break down distance and fear than by sharing stories. Bring your favorite seven-minute tale and your listening ears. All stories 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. To register, please send an email to storyartsmn@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom login information.
Starting on the evening of April 14 and continuing every other week, SAM will be hosting short, live online workshops via Zoom teleconferencing. SAM members are invited to fill out this application to submit their workshop proposal. The workshops will be available for everyone, whether or not they are SAM members, but presenters must be members. After the live workshop, the video will be archived on our website so others can watch and learn later. Check storyartsmn.org for updates in the next few days including how to participate.
We're working on more ideas to keep us all connected.
Right now, we're in the middle of the stories of fear, confusion, and loss. Soon, we will be telling stories of survival and resilience. When we are on the other side of this pandemic we will have stories of heroes large and small, miracles and moments of grace, memories, lessons learned, and ongoing transformation. Storytellers are the conduits of culture and change. Let's keep listening and telling the stories that matter, the ones that make us laugh, and the ones that help us be our most authentic selves.
Stay safe, wash your hands, and we'll see you soon.
The SAM Board
StoryFest postponed until spring 2021
Story Arts of Minnesota will present its annual Story Fest in spring 2021 at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN. The 2020 StoryFest, originally scheduled for May 2, will not take place due to SAM’s commitment to the health and well-being of everyone involved, and the recommendations of federal, state, and local authorities regarding social distancing during the COVID-19 epidemic.
A new date will be chosen in the spring of 2021. Join us then for a full day of enlightening, practical workshops and entertaining, thought provoking stories. The festival will conclude with performances by some of the region’s most talented storytellers.
The theme is “Stories That Heal.” The festival will offer rich content for care providers, healers, patients, storytellers, and professional and community leaders and advocates.
If you have questions, please contact us at storyartsmn@gmail.com.
Original painting by Rose Johnson.
CANCELED: World Storytelling Day 2020 - SAM will be there!
This year’s World Storytelling Day program in the Twin Cities has been canceled due to COVID-19.
Story Arts will staff an information table at the pre-performance reception of the Twin Cities celebration of World Storytelling Day. This year’s program, organized by SAM member Larry Johnson, takes place at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 16, 6-9pm. This FREE event features six local storytellers, including the renowned folklorist and scholar Jack Zipes.
More information at:
https://www.storyartsmn.org/events/2020/4/16/mpls-world-storytelling-day-voyages-of-the-imagination
StoryFest 2020 Needs You! Propose Stories and Workshops by Feb . 7.
Planning is underway for our next StoryFest at Normandale College in May 2020, so SAM is looking for tellers and workshop presenters. Our theme this year is Stories that Heal. Take a look at our call for proposals polish those stories and workshops, and get them to us ASAP. Your voices and expertise are what makes StoryFest a great event, and we hope you will join us.
Workshop Leaders needed for StoryFest 2020: Stories that Heal
May 2, 2020 at Normandale Community College
Do you have a workshop idea that would fit with the 2020 theme of Stories that Heal? We are trying to appeal to an audience of health care professionals, professionals who use storytelling as a tool, teachers and storytellers. We have 6, seventy-five minute workshop slots available for shorter workshops and 2 longer sessions with up to 120 minutes. We are looking for at least one storytelling workshop for beginning storytellers. A small stipend will be given to all workshop presenters. Presenters must be a member of Story Arts of Minnesota. Submit your workshop proposals by February 7th to storyartsmn@gmail.com, write "StoryFest 2020 Workshop Proposal" in the subject line.
Storytellers needed for StoryFest 2020: Stories that Heal
May 2, 2020 at Normandale Community College
Do you have a story that saved your life or brought you solace? 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 healing and stories that have helped you heal—be it personal narrative or folk tales, please submit the healing story you want to share. We are interested in both stories of how you healed AND the story that healed you. Tellers must be a member of Story Arts of Minnesota. The themes for the concerts are below. Send an email with a short summary of your 8-minute story by February 7, to storyartsmn@gmail.com, write “StoryFest 2020 Concert Submission” in the subject line. Rank order your theme preferences and include a few sentences about your storytelling and performance experience.
Theme 1: Truth Sometimes Hurts: Stories that help us be better
Theme 2: Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Stories of Community Healing
Theme 3: Stories of Second Chances
Theme 4: When Humor Saved the Day
Theme 5: Healing Stories for Kids and Families
CANCELED: Registration is open for the Northlands Confabulation!
The Northhlands Confabulation has been canceled due to COVID-19.
Registration is now open for the annual gathering of storytellers from the upper Midwest. The Northlands Storytelling Network’s Confabulation! will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, April 24-26. To see the full schedule of workshops, intensives, story showcases, open mics, and fringe performances, and to register online, visit http://northlands.net/confabulation/.
January 20 is the deadline to apply for a “New Voices” scholarship. Find the details and application procedure at http://northlands.net/confabulation/new-voices-scholarships/
The Northlands Community Tellers program sends conference attendees into the greater Madison community to tell stories at schools, libraries, senior centers, and other locations. These are paid opportunities. To join the pool of community tellers, please complete the form at
https://forms.gle/ZgsKCtCNk6oJgTT3A.
Loren Niemi to chair National Storytelling Network board of directors
Loren Niemi, incoming NSN chair
In January 2020, Loren Niemi will assume the role of Chair of the board of directors of the National Storytelling Network. Loren is a well-known Minneapolis storyteller, writer, and producer who currently serves on the board of Story Arts of Minnesota. SAM member Katie Knutson (Bloomington, MN) will serve as NSN Vice-Chair. Howard Lieberman (Stillwater, MN) will also join the board. The full 12-member board includes regional directors and appointed directors.
The National Storytelling Network is a membership organization made up of individuals and organizations involved in storytelling. Its mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy and education. Story Arts of Minnesota is an organizational member of NSN, and individuals who are SAM members receive a 10% discount on NSN dues.
Please join us in congratulating Loren, Katie, and Howard and thanking them for their exceptional dedication to connecting and inspiring the far-flung community of storytellers.
SAM to host National Storytelling Summit 2021
Story Arts of Minnesota is proud to announce that we have been selected to host the National Storytelling Network's National Storytelling Summit in the summer of 2021. This event draws storytellers from around the globe and lets us share our great community with the world. This four-day event includes workshops, performances (including a concert featuring SAM members), SIG events, and more. Summit co-chairs Loren Niemi and Chelley McLear say, "The 2021 conference will mark a turning point for the generation that brought the storytelling revival forward as they step aside to let another generation make storytelling theirs."
If you'd like to help shape this exciting event please contact Loren and Chelley at storyartsmn@gmail.com. Details and updates to follow.
SAM to host mini-concerts & open tells at Tellabration!
Story Arts board members will serve as hosts at three mini-concerts during Tellabration! 2019 on Saturday, November 30, at Open Book in Minneapolis. Each free hour-long session will showcase the talents of SAM members and will also include time for audience members to tell stories.
10 am - Traditional Stories hosted by Pam Schweitzer
Featuring: Vickijoan Keck, Kathleen Johnson, Sue Searing
Plus audience sign-ups
11 am - Personal Stories hosted by Chelley McLear
Featuring: Debra Ting, Amy Salloway, Tony Wentsendorf
Plus audience sign-ups
12pm - Humorous Stories hosted by Leif Wallin
Featuring: Christopher Lear, Mindy Schroeder
Plus audience sign-ups
For a full schedule of Tellabration events (all FREE!) visit https://www.tellabrationmn.org/.
November 30: Tellabration! in the Twin Cities
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 30, 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, and how to craft, promote, and refine stories for audiences and print. Special classes this year include: Social Justice Storytelling, Writing and Performing Stories with Middle Grade Kids, Tandem Storytelling, Telling and Writing Ghost Stories, and Sex, Death & Violence – Go For It! There will be a panel discussion with museum interpreters and another with self-published writers and a chapbook printer. There will also be mini concerts, and an open tell hosted by Story Arts of MN from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This will be followed by a hosted open mic from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and a Traditional Tale Challenge @ 5:00 p.m.
The event will conclude with a powerful and eclectic evening concert in the Target Performance Hall featuring the donated talents of Kevin Kling, Amie Durenberger, Barbara Schutzgruber, Danny Klecko, Jim Stowell, Khary Jackson, Maria Vorhis, and Nothando Zulu.
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.
Storyteller sought for MLK Jr. Day celebration
The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (Minneapolis) seeks to hire a civil rights storyteller for its celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please contact PPNA Events Coordinator Ashley Bradford if you are interested: ashley@ppna.org, 612-722-4817.
For the past twenty years, the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) has hosted one of the largest family-friendly Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in the Twin Cities. This event brings together nearly 1,000 people of all ages for a program that highlights the life and legacy of our country's preeminent civil rights icon. The celebration, which features local artists from a variety of backgrounds, will be held at Powderhorn Park and will take place on Monday, January 20th, 2020 between 11:00 am - 1:30 pm.
Remembering Jennifer Isaac
Photo from NCC press release
Jennifer Isaac, Story Arts of Minnesota board member, passed away on October 13, 2019, not long after receiving a diagnosis of cancer. We miss her very much and remember her strong contributions to our mission of promoting storytelling and supporting tellers.
Jennifer was a faculty member in the Communication Department at Normandale Community College for 19 years. She was a champion for global studies, serving many years on the college’s global studies committee and advising the international travel student club. She was the driving force behind Normandale’s partnership with Story Arts of Minnesota to produce an all-day festival, “Storytelling for Changing Times,” in 2018 and was an award-winning storyteller herself. She appreciated how storytelling connects people by helping them understand both their own and others’ cultures. And because of this, she was one of the co-founders of the Human Library project at Normandale. Above all, she was a teacher who inspired her students to wander with wonder. Jennifer’s boundless energy, focus on student enrichment, and soulfulness will be missed.
SAM board member Chelley McLear described Jennifer: “She was a warm, wonderful woman with a great sense of humour and mischief. She was a doer. She was driven and interested and interesting.” All of us who were privileged to work on SAM projects with Jennifer share in the grief of her family, teaching colleagues, and many friends.