Jackpot! 5 Ways to Boost Your School's Luck with Storytelling

I am not a gambling person, but I am willing to bet that storytelling would make a difference in any school.

If the art is promoted and supported, then it may not be long before students experience higher test scores and. . .some major life skills.

5 Ways to Boost Your School's Luck with Storytelling:

• Classroom, School, and District Level Events
• Training Teachers to Merge Storytelling with Curriculum
• Storytelling Residencies
• Games
• Schools Standards

Classroom, School, and District Level Events

Any state could be a strong youth storytelling state. One classroom could lead to one school and finally one school district who support the art.

In Utah, the following school districts promote storytelling the strongest: Alpine, Davis, Jordan, Morgan, Ogden, and Weber. The Canyons District is in progress to be added to this list. Private and charter schools are becoming more interested due to the Weber State University Storytelling Festival. In February 2010, there were 87 youth tellers invited to tell for the festival. This did not count the hundreds of students who had classroom, school, or district level showcases to determine the top tellers.

Did Utah become this way overnight? No.

Though if you would like a "fast-forward" approach, then nearby festivals need to extend invitations to schools. You may be surprised at who accepts the opportunity.

Training Teachers to Merge Storytelling with Curriculum

A one-time visit from a professional storyteller can have influence, but teachers are with their students on a daily basis. These teachers could take already-made lesson plans and merge storytelling in them.

A book called “Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story” by Kendall Haven shows that test scores do go up when students learn through story-based teaching. The brain seems to feed off stories and remembers facts much more quickly that way.

Storytelling Residencies

Schedule a professional storyteller for more than the "one moment" with the students. When there are 2-8 weeks dedicated to literacy and communication skills, then a storyteller could guide the course through stories.

The lessons linger longer. . .and so do the "happily ever afters".

Games

Any storytelling game could connect with the curriculum. Kids to adults love these activities. Games serve as a way to kick-off a new topic or section, to reinforce concepts, and to review.

Example Game: Mixed-Up Mayhem

Set aside a bowl for each of the following categories or create your own: Status, God of Choice, Daily Activity, Place, and Object. Note that these reflect social, political, religious, geographical and economical areas. On slips of paper, write a word and place in the appropriate bowl.

For a Greek game, here are ideas to put in each bowl—

a. Status—Rich, Middle Class, Poor, Slave

b. God of Choice—Zeus, Hera, Athena, Hephaestus, Ares

c. Daily Activity—Farming, Sailing, Hunting, Wrestling, Attending Wedding, Running Household, Going to School

d. Place—Athens, Sparta, Mediterranean Sea

e. Object—Lyre, Flute, Petasos (broad-rimmed hat), Metal Headband, Tunic, Hairpins, Rattle, Little Clay Animals, Yo-yo, Terra-cotta Dolls, Pet Goat, Pet Mice

Pull a paper from each of the bowls. Create individual or group stories that connect each of the items drawn. Be prepared for stories to go in any direction as long as all words are used.

School Standards

The Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance has a one-page position statement that could guide states in how to review their school standards.

These standards are not in stone and chiseling the words "story" or "storytelling" into it does not have to be an impossible task.

So take a chance. . .roll the dice. . .and see if you can soon yell "Jackpot! There's storytelling in my school!"

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com/

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/

Family Famine Series Site: http://www.familyfamine.com/

Year of the Family Book: http://www.yearofthefamily.com
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachelfans
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Storytelling is Dead!": 3 False Readings to the Art's Vital Signs

Once upon a time the art of storytelling was born. The world celebrated the birth as the human family became more unified and edified upon each tale told.

People seem unable to pinpoint storytelling's exact time of birth or that first story.

We have relished narratives without knowing all the details.

Some details have been important. . .particularly to storytelling's death.

Is the art living or shriveling?

Vital Signs Of Storytelling In Relation To:

• Technology Ticker
  
• Generational Gauge
• Political Pulse
  
  

Technology Ticker
False Reading: Technology will doom Storytelling.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

To some people, the progression in technology sounds like a metronome alongside a piano to provide the steady inspiration to create something extraordinary like concertos or full-orchestra pieces. People build relationships or collaborate who--due to distances--could not otherwise meet.

Others account the ticking to a time bomb. The explosion of social networking on Facebook, Twitter, and blogging could cause casualties, but will storytelling be one of them?

In the article "Native Canadians and the End of Storytelling" written by Jerry Mander, a woman believed this was the case.

She watched as television came to her village. Less and less children had any desire to sit around the elders at night to learn of their culture. Instead, the culture came from the television. She lamented, "The generations are sitting all together now, silently watching television. And on TV it seems like being young is all that matters and that the old have nothing to say."

No matter your view, we must remember that for every trend there is also a counter-trend.

Anyone who vocalizes their opinions strengthens these trends and counter-trends.

Society will seek for ways to interact the more that people latch onto laptops, cell phones, blackberries, or whatever else is the next vessel for technology.

Storytelling is often the counter-trend to technology despite existence of digital storytelling or virtual teller sessions through programs like Second Life. In fact, storytelling is more rooted in society than ever before because of the existence of technology. As long as the human race progresses with ideas and inventions, then there will always be the ones to uphold the narrative art in its purity.

Yet, we still come upon titles of lectures as given by Douglas Rushkoff like "The End of the Story: How the net killed narrative, and what - if anything - comes next". This was presented by The Brooklyn Experimental Media Center and the Dibner Family Chair in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.

Rushkoff questioned, "Is the traditional story itself a relic, incapable of providing meaning over time?" He continued, "Is it our job to create stories capable of competing with the ones currently programming our society, or to abandon this arms race altogether in favor of new artistic and cognitive mechanisms. And, if so, what are they?"

Lately we have witnessed storytelling combine with other art forms so Rushkoff may be right that some of us are "in favor of new artistic and cognitive mechanisms." Though does adding different styles to storytelling constitute a death of some kind?

The essence of the art must exist in order for other styles to be added to it.

Generational Gauge
False Reading: Storytellers are dying out with no one to replace them.
Needle up. Needle down. Needle still down.

Or are we reading the gauge upside down.

While interviewed by the Reading Eagle, professional storyteller Charles "Chill" Kuhn from Coatesville, Pennsylvania said, "Yes, I do believe storytelling is a dying art." He added, "But I would like to add that we are all storytellers whether we realize it or not."

This comment was enough for the article's author, Rebecca Strauss, to dubb the headline as , "Pro says love your stories: Professional tale weaver Charles 'Chill' Kuhn laments his dying art".

Not everyone agrees with this verdict, as was apparent when Betty Smith, who has worked with the National Storytelling Network staff as well as with the International Storytelling Center, responded to this article and declared on Facebook, "Hey storytellers. . .someone needs to let this guy know that storytelling is alive and well."

Reading the regular column of "Remembered Voices" compiled by Wendy Gourley in the Storytelling Magazine may seem that we lose at least one well-loved storyteller a month. However, for every storyteller who passes on, we gain at least two more new tellers.

Whether or not these new tellers align themselves with storytelling guilds or organizations does not change the fact that they do exist.

The Weber State University Storytelling Festival, which celebrates over 70 youth tellers as part of its program, has considered expanding from a three-day event to a four-day event in order to give at least 20 more youth opportunities to tell. Such a change may happen within three years. This does not count the hundreds of youth who participate before tellers are selected.

Whole schools or school districts declare storytelling units or festivals to fulfill the demand for this art.

The generational gauge certainly has the needle up.

Political Pulse
False Reading: Storytelling Organizations have lost their influence.
Thump. Thump. Tha-thump.

Can you hear the life of storytelling organizations? We did not always have them.

In an excerpt from The Way of the Storyteller, Ruth Sawyer, the author, wished, "there might be a guild for storytellers today where masters and apprentices might work together for the upholding of their art." She died five years before the National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (NAPPS) was formed in the United States in 1975.

Sawyer was not the only one who desired organization, as Kathryn Tucker Windham, key person of the American Storytelling Movement, wanted to be the first paid member of the NAPPS. Nowadays, NAPPS is known as the National Storytelling Network (NSN).

In NSN's golden time, there were over 4,000 members. This membership has dwindled to about 2,000 members.

During a personal interview in 2000, Windham reflected, "Organizations come. Organizations go. Storytelling remains. . .I'm at a place where I'm not scared anymore about what happens if this stops or that stops or whatever."

Though every organization, whether connected to storytelling or any other industry, have their periods of growth and then times that plateau. We are in such times.

Organizations do not equal storytelling. Windham was right that the art would continue whether people promoted the name of the National Storytelling Network or any other organization. These entities exist to give structure and possibility to what we cannot accomplish as individuals.

As if to respond to the current economical instability, there are still people who wish to join in the efforts. Tim Ereneta pointed out that Europeans tend to be more adept at these unions. He shared the promise for the International Storytelling Network, also known as Red Internacional de Ceuntacuentos. You can read Ereneta's blog post on this discovery here.

So membership numbers may rise or fall, though it appears we will have many organizations and guilds for decades--if not centuries--to come.

You must ask the question: Do you believe storytelling is "alive and well"?

You know my answer.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com/

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com/
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachelfans
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Generation Gap of Tellers: 3 Ways to Prove This Myth Wrong

By the way some storytellers sound, it seems that the 40+-year-American Storytelling Movement is coming to a close as more and more tellers are aging . . .and passing on.

At one time, I, too, had wondered about the generation gap.

Every time I attended a National Storytelling Conference, I was lucky to find 10 tellers within the 18-35-year-old range. Youth tellers, except for the Kids’ Koncert there, were practically nonexistent.

So we thought.

Then, after seeing the curious and excited looks of college students as I ran a booth on the art on their campus, I realized that the generation gap was only as looming as one made it to be.

Suddenly, I needed sunglasses to see the bright future.

Three Ways to Prove Generation Gap Myth Wrong:

• Use Different Names for the Art and the Artist



• Make Appearances on Campuses Beyond Performances



• Promote Generational Participate at Events

Use Different Names for the Art and the Artist

We are attached to the name “storyteller”. The name has a long and cherished history with people of all ethnicities, tongues, and climes.

Then something changed.

People have their lists of what de-valued the status of storytellers: television, video games, Internet, falling family values, drugs, gangs, etc. Whatever the reason or reasons, the name “storyteller” does not have the power it once had with youth and college-aged students.

Although the term “storyteller” could still be used as a label or profession, we need to add other words to our daily vocabulary within and without the storytelling community.

Otherwise, we run the risk of having certain images evoked when saying “storyteller” such as the picture of an old lady reading stories to preschoolers. Yes, we do have storytellers that have talents in “story-reading” as well as connecting with preschoolers, but our art offers even more variety than this pre-conceived idea.

So how can we increase other storytelling images when youth or college-aged students think of our art?

We connect with other narrative-based art forms and use some of their words to invite others to our art form. Some terms to consider: humorist, slam artist, spoken word artist, sit-down comedian, solo performance artist, etc.

For new festivals or events, we can experiment of naming it a “story festival” rather than a “storytelling” festival. For example, out in Hawaii there is the Talk Story Festival. Director Jeff Gere said that the phrase “talk story” was slang used often on the islands and thus it was adopted as the event’s name.

Make Appearances on Campuses Beyond Performances

Imagine the chance to introduce storytelling as an art to pursue with 3,500 or more people. . .in one place. That is easy to do when you connect with a campus.

Weber State University has an annual tradition of booths, prizes, and food also known as the Wildcat Block Party each Fall Semester. I cheered when given approval to have a booth to promote the Weber State University Storytelling Festival there.

Since there would be over 100 booths, I knew our booth had to stand out. We had to have a drawing with many storytelling-related prizes and candy. We also had the basic email list, festival business cards, and fliers.

After about five hours, I earned some sunburns—red battle scars—that told me that the day was victorious.

The results: 98 people entered the drawing, 56 signed the email list, 70 cards were taken, and 30 applications to audition for the festival were taken.

Yes, I do understand how the numbers work. Though 30 applications to audition were taken, perhaps five actually make the effort.

Yet, if five new college tellers were gained per Fall Semester over the course of 20 years, then that would be 100 new artists to storytelling.

Consider now that this was done for Fall and Winter Semesters at 50 universities, with one per state, what would your number be?

That would be 500.

The current membership for the National Storytelling Network is about 2,000 people.

Though, this idea of booths is not limited to college campuses. Although the main place to find storytellers are in elementary, middle, and high schools, there could be booths dedicated to the art during events where these students could be found.

We could play with numbers all day—and this is all hypothetical—but you can imagine that the generation gap of tellers does not have to exist.

Promote Generational Participation at Events

Most storytelling events unintentionally ignore youth and college-aged students by the tellers they invite. Every event is entitled to figure out how they go about choosing their tellers, however, if concerned about the generation gap of tellers, the next step is to invite them to tell.

As mentioned earlier, the booth promoting the Weber State University Storytelling Festival had applications so that college students could audition with 8-minute-or-less stories.

When students approached the booth, we called out, “Are you a storyteller, a story appreciator, or both?” Regardless of their answer, we could either guide them more about storytelling events happening and/or share opportunities of how they could be storytellers . . .and get paid.

This way, we start each session with two 3-minute story slots for youth, one 8-minute story slot for college students and adults, and finally about a 25-minute slot for the featured teller.

Returning to the numbers game, what if every storytelling festival reserved 3-5 slots for college students and youth?

Perhaps you will no longer believe in the generation gap of tellers, too.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com/

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com/
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachelfans
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Balancing Act: Old & New Storytelling Traditions

Finding balance on views of how to expand the art of storytelling amongst the elders versus the next generation of tellers of 18-30-year olds is not impossible as some may think in the storytelling community.

Perhaps it is fairer to keep age out and name the two views as traditionalists and innovators. Most people will probably see themselves as mixtures of both. This may already show that we as individuals and as a community must decide our stance.

Let us see how these two groups may fare in three categories:
1. Technology
2. Discovery
3. Coming Together as a People

Technology—
Traditionalist: Tends to resist mixing the art with other mediums, especially for radio programs, television broadcasts, podcasts, blogs, etc. Narrower definitions of storytelling are common to exclude performers who do not normally call themselves storytellers such as radio personalities, stand-up comedians, filmmakers, etc. Though microphones may be used to perform or recordings may be made on CDs or DVDs to sell as merchandise, this is usually the extent of technology considered acceptable.

Innovator: Promotes the use of technology including downloadable stories on ipods, podcasts, blogs, MySpace, digital stories, or anything that advances the visibility of storytelling to the general public. Theatrical elements such as lights and sounds are more open to use though not always incorporated. There is more acceptance of using other words to describe storytelling such as spoken word, performing art, and narrative theatre in advertising materials.

Discovery—
Traditionalist: Honors stories from all times and cultures and seeks to show respect from which the roots of the stories take place. Any act of irreverence is looked down upon. There is recognition that each storyteller brings something unique in the telling. Often the teller searches for how to build bridges of understanding, peace, memories and information for the audience.

Innovator: Encourages the exploration of the art form in most, if not in all, ways. Respect for the roots of the story are acknowledged though not always respected through use of humor, shock-value or other dramatic tools. Sometimes this leads to riskier or sensitive subjects, which could shake the typical “G” or “PG” material produced for most storytelling audiences. Fringe festivals, story slams, and coffeehouses that support the spoken word are venues for this kind of teller. Tends to invite all as storytellers despite backgrounds.

Coming Together as a People—
Traditionalist: Supports storytelling as a way to strengthen families, communities, and nations through informal gatherings such as front porch tellings (also known as kitchen table tellings), neighborhood block parties, or other spontaneous functions. Other forums such as storytelling festivals, story swaps, and conferences are welcomed. Sometimes seeks others within the art through membership of a guild or with the National Storytelling Network. At the same time, if the organization should disappear, the teller comforts self that the art would continue as it has from the beginning of time.

Innovator: Outreaches through service or action-based projects, as these activities are popular on campuses across the nation. Whenever there is a natural disaster, medical need, or call for peace, several of these college-aged people rush to make a difference. The storytellers of this age group have often put together benefit concerts, like what was done for Hurricane Katrina, without any direction from organizations.

If you are both traditionalist and innovator, then you are not alone.
In many respects, one could say that there is already a balance of tradition and innovation within the American Storytelling Movement. The general mixture of the storytelling community is not split 50/50. My guess is that we are seeing more of a 70/30 with 70% leaning towards traditionalism. As the current 18-30-year-olds age, however, we will see a shift more to the innovation side. There is not a right or wrong percentage for the split to occur. Whatever the balance needs to be at the moment, that is what we will see.

Rather than define the “proper balance” of the American Storytelling Movement and the direction of storytelling, here is what an ideal balance would feel like:

Trust would be placed upon both traditionalists and innovators that decisions are in the best interest of respecting the art of storytelling

Value as a member of the storytelling community would be felt even with the differing views

Recognition would be given to those who uphold the traditions as well as those who evolve the art

Leadership of the art would evoke experience from traditionalists and from innovators

Here are shifts towards the innovator side through some actions by the National Storytelling Network:
1. Desires to have an 18-30-year-old on the Board of Directors
My proposed next step: As every state has a state liaison to represent the area, so could there eventually be a second state liaison from the 18-30-year-old range.

2. Reserves space in Storytelling Magazine for New Voices column
My proposed next step: This column could be offered to colleges across the nation for part of their campus newspapers. This would not be the first time that newspapers glean from other sources. Think of the Associated Press and the relationship with worldwide newspapers. Campus newspapers are no different.

3. Supports New Voices Discussion Group (18-30-year-old tellers and allies)
My proposed next step: With the monthly conference calls that are made for this group, there is small attendance. When goals are established and at least 30 members maintained, then the Discussion Group could transform into a Special Interest Group. Interestingly, membership to a group is not as important to this age group as to action. If the National Storytelling Network desires to see more of 18-30-year-olds, then "make-a-difference" programs need to be in place. Benefit concerts structured on a national level could be one such program.

4. Promotes Fringe at National Storytelling Conference
My proposed next step: Embrace a story slam as part of the National Storytelling Conference. Ever since the Fringe was introduced a couple years ago, the draw increased for 18-30-year-olds as well as for performers who may not label themselves as storytellers. Even so, only 10-15 of this age group attended versus over 250 of mainly 50+-year-olds. Varying the types of events/activities available at the conference serves as an invitation; sometimes all one needs is an invitation and feeling welcome in the storytelling community.

Balance is easier to accomplish if we remember that, regardless of age or views, that we are lured to storytelling for similar reasons.

Scott Russell Sanders lists ten main reasons:

1. Stories entertain us
2. Stories create community
3. Help us to see through the eyes of other people
4. Show us the consequences of our actions
5. Stories educate our desires
6. Stories help us to dwell in place
7. Stories help us to dwell in time
8. Stories help us to deal with suffering, loss, and death
9. Stories teach us how to be human
10. Stories acknowledge the wonder and mystery of Creation

***Sanders, S.R. (1997, Spring). “The Power of Stories.” The Georgia Review, 51(1), 113-126.

Within these reasons, is there room for traditional as well as newfangled ideas?

You know my answer.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
info@rachelhedman.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/

Storytelling Generation Gap: 4 Ways to Close It

Many storytellers wonder about the next generation of storytellers, especially as to whom will continue the American Storytelling Movement that was jumpstarted by the National Storytelling Festival in 1973.

The future could seem dim if you looked only to the attendance of 18-30-year-olds at the annual National Storytelling Conferences. I could count using two hands--with fingers to spare--the number of 18-30-year-olds at the 2007 National Storytelling Conference.

Often people ask how to attract more young people to the art.

Four Ways to Positively Connect with 18-30-year-old Tellers:
1. Attend events where an 18-30-year-old would go
2. Allow leadership to be equally shared and/or given
3. Offer friendship that is genuine rather than assigned
4. Wait for the 18-30-year-old to initiate mentorship

Attend events where an 18-30-year-old would go
If the desire is to have more 18-30-year-olds at storytelling events, then people must be willing to go to where this age group roams. You do not have to appear as a stalker. When you go to their events, then be quick to introduce yourself. Feel free to share why you are there such as, "I have never gone to a slam before" or "I heard this would be a good place to find 18-30-year-old storytellers/artists." Being the quiet observer is also fine.
Some suggested places:
1. Poetry/Story Slams (see previous blog for more details)
2. Comedy Clubs
3. Coffeehouses with Open Mikes
4. Campus Events sponsored and/or led by Students
5. Fringe Festivals

The Internet is a wonder tool in that you can go to a search engine such as Google and type in key phrases like "poetry slam + (state where you live)" and receive a schedule of events. Comedy clubs are found anywhere though they tend to be nearby college towns. If possible, go to the Student Centers at universities and ask where the students like to hang out on and off campus.

You may discover that their events clash with what you deem "quality entertainment". Withhold your judgments. Instead, ponder on why certain themes or motifs repeat. For example, you may find a lot of poems at a poetry slam based on peace and/or the angst towards war. Some pieces may reflect current events such as the high suicide rate among college students or the struggles of mental illnesses and disabilities. Though some swear words may be inevitable, are you able to wade through the vocabulary and discover the speaker's beliefs and values towards the subject?

Allow leadership to be equally shared and/or given
Sharing leadership is one way to demonstrate trust. This provides a way for the leadership torch to be passed voluntarily. Otherwise, the torch may be grudgingly given as people pass on and there would be little experience for the young adult teller to lead successfully.

While extending the opportunity to serve, young adults discover that the storytelling community is willing to embrace newfangled ideas. Though certain traditions are vital to be untouched, the young adults could learn early of the proper balance for the American Storytelling Movement.

Offer friendship that is genuine rather than assigned
Heads seem to swing quickly in my direction as I am a young teller amongst an ever-graying crowd of storytellers. As I talk with some people, I often wonder if their interest is only triggered by my age. What responses, if any, would I have received if I was 30 to 40 years older?

As the storytelling community is a kind and supportive one, I may simply be experiencing the same hands of friendship that any other teller would receive.

Before you approach a young adult teller, ask yourself these questions--
1. What assumptions do I have about this young adult teller? Would the young adult teller appreciate these assumptions if expressed?
2. How does my body language and voice inflections show respect for the young adult teller? For example, do I fold my arms as if to protect myself from what this teller may say? Do I use my "parent" voice when speaking with them?
3. What results do I expect in return for extending friendship to this teller? Would the young adult teller be offended by my intentions?

Wait for 18-30-year-old to initiate mentorship
There is a temptation to see an 18-30-year-old perform and then to offer to be a mentor. The young adult may not be at the stage to ask for help. In fact, age is misleading. After learning more about the 18-30-year-old, you may discover that you should be mentored by them.

One area that young adults could assist older tellers is in the technological field. They have grown up with tools such as websites, blogs, and podcasts, that could launch an older teller's career.

Plus, the young adult could have been telling stories longer than the older teller, especially if the young adult started the storytelling path while in elementary school.

Once mentorship is agreed between both parties, here are some tips--

A mentor does not have to be someone you know well. In fact, a mentor does not have to be someone you know at all. It could be a risk meeting a new person for a mentor, though, from taking risks, you could be highly rewarded.

Take the time to learn of each others’ interests and the trust will be built that will make for productive coaching sessions.

Though structure and goals are nice for the sessions, be open to go down unknown paths. As a story often has a life of its own, a coaching session also have a life of its own.

I would hope that any coaching or mentoring would lead to a strong and lasting relationship. Keep each other updated as to progress with stories.

Record the coaching sessions for future reference. For the mentoree, the recording makes it possible to progress on the story. For the mentor, the recording makes it possible to progress on the skills as a friend and guide.

Above all, have fun and be ready for amazing adventures.

Perhaps one day it will be said, "Generation gap? Nah--we are in good hands."

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
info@rachelhedman.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/

College Big Cats: Tracking/Capturing Performances

Roaming and performing at colleges and universities can sometimes leave a storyteller with a feeling of being in the jungle. Without a tour guide, one can get lost. Depending on the adventures sought, there are many ways to connect with the 18-30-year-old audiences. I will provide a teaser, while more details and jungle laws will be shared during my workshop presentation at the 2007 National Storytelling Conference in St. Louis, MO.

We don’t see many 18-30-year old storytellers because people avoid college audiences. I am one of those rare 27-year-old tellers while most tellers are on or beyond retired age. Without examples of storytellers, the students will not see how this art can be applied to their careers or that professional storytelling is an option.

One out of many jungle laws:
A lion called by another name is still a lion.
Most people hear the word “storytelling” and think of an old woman telling stories to kids, unless they have attended an event such as a storytelling festival and saw that the majority of audience members were adults. Using the word “storytelling” is one way that tellers bring more visibility to the underappreciated art form in comparison to the respect given to music, dance or theatre. Yet, sometimes other words are needed to describe storytelling for the novice listener.

Some words used instead of storytelling in college venues:
Spoken Word
Narrative Theatre
One-Man/One-Woman Show
Adult Storytelling

One time I discovered how hard it was to define storytelling let alone any of the other above terms. I mistakenly thought it would be an easy first question to ask the 24 storytellers I interviewed for my thesis “Transformation of the Storyteller’s Identity and Role Through the American Storytelling Movement”. If storytellers have problems explaining “storytelling”, then how can we expect novice listeners to know the difference?

A college’s experience with storytelling determines what word is most appropriate to use.

The following storytelling experiences were available on or nearby Brigham Young University:
1. BYU Storytelling Club
2. Storytelling every Monday night at the BYU Museum of Art for over 8 years
3. Timpanogos Storytelling Conference (regional level) co-hosted by Theatre and Media Arts Department on campus as part of the Theatre and Community Stories Initiative 2007-2008
4. Proximity to Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Orem, UT that can reach attendance of 14,000 to 20,000 people
5. Performing Arts Concert Series had professional storyteller
6. KBYU combined efforts with PBS to create a TV special/DVD of “The Call of Story”

Among the BYU culture, fliers and posters effectively drew audiences using “storytelling” as part of headings. One could still find the occasional student who thought storytelling was only for kids.

Florida Atlantic University, when sending out its news release on January 16, 2007, used phrases such as “adult storytelling”, “one-woman performances”, and “performance is akin to great stand-up comedy” to describe styles of national storytellers Carmen Agra Deedy, Judith Black, and Beth Horner.

At the U.S. News and World Report website, you can search for the most popular cultural and campus events at colleges across the nation. When you see events like open mike and coffeehouses in this list, then already you know to connect with “spoken word.” When theatrical productions are the emphasis of a school, then “narrative theatre” makes the most sense to use. Liberal arts schools tend to be more familiar with “spoken word” and “narrative theatre”.

To find the lion, first find the gazelle.
You may have determined what word is best to describe “storytelling”, though this does not guarantee an audience. You need to understand national and local college student trends that, in turn, could determine genres/types of stories to tell to the 18-30-year-old audience.

Look to the positive and negative headlines about students such as these:
1. “Self-promoting Websites feed narcissistic generation”—March 13, 2007, Grand Rapids Press
2. “Students with mental troubles on rise; Colleges add suicide response teams, counselors”—June 25, 2007, North Jersey Media Group Inc., The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
3. “Religion, spirituality on rise for current college students”—March 30, 2007, The Pitt News via U-Wire, University Wire
4. “Workshops, art, dinner to focus on Utah’s black culture” (how students combine efforts with the community)—February 23, 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune
5. “Study: College gambling reflects national trends”—April 12, 2007, Duluth News-Tribune (Minnesota)

With a few newspaper articles, already ideas for storytelling programs/themes should abound. The first headline of the “narcissistic generation” may inspire egotistical tales. Folktales could have the ability to expose human weaknesses while not sounding preachy. Sharing stories from another time period could prove that self-centered people have always existed.

At poetry readings, more themes are centered on mental illnesses, which seems to fascinate the 18-year-old to the adult. Perhaps with all the studying that students do, it is only natural to worry about mental illnesses.

As for sacred stories, some colleges have religious affiliations like Roman Catholic, United Methodist, or Presbyterian. Though stories of the same creed would do well in these schools, these places usually embrace religions of all kind. College students are at the age that they want to know why people believe what they do. The World Religion course is popular at Brigham Young University even with the majority of students being Latter-day Saints.

With storytelling program ideas in mind, you may be ready to seek contracts with universities.

This leads to another jungle law:
A lone lion is always hungry.
Storytelling does not have to be the sole performance on the stage.

If the university has had little to no events involving storytelling, then automatically plan to partner with at least one of the following:
1. Clubs and Organizations
2. Professors
3. Musicians, Visual Artists, etc.
4. Storytellers of 18-30-year-old range

This is where your tour of the jungle must end for now.

As mentioned before, the information shared is a teaser to a much larger workshop presentation.

The workshop has these objectives for participants to --
1. Identify resources and partnerships that will secure storytelling performance and workshop contracts with colleges, universities, or anywhere 18-30-year-olds can be found
2. Apply the research and statistics from student feedback and college campuses through the nation to promotional materials, thereby creating a loyal fanbase
3. Support storytellers of the 18-30-year-old range in a positive and effective manner

Feel free to ask me about the other secrets and laws of the college jungle.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

(801) 870-5799

info@rachelhedman.com

http://www.rachelhedman.com/

http://www.yesalliance.com/