Global Story Sisterhood Relations: 3 Ways to Become Family

Storytellers exist in every city, country, and continent.

When we gather at festivals, conferences, or other events, we experience a kind of storytelling family reunion.

Then everyone goes home.

Nowadays we have the Internet to be updated by our fellow "brothers and sisters" in storytelling. . . .and sometimes that is where it ends.

Or could we do something more?

Storytelling organizations could create Story Sisters much like the Sister Cities or Town Twinning established through government or municipal levels. We could encourage growth and advocacy in the art.

How could such relations be forged?

• Involve Local People and Determine Purpose
• Discover Group with Similar Goals and Make Introductions
• Collaborate and Share Results

Involve Local People and Determine Purpose
A collaboration of any kind always starts with an individual. You. Someone has to envision the partnership.

Then you find another individual in your vicinity. Most likely this would be another storyteller.

Add another individual. And add another individual.

If you have a storytelling club or guild in the area, then it would make sense to involve them. A guild could be a sister to another guild.

Feel free to expand the outreach with other pro-story people. Consider businessmen, educators, librarians, retirees, and youth.

Think about groups such as rotary clubs, churches, hospitals, schools, local government, and anyone else who could be excited to be with storytellers.

When I used to be with the Brigham Young University Storytelling Club, we called other clubs that we collaborated with as "cousin clubs". Performing art groups made sense to join efforts such as Y Juggle, the juggling club on campus. We combined skills to create the program "Once Upon a Juggler". The first and last stories of the session merged storytelling with juggling. Then, we rotated from storyteller to juggler to storyteller throughout the night.

Local collaborations are plentiful.

Chat about the purpose of gathering. What is the desire to connect with other people, groups, or organizations outside the area?

Hopefully, you are thinking beyond monetary reasons. Perhaps there are services or expertise that could be exchanged. Maybe you could create a youth program to teach leadership through story-based methods. Do you need volunteers to run storytelling festivals or events?

Whatever it may be, have everyone in agreement before moving onto the next step.

Discover Group with Similar Goals and Make Introductions
If the group you wish to meet has a website, then read their mission statement or objectives to see if they match the ones that your local group agreed on.

The Internet makes this possible as well as an invention that has been around for a while: the telephone.

For international calls, consider using a service like Skype to save money.

There is something about hearing someone's voice that is more inviting than simply sending an email request.

Some people are fearful of contacting someone from another part of the country or the world, though one only needs to remember that these people could love stories as much as you. . .if not more.

Some national groups to consider for collaborations or guidance:

• National Storytelling Network
• International Storytelling Center
• Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada
• Society for Storytelling
• Federation for European Storytelling (FEST)
• Australian Storytelling Guild
• Storytelling Association (Singapore)
• Zamaleo ACT
  
• And the list could go on and on

Click here for another online listing of storytelling organizations.

Once the relationship is established, then have each group's leader send the other group's leader an official letter to ask to work together. Be sure to share a general overview of your group, especially if this is the first time to be in contact. You may want to add promotional items like pins, pens, or anything else as a friendship gift.

Collaborate and Share Results
Decide on a project or at least determine a tentative time-line of when certain results would take place.

Did you want to have a Multi-Art event?

Would you like an elementary school class to interview senior citizens for stories?

Do you want Rotary club members to contact their international chapters for a storytelling event with broadcast abilities?

The ideas are endless.

Though, let the world know about them.

Share the project updates through websites, blogs, Facebook groups, Twitter, or any other social media tools.

You may find that spreading the word intensifies support. You could expand the scope you have for the next project or collaboration.

You would experience these storytelling reunions and efforts time after time.

Story Sisters could last for generations.

Now that is a storytelling family reunion!

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

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/

Teen Tellers Speak Out: Leaders of Now & Future

Storytelling thrives when one person passes the torch to another. Some storytellers worry that, at any moment, the torch of leadership may be dropped due to a generation gap since it seems most storytellers are 50 years of age or older. These fears are unfounded when you look upon the amazing youth finalists at the National Youth Storytelling Showcase and the trail-blazing youth tellers forming storytelling clubs.

Four outstanding teenagers—Rixon Lane of South Carolina, Stephanie Strauss of Texas, Chloe Clunis of Florida and Jeremy Evans of Florida—demonstrated five key areas on how to keep stories burning within other youth tellers during the Smoky Mountain Storytelling Festival on February 3, 2007. Please see bios of presenters at bottom.

Five areas to have stories burn within others:

1. Explaining “Storytelling” to Peers
2. Finding Stories
3. Searching for Guilds/Clubs/Coaches
4. Sharing/Marketing the Storytelling Opportunity
5. Building Positive Self-Perception of Telling Personal Tales

Explaining "Storytelling" to Peers
The storytelling community tends to avoid defining storytelling, though this is something that Strauss, Clunis, Evans, and Lane find imperative to connect with their peers. Strauss tells other classmates, “Storytelling has the drama of theatre, the vibrancy and color of a painting, the physicality of sculpting, and the reality of photography. Storytelling is giving something personal to the audience.”

Clunis felt it best to show someone what storytelling is before there can be any understanding. She has a “30-second commercial” in which she recites a poem with the facial expressions, gestures, and voice inflections often found in storytelling.

Evans said, “Storytelling is the weaving of images through the mind.” Lane added that when watching TV or a movie—no matter what your imagination power—you couldn’t change the images. Lane continued, “Storytelling is magical—I can’t think of another art form where the audience is so involved.”

Finding Stories
Once youth are hooked on the potential and excitement of the art, then it’s time to find stories. Strauss tells mostly poignant stories, but likes to be prepared with ones that fall into the humor category, too. Sometimes the audience needs to laugh and sometimes the audience needs to think. Often, an audience needs to experience both emotions.

Clunis queried, “What type of a storyteller are you? What types of stories are you comfortable telling?” A “comfortable” story is one that has drawn you to it.

Evans admitted that pretty much all of his stories are funny except for a couple serious ones. He often divides the types of stories into two groups: stories good for 2^nd graders and younger and stories good for 3^rd graders and up (to include senior citizens).

Searching for Guilds/Clubs/Coaches
At some point, youth tellers will want to find a support group and/or a mentor so as to hone skills. Sometimes, a local storytelling club is not available. Clunis recommended searching within the school. “Find the best teacher and then plead, beg, perform—whatever you need to do—to convince them to be a club sponsor.”

When convincing other youth to join, Clunis uses three selling points: members will feel the magic of storytelling, members will be able to travel to tell at venues, and members could get paid. The “paid” part is always told under the breath with a couple winks.

Strauss acknowledged that she lived in the middle of nowhere. The club gathering was small yet had a positive atmosphere that anything anyone did was great.

Some youth tellers turn to coaches. “People feel they need coaches,” remarked Lane. When thinking of a coach, Lane pictured a woman who “radiated drama” and feared that what the coach would want him to do would be different than what he, the teller, wanted to do. Evans agreed that coaches could be controlling and a “coach would want me to listen to them.” Evans smiled and continued, “Now, if I don’t like something, I don’t listen to it!”

Sharing/Marketing the Storytelling Opportunity
For the serious youth teller, it is never too early to have a website and to have business cards. Lane is in process of creating a website with the help of a friend. He advised, “You need people to know about you if you’re going to get a job.”

Yet, nothing can replace the power of word-of-mouth. Evans noted that librarians talk to each other, whether on a local level or at events such as young author conferences or library conferences. To build rapport with librarians, Clunis joked that she returned her books on time. She knew Miss Margaret the Librarian since she was nine-years-old. Later, this relationship led to performances.

Strauss recommended that a youth teller should become familiar with the newspaper Arts section and discover the staff writer who would cover storytelling events. She also encouraged to find the character education coordinators in the schools. Strauss found these people a smart alliance and said, “I was the peanut butter of their bread and we stuck together.”

Building Positive Self-Perception of Telling Personal Tales
Youth can have confidence in their marketing skills until it comes to selling themselves on the idea of telling personal tales. Folktales, fairy tales, or stories told by national storytellers seem easier to perform.

Lane observed that new youth tellers feel that their lives are not interesting enough to include in storytelling programs. At the 2006 National Youth Storytelling Showcase, Lane told about his experiences in Little League baseball. This invitation proved to Lane that he had stories within him that the audience wanted to hear.

Strauss added, “You don’t have to rake your brain like older storytellers.” She noticed that national storytellers often told stories that happened to them as eight or eleven-year-olds. With fresh memories, youth tellers have the advantage of telling stories that occurred the day or month before.

Strauss, Clunis, Evans, and Lane are four teenagers who continue to carry torches of leadership to their peers. May the flame of hope burn bright within all our youth.

Biographies of Presenters: (order left to right in pictures)

Rixon Lane is a 14-year-old storyteller from Woodruff, South Carolina with storytelling experiences since the age of three. He has been a featured teller for several years in South Carolina’s Stone Soup Storytelling Festival. On his 10^th birthday, Rixon won his age division in the National Youth Storytelling Olympics, leading to his participation in the Youthful Voices performances at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In July 2004, he was a keynote speaker at the National Storytelling Conference in Bellingham, Washington.

Stephanie Strauss , graduating senior and class salutatorian, is from Midland, Texas. She has been telling for eight years and is annually a featured teller at the Celebrations of Light Festival. She performed in the 2003 Youthful Voices concert at the National Storytelling Festival and was invited to perform there again in 2006. Also in 2006, she was honored as the National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer. She hopes to bring storytelling to the Ivy League next year at Harvard.

Chloe Clunis is in the 8^th grade and was the 2005 National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer. She later performed at the National Storytelling Festival in 2006 and made special appearances at the Florida Storytelling Camp and the Ocala Storytelling Festival. In September 2006, she served as a youth teller ambassador in China. She would like to be a journalist and own a chain of bookstores.

Jeremy Evans recently graduated high school in Weirsdale, Florida. His appreciation for storytelling began with his dad’s wild bedtime stories. Listening to people like David Holt and Bobby Norfolk added fuel to the fire. At the age of 12 he told his first story. From that time, the best part of storytelling has been his ability to make the audience laugh. He is a member of the Ocali Storytelling Guild. In 2004 Jeremy became the National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer.

Until we tell again,

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