PART ONE: 2009 Conference Plans

Excitement is running high after the brilliant 2008 conference. If not having a national conference in 2009 stems from necessity, it fosters glorious opportunities for invention. Next year’s regional focus will connect us across geography, genres and goals, as the storytelling community’s many facets shine for the world to see. 2009 will be the “Year of the Regions.”

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN

State and local guilds, arts organizations, and other groups (including those created for such purposes) are invited to propose events throughout the seven regions. (Regional info is at the bottom of this bulletin.) Such proposals may be attached to established events, e.g., adding a day for workshops or creating innovative programs linked to festivals. SIGs are encouraged to have their usual pre-conference days as always. Judy will be talking more about this on your regularly scheduled call in September.

Although multiple events will flourish, the National Storytelling Network plans to support one event in each region with:

• Funding (including grant writing assistance and match funding up to $1,000 to be repaid on a pro-rated scale according to event size and success)
• Publicity (via the magazine, mailing lists, and e-mail)
• Registration assistance if requested (technical and procedural)
  
• Technical assistance and ideas as appropriate (for podcasts, larger access via Internet, etc.)
• NSN staff and board presence (where possible) including Q&A or suggestion sessions if desired

SUPPORT CRITERIA

Events organized by communal efforts; that support underserved regions or people; that encourage tellers to gather and develop professionally; that promote and advocate for storytelling; that are something different yet effective; that are inclusive; and that build up the storytelling community will be considered for NSN’s support package.

To be considered, please send a description of who/what/when/where/why to:

We must have these by midnight Sept. 24th for consideration. The Autumn board meeting is final consideration for proposals, so please don’t delay.

ONE MORE THING

All support package entries will go on the “Year of the Regions” communal calendar; events not seeking support please send info directly to your Regional Directors for inclusion. Contact your Regional Director if you have any questions.

PART TWO: Story Night

Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. (the night before the National Storytelling Festival opens) will welcome tellers to the Library Tent for our annual grants fundraiser. STORY NIGHT gives you the chance to enjoy Barbara Freeman, Bobby Norfolk, Faye Wooden, Rixon Lane, Diane Ferlatte, Gayle Ross and David Novak.

In addition to the evening’s fun, your ticket purchase supports the NSN grants program, helping tellers achieve goals and expand the world of storytelling in peace, the environment, health and other specialized areas. Please plan to support Story Night. Tickets are $15.

Here’s some ways you can help:

• Attend with as many friends as possible.
• Publicize: tell people at gigs, tell your guild, e-mail your contacts, etc.
• Sponsor a ticket for someone else.
• Buy a seat in memory of a departed teller. We’ll put a sign on the seat honoring that person.

If you have any questions or suggestions about Story Night, just post them on the forum and a board member will get back to you as quickly as possible.

PART THREE: 2010 is just around the corner . . .

2010 will see a national conference once again. Currently, the location being scouted is Los Angeles and vicinity. We’re excited about the many possibilities such a larger-than-life setting can bring, and about sharing the success of 2008 with you, bigger and better in 2010. A conference committee is forming, so please post thoughts or ideas. Just imagine the possibilities . . . and then tell us what you see.

REGIONS and REGIONAL DIRECTORS:

Pacific: Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii

Michael D. McCarty, agriot@earthlink.net 

Southeast: Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky Joseph Sobol, sobol@etsu.edu

Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Upstate New York Laura Packer, laura.serena@mindspring.com

Mid-Atlantic: Metro NYC, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, District of Columbia Jane Crouse, crousej@comcast.net

North Central: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio Judy Sima, judsim@hotmail.com

Western: Idaho, Utah, Montana, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming

Teresa Clark, tcnsn@q.com

South Central: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana

Roger E. Armstrong, rectorumc@arkansas.net