Plan now to attend the 50th annual National Storytelling Festival! Connie Regan-Blake will be performing and has the distinct pleasure of being on stage for all 49 Festivals so far.
On a warm October weekend in 1973 the first National Storytelling Festival was held in historic Jonesborough, TN. Hay bales and wagons were the stages, and audience and tellers together didn’t number more than 60. It was intimate, but something happened that weekend that forever changed our culture, this traditional art form, and the little Tennessee town.
Connie was a founding member of this organization that became the center of an ever-widening movement that continues to gain momentum to this day. Storytelling organizations, festivals, and educational events have popped up all over the world. Teachers, healthcare workers, therapists, corporate executives, librarians, spiritual leaders, parents, and others regularly make storytelling a vibrant part of their everyday lives and work.
See International Storytelling Center for tickets and more info.
The focus of this “Taking Your Story to the Stage” 3-day workshop is on storytelling performance. Each participant is asked to come with a story that is almost “stage-ready.” Set in Connie’s home tucked in the beautiful mountains surrounding Asheville, NC, this workshop provides a supportive, affirming atmosphere to nurture storytellers’ performance skills and confidence. “Taking Your Story to the Stage” is open only to those who have previously studied with Connie. If you have not had this opportunity and/or Connie has not heard you tell a story, a private coaching session may be required. If you’d like to add your name to the list of participants now contact Connie. For more details check out the Spring Taking page here.
Even if you are not available for the workshop, please join nationally celebrated storyteller, Connie Regan-Blake, as she hosts her workshop tellers in an enchanting evening of storytelling in “A Slice of Life: An Evening of Stories” on December 3, 2022 at Black Mountain Center for the Arts.