Join us for the 96th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival® – the nation’s oldest continuously operating folk festival. Come on Thursday night, Aug 3 to hear Connie’s stories and come back Friday and Saturday to enjoy all the dance and music performances.
Connie has performed there numerous times over the years and she and her cousin, Barbara Freeman were awarded PERFORMER OF THE YEAR. The festival is a celebration of the Southern Appalachians with musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of these Mountains. The traditions involve not only the hand-clapping, toe-tapping rhythms of Bluegrass, the style and stories of century-old ballads, the high energy of clogging, the elegance of Big Circle Mountain Smooth Dance, the fun and entertainment of storytelling, but also include an awareness of the hardships and trials that have brought us to this place and time. More information at: https://folkheritage.org/asheville-events/mountain-dance-and-folk-festival/ and https://folkheritage.org/
Join Connie Regan-Blake Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 9am-10:30am MST (UTC -7) / 11am-12:30pm EST for a virtual workshop, “Cooking Up Stories.” Telling stories is as natural and vital as taking a breath! This workshop welcomes everyone: writers curious about the oral word, those who want to explore their personal experiences and those who simply love stories. Connie Regan-Blake generously shares tools she has developed and learned throughout her trailblazing storytelling career that has taken her around the world. Register now.
Want to know more to see if this workshop is a good fit for you? Watch this short video:
National Storytelling Network is gearing up for their 2023 Summer Auction. The auction will be entirely virtual and runs August 14-18, 2023. This is a great way to support NSN and gives you the opportunity to bid on story coaching with several nationally recognized storytellers (including myself) and pick up some great items! View auction items here.
NSN is accepting donations through July 24, 2023 for their auction.
I am thrilled to let you know that Ray Hicks is being honored with his very own “Legends & Lore” roadside marker! Come join us in Beech Mountain, NC, for a celebration of my mentor, friend and legendary storyteller. I am hosting the dedication and unveiling, followed by refreshments and storytelling from Beech Mountain native storyteller Orville Hicks, The Folktellers (myself and my cousin, Barbara Freeman) are coming back together to tell a short mountain tale; Vixi Jil Glen, an Asheville storyteller and dear friend of Ted Hicks, and more! The Historical museum has a wonderful replica of the Hicks homeplace with wood stacked on the front porch, the wood stove in the front room and the red checkered table cloth the kitchen. The Beech Mountain Historical Society (BMHS) gratefully acknowledges The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, which provided funding for the roadside marker honoring Ray Hicks (1922-2003), a native of Beech Mountain.
Some of the Hicks family will be there too. Ray would be turning 101 years old on August 29 – so perfect timing.
Non-profit annual board retreat. Connie will be doing a fireside performance for this private event.
Laura Hope Gill has been creating and teaching in the Narrative Healthcare Program at Lenoir-Rhyne University here at the Asheville campus for ten years. When Laura first attended a workshop last year in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the fiftieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday, she would never have thought these Story Shepherds were once mortal ene
mies with orders to kill one another. She would also never have thought they had all once been suicidally depressed, addicted, and completely alienated from community and family. Now they travel the world telling their stories, stories of rage, stories of losing their souls, stories of returning to themselves and to community. Five Peace Builders of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland will be presenting at the Story Shepherds Retreat September 29 – October 1 at the William Black Lodge in beautiful Montreat, NC for an unforgettable event! Day passes and tickets to evening programs are available on Eventbrite.
Several of the group are interviewed in the current PBS series Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland. Three are featured in the Theatre of Witness book We Are the Ripple Effect. At the very heart of their visit lies their love and friendship, their kindness and generosity in sharing and understanding.
As part of the Story Shepherds retreat at William Black Lodge in Montreat, David LaMotte & Connie Regan-Blake will be weaving stories this evening. Story Shepherds include include former sworn enemies in the Northern Irish Civil Rights conflict. Anne Walker (IRA), James Greer (Loyalist) Lee Lavis (British Army), Robin Young (Ulster Police), and Harriet Vickers (Innocent bystander impacted by violence). They are now close friends. They became friends after listening to one another’s stories. This is a project dear to Connie because of her own Irish Heritage and the power of Storytelling. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite. 
Plan now to attend the National Storytelling Festival! Connie Regan-Blake is emceeing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and has the distinct pleasure of being on stage for all the Festivals so far. Choose from one, two, and three day ticket options.
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.
Come early for the pre-festival events featuring singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier who weaves stories throughout her songs on Thursday night. Pre-festival events are ticketed separately here.
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.” Participants gather at Connie’s home, tucked in the beautiful mountains surrounding Asheville, NC. This workshop intensive provides a supportive, affirming atmosphere to nurture each storyteller’s 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. Registration is limited so if you’d like to add your name to the list of participants now, contact Connie. For more details, click here.
And if you can’t make the workshop, mark your calendars now join us as
listeners for an enchanting evening of storytelling in “A Slice of Life: An Evening of Stories” on October 21, 2023 at Black Mountain Center for the Arts.