Storytelling

STORYTELLING NIGHTS

A celebration of the skills and wonder of the ancient and joyous art of storytelling!

ACT is pleased to present 2003 Summer Evenings of Storytelling. So sit back relax, and enjoy wonderful evenings filled with storytelling. Experience another time, another place through the art of storytelling and learn how to preserve stories of your family.

ACT Storytelling Nights promotes the art of storytelling by engaging people of all ages to preserve and perpetuate the oral tradition of storytelling and their heritage. Storytelling Nights provides an opportunity for intergenerational, multicultural interaction through story by educational training for both youth and adults actively participating in the ancient art of storytelling. It fosters the pursuit of literature and appreciation of storytelling as an oral tradition and performing art, allowing individuals and cultures to sense the value of story and its sharing through entertainment for story listening with exposure to local and regional storytellers.
While having the time of their lives, audience attendees not only come away laughing, they also come away with a deeper appreciation of our area’s unique heritage, enriched while honoring the art of storytelling
Storytelling Nights will feature some of the best storytellers our community and our region has to offer. Storytelling will include local and regional storytellers. They will enrapture audiences as well as instruct all those interested in the storyteller’s art.
Storytelling Nights will be held outdoors on a beautiful riverside setting located along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River in Elkhorn City, KY. (Directions are provided at the end of the article.) The riverbank location has no formal seating. You may sit on the grass, on the sand, or bring a blanket or low lawn chair. But, please be considerate of those sitting around you. (If you are blocking someone’s view, we will ask you to move.)
You may shiver in damp fog, wilt with heavy humidity, or become damp with raindrops, or all of the above, so be prepared for the weather to change. Bring layers. We can’t predict what the weather will be like, but the storytelling happens rain or shine. In the event of heavy rain, performances are held in the library across the river on Main Street.
Storytelling Nights are not designed to be a children’s event. Our invited storytellers may or may not tell stories appropriate for children. We suggest that the performances are appropriate for ages 9 and up. Younger children may not have the attention span to sit for 90 minutes of storytelling. And, of course, you are your own best judge of what your children can handle.
There is no admission, however, we will pass the hat to help the performers pay for their gas and travel expenses.
Please do not bring any type of recording equipment so that we show respect for our artists’ works and images.
Pets are not allowed at the performances out of respect for our performers and our audience.
The site is wheel chair accessible.
Guide dogs are welcome.
A resource and memorabilia table with storytelling tapes, T-shirts, CDs, and books will be located on site.
If you want to tell a story, our version of the “open mic,” is scheduled each evening at the end of the regular storytelling event. You can sign up to be on the program. Performing order is usually determined by drawing names out of a hat. To give everyone a chance, there is a 3-minute time limit per teller for the “open mic.”
Performances for the main events are by invitation only. Invited tellers are scheduled in advance. For more details on being considered a Teller, contact Peggy or Scott of Artists Collaborative Theatre, Inc. at (606) 754-5137.
Our Storytelling Nights’ Goals:

To provide area residents a sense of value and self worth through storytelling
To bring back our heritage through the oral tradition, recognition of heritage sites and history
To get the community involved in education through storytelling
To provide educational workshops for the public
To develop an ongoing plan for marketing storytelling to educators and the public
To develop ongoing funding resources for the Storytelling Nights
To let audiences experience the magic created when a skilled storyteller spins a classic yarn
To use gifted, professional storytellers to draw and entertain enthusiastic audiences, while passing on the unique stories of our heritage and history
Strong Communities Have Strong Roots
Bring Friends
Bring a 3-minute story to share at the “open mic” part of the program