National Storytelling Festival

In 1973, Jimmy Neil Smith, a high school journalism teacher, and a group of students heard Grand Ole Opry regular, Jerry Clower, spin a tale over the radio about coon hunting in Mississippi in a high school gymnasium.[1] Smith was inspired by that event to create a storytelling festival in Northeast Tennessee. The next day, the Courthouse Square was the stage for the storytellers.[1] This event birthed the first National Storytelling Festival. In October 1973, the first National Storytelling Festival was held in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Hay bales and wagons were the stages, and the audience and tellers together didn't number more than 60. Ever since 1973, thousands of travelers have ventured to Tennessee to experience this event.

Two years after the first festival, Smith founded the National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (NAPPS),[2] an organization that led America's storytelling renaissance. In 1994, the name of the organization was shortened to the National Storytelling Association (NSA).[3] Another name change occurred in 1998, when NSA "divided into two separate organizations, National Storytelling Network (NSN) and International Storytelling Center (ISC)".[4] Today, the ISC promotes the power of storytelling and the creative applications of this ancient tradition to enrich the human experience in the home, at the workplace, and throughout the world. The National Storytelling Network is a membership organization, "connecting people to and through storytelling".[5]

A virtual festival was held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Kiran Sing Sirah of the International Storytelling Center (ISC) said to Harold and Tribune, “It’s the first time in the history of the festival that we are moving to a virtual event.”[6] Many events were offered during this festival, but the staff of the International Storytelling Center wanted to put the safety of the families and performers first. “Since the pandemic, we had to put our safety first,”[7] Sirah said. The events and workshops were still available to attend during this festival.

Produced by the International Storytelling Center, the three-day outdoor festival features performances by internationally known artists. In existence for almost 50 years, the Festival attracts nearly 11,000 audience members annually, including school groups whose students attend as an educational experience.

The festival builds on the Appalachian cultural tradition of storytelling. Held under circus tents scattered throughout Jonesborough, storytellers sit on stages or at the head of the tent to perform. There are usually five or six tents in close proximity so that festivalgoers can easily walk from tent to tent and from performance to performance.

Past storytellers include Pete Seeger, Carmen Agra Deedy, Jay O'Callahan, Donald Davis, Syd Lieberman, Andy Offutt Irwin, Sheila Kay Adams, and Kathryn Tucker Windham. The festival has expanded to include the growing ranks of Youth Storytellers, including showcasing participants and winners of the National Youth Storytelling Showcase. The festival influenced the development of a storytelling graduate degree program[8] at the nearby East Tennessee State University.

Throughout this festival, there are many events offered. There are the main storytelling events, which vary from year to year, depending on the performers. The Festival has performers from different backgrounds and ethnicities from all around the world to tell their stories and share their culture.[9] There are performers from all across the United States and Canada, India, and Africa.[10] Matinee concerts and performances are held during the day rather than at night. There are evening concerts held as well. Holiday Shows are offered at this event too.[11] There are Pre-Festival events that include workshops and special concerts. There are times attendees can meet and interact with storytellers as well as vendors selling merchandise. Workshops have included in the past storytelling techniques, storytelling for educators, storytelling for business, storytelling for social change, and storytelling and performance. Workshops may vary for each festival, however, the International Storytelling Center website offers up-to-date schedules of the upcoming festivals. You may also purchase tickets on the website, donate, or apply to become a storyteller and perform at the festival.

The Festival conducts Storytelling Live and has operated the performances for 20 years. Storytelling Live features 28 performers in live afternoon concerts from Tuesday to Saturday at 2 p.m. from May to October.[12] Some scheduled performers for the 2023 season include Donna Washington from North Carolina, Alton Chung from Hawaii, The Storycrafters from New York, Liz Weir from Northern Ireland, Dan Keding from Illinois, Peter Chand from England, and Chirine El Ansary from Egypt and France. The International Storytelling Festival contains this information to see their scheduled times and reserve tickets.[12]

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