Tampa-Hillsborough County
        Storytelling Festival

WHAT'S  NEW?
updated 08/07/2006

FREE Storytelling Workshops
for Adult and for Youth Storytellers

Many Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Your Donations Help Support This Festival

Featured National Teller: David Novak

Festival Receives Glowing Reviews

Award Winning Festival

Calendar of Storytelling Events of Interest

Homecoming 2000

Ambassador Club`

Spotlight Your Festival Quality Storytellers

Who We Are

Manuals

So Everyone Has Learned a Story. Now What?

Assistance for Group Leaders

Please help us spread the news about storytelling. Contributions of storytelling tips, calendar items and stories are welcome; send them info@tampastory.org. 

Festival Alumna Gayle Sierens 

WFLA Newschannel 8 Anchor Gayle Sierens is one of our Festival Alumni. She was also Honorary Chairman of the 20th Annual Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival "Homecoming 2000".  

FREE STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS

SPACE IS LIMITED.  PRE-REGISTRATION IS RECOMMENDED.

Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at the 
Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival
Middleton High School
4801  22nd Street
Tampa, FL

Sunday, April 15th, 2007 from 1:30-3:30 pm 
John F. Germany Main Library
900 North Ashley Drive
Downtown Tampa, FL

For further information, call 813-931-2106 or e-mail us at info@tampastory.org
  

TO PRE-REGISTER:

Send the following information:

• full name
• address with zip code
• home and work phone numbers  with area codes
• e-mail address
• occupation
• grade level (if appropriate)
• the workshop(s) you wish to attend including date, time
  and title

via e-mail to: info@tampastory.org 

OR 

Mail to:

                               Kim Rivers
                               Storytelling Festival
                               c/o City of Tampa Parks & Recreation
                               1420 North Tampa Street
                               Tampa, FL  33602 

MORE FREE WORKSHOPS
No pre-registration required

Train the Trainer Sessions
Facilitators will assist you in the “how to” aspects of teaching storytelling to young people and participating in the 27th Annual Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival, which will be held April 14th, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Middleton High School.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 813-272-5737

TAMPA BAY STORYTELLERS GUILD

The Tampa Bay Storytellers Guild is a group of individuals interested in preserving and nurturing the oral tradition of storytelling. For more information about membership and activities call or e-mail Bettylou Rosen:  727-785-3041 or rosenb1@juno.com.

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Sponsors Make This Festival a Reality

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival is produced by Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System and the City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department, Creative Arts Theater, Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department, School District of Hillsborough County, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival Committee with additional support from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to bring this Festival to the community for free. Our 2006 Festival sponsors who provided monetary and in-kind support are:

CASTLE LORDS

• Arts Council of Hillsborough County
• City of Tampa Parks &Recreation Department
• Friends of Tampa Recreation, Inc.
• Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc.
• Friends of the County Parks and Recreation
• Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners
• Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department
• Publix Supermarket Charities
• St. Petersburg Times
• Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
• Target
• Walmart

CASTLE KNIGHTS

• Mark Master, Inc
• BWI Books
• Scholastic Book Fairs
• Tampa Bay Storytellers Guild

CASTLE SQUIRES

• Ashley Plaza Hotel
• Busch Gardens
• School District of Hillsborough County
• Southwest Airlines
• Hillsborough County Rough Riders/Bakus Equestrian Center
  
• Mary Negrotto Media
• Metro PCS
• Florida Suncoast Puppetry Guild
• Toast of Tampa
  

CASTLE HERALDS

• WFLA-TV, News Channel 8
• Magic 94.9
• City of Tampa Television CTTV
• St. Petersburg Times

If you know someone who works for one of these community-minded businesses or have an opportunity to patronize these businesses, please take a moment to say "Thank you" on behalf of all the storytellers and story listeners in the region!

 In order to keep the Festival free to the public, we must rely on donations so we can continue to teach children and introduce storytelling to the community. The Festival has been a part of Tampa for over 25 years and is seeking sponsorship from area organizations. Due to increased expenses, we must rely on sponsors more than ever. We need your help! Your gift can help keep the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival in full swing! Sponsorship Chair Kim Rivers can be reached at info@tampastory.org or call her at (813) 931-2106. Kim will be glad to provide your organization with a sponsor information packet and details of sponsorship benefits.

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Your Donations Help Support This Festival

Storytelling enhances a child's reading and comprehension abilities as well as develops a child's self-confidence and self-esteem. With your donations we can continue to touch children's lives through storytelling. Checks should be made payable to Friends of the Library and mailed to:

Jody Wren
Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival
1420 N. Tampa Street
Tampa, FL 33602

For more information, please contact (813) 273-3648 or (813) 931-2106 or e-mail us. Thank you for your support!

Gifts to the Friends of the Library on behalf of the Storytelling Festival are tax-deductible as allowed by law and will be acknowledged in writing. Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc. is an approved non-profit organization under IRS Chapter 501(c)(3) and is registered with the Florida Department of Consumer Affairs. "A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state 1-800-435-7352. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State."

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Featured National Teller

2007 STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

David Novak

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What Others Say About the Storytelling Festival:

"This [Festival] is a wonderful opportunity to see and hear storytelling at its best by some terrific young talent. Great job Storytellers!"  --Deanna Long, Festival attendee

"I liked the multicultural stories and diversity of storytellers--young, old, teenagers, etc. Everyone has a story to tell! It was a great opportunity for children to perform in front of their peers as well as to hear professional storytellers."   --Renee Rowe, Festival attendee

"The Storytelling Festival is a Tampa tradition. Keep up the good work for Tampa's children." --Marc Rogoff, Festival attendee

"Keep it up! [Storytelling] is a wonderful skill to have and share. It is a stepping stone to public speaking and allows storyteller's personality to shine!"   --Marlene L. Sacarello, Teacher for Essrig Elementary

"I'd like to thank you for giving children an opportunity to tell their stories. It really gives the children a lot of confidence."  --Sheree Dixor, Parent of Youth Teller from Dover Elementary

"This was my first time to a storytelling festival. I found that all of the presenters, from children to adults, were very good performers. I will return next year!" --Jeff Mawhinney, First time Festival attendee

"This is a nice idea to promote storytelling in the schools. It's also nice to find a place to bring the children with all this entertainment at no cost." --Laura Pribil, Festival attendee 

"All of the costumes were very original of the adult storytellers.  All of the children get a chance to experience and be involved in a multiplicity of wonderful things life has to offer.  You can take your imagination to never, never land without TV, radio, the media or even leaving your seat."--Gloria Rolack 

"The way they [the youth storytellers] narrate the story with so much ease and care to keep the listeners on edge—just great!  I love it every year that I volunteer.  Thank you for such a great program." --Martha Martinez 

"The Opening Ceremonies were so impressive in spite of the early hour.  My favorite part was watching the children glow in pride at what they had accomplished after their story was told.  What a terrific cultural contribution by the youth and adult community of Tampa."  --Carole Nenninger 

"What I like best was seeing the children have a chance to perform in a comfortable environment as well as the costumed characters and puppeteers."  --Michael Lally 

"Wonderful constant entertainment showcasing our children and their talents is a delight."  --Deborah Perna 

"What I liked best:  Individuality creates smart minds.  Creativity is the way of a child's positive future."  ---Karla T. 

"What a great program this is!  My children look forward to it every year."  --Joanne Johnson 

"The children storytellers were wonderful.  What a nice experience for them.  Also, there was a great mix of professional storytellers."  --Susan Northcutt 

"It is a great honor to recognize a community endeavor that has its roots in the mid-1950's.  Everyone in the Tampa-Hillsborough County community should stand tall when the accomplishments of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival are mentioned."  --Nancy Kavanaugh, Executive Director of the National Storytelling Network

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AWARD WINNING FESTIVAL

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival is a wonderful example of how our community can enjoy the benefits of cooperation among city government, county government, and the private sector.

Under the auspices of its fiscal sponsor, Friends of the Library Inc., the festival has received national recognition as the largest and oldest storytelling festival in which children are the predominately featured storytellers.

In 1999, the Festival received the National Storytelling Network’s Service Award. This prestigious award is presented each year to individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to the larger community in which they live, through the use of storytelling. One award is presented to an organization or individual in each of 6 regions across the country. Nancy Kavanaugh, Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Network, spoke highly of the Festival in her presenting remarks. “It is a great honor to recognize a community endeavor that has its roots in the 1940’s. Everyone in the Tampa-Hillsborough County community should stand tall when the accomplishments of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival are mentioned.”

The Festival also has won the Outstanding Innovative Program Award for the State of Florida issued by the National Parks and Recreation Department and the Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award given by the Florida Library Association. The Florida Library Association recognized the Festival in 1998, as an outstanding partnership between a library and community agencies and/or businesses.

In 2003, the Festival received the Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement in Water Conservation Education from Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Storytelling Festival Committee had placed three professional storytellers with water story collections into various Hillsborough County Schools. Also in 2003, the past festival Co-Director, Virginia Rivers, received the Florida Storytelling Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, given in recognition of her dedication to and organization of youth storytelling.

In 2005, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival Committee was honored by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. Each of the committee members received a beautiful certificate of appreciation at an awards and recognition ceremony. April 8th, 2006 was proclaimed Storytelling Festival Day in Hillsborough County.

To the best of our knowledge, this storytelling youth program is the oldest continuous youth instructional storytelling program in existence. Tampa Recreation began a youth storytelling program on its playgrounds in 1947 with six children. The Festival is the outgrowth of this playground program. Over the years many thousands of children and their families have been introduced to storytelling. Gayle Sierens, Newschannel 8's popular newscaster is one of our alumni. A number of the adult professional tellers we hire began their storytelling careers with this youth storytelling experience.

The stories we tell help define us. The many stories that have been shared in this community over the years have helped to define our community and our values. Stories remind us that no matter the shade of our complexion, religion, ethnicity, or country of origin, we all love and hate, rejoice and grieve, win and lose, and recognize evil and good. Therein lays our common humanity and our chance to foster compassion for all who share our world.

“If you don’t know the trees you may be lost in the forest,
but if you don’t know the stories you may be lost in life.”

- Siberian Elder

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Mission Statement:

The TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL engages people of all ages in the enjoyable pursuit of literature and nurtures the preservation of the oral tradition of storytelling. The Festival provides an opportunity for inter-generational, multi-cultural interaction through story and exposure to nationally renown storytellers. Both children and adults receive training and actively participate in the ancient art of storytelling.

Goals and Objectives:

To renew and promote the art of storytelling for children and adults.

To introduce some of the best stories in the oral tradition to children and adults.

To develop self-confidence and public speaking skills in children.

To involve special populations such as the elderly, the handicapped, speakers of English as a second language, and black communities in the renewal of this art.

To better prepare children for participation in the art by providing in-service training in the art of storytelling for recreation leaders, librarians, and teachers.

To bring to the Tampa area a festival introducing folk tradition as presented through the telling and hearing of good stories; using the local talent of Hillsborough County’s children and adults, as well as some of the finest storytelling artists in the nation.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STORYTELLING COMMUNITY:

The TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL contributes to the storytelling community by

• increasing awareness of the art form

• providing venues which showcase storytellers

• training and nurturing new tellers

• offering workshops for experienced tellers

All year, storytellers from the Festival, both adults and exceptional quality student storytellers (the Ambassador Club), are featured at community events at malls, festivals and other locations. Their participation in these events has helped emphasize the importance of storytelling as a vehicle both for communicating literature and human values and for providing family entertainment that promotes interaction between people of all ages.

The culminating Festival in April features hundreds of storytellers of all ages telling in the traditional style of storytelling and a host of other art forms used in storytelling. Balladeers, dancers, puppeteers, mimes, actors and costumed storybook characters are just a few of the diverse local artists who combine their art with storytelling at the Festival. The swapping corner invites the public to join in and tell their own stories, and lunchtime heralds the entrance of a parade of storybook characters, such as Little Red Riding Hood, who visit each family’s picnic spread. A listener might personally hear of Little Red’s encounter with a wolf or receive a pearl of wisdom from the Wizard of Oz.

The Festival continues to assert the position of storytelling as a valid art form by providing meaningful compensation to storytellers, rather than asking them to volunteer their time or perform for less than their usual fee at the Festival. In addition to monetary compensation, these artists also receive promotion in pre- and post-event publicity (print, television and radio), a listing in the Festival program, and the opportunity to distribute brochures and business cards at a resource table at the Festival.

From October to January each year, workshops are held for adults who work with children. These teachers, recreation leaders, parents and others then instruct the children in the art of storytelling. The children select stories to tell from books, and are coached by teachers, recreation leaders, or their parents.

In February and March, children tell their stories at a series of mini-festivals throughout the County. Those children who meet the Storytelling Committee’s criteria for outstanding storytelling are deemed to be Festival Quality Storytellers and are invited to be featured storytellers at the culminating Festival in April. All children who learn stories are awarded a certificate thanking them for promoting the art of storytelling. Those children who are Festival Quality Storytellers are featured at the Festival and awarded gift books and ribbons at that event (approximately 500 each year).

The Festival Committee created a manual for teaching storytelling. Updates to this manual are made as needed.  This manual guides teachers (who often are novice tellers) step by step through the process of turning shy and awkward children into Festival Quality Storytellers who can confidently stand in front of an audience and share a story. Manual highlights include:

• suggested lesson plans, with a time line,

• a variety of storytelling games and activities,

• detailed instructions on coaching storytellers,

• suggested curriculum tie-ins, and

• a bibliography of books and Web sites for further help in bringing storytelling into the classroom.

This manual has all the information a storyteller with any level of experience needs to get started. The manual was designed to be helpful for enhancing the school curriculum with storytelling, even if a teacher is not planning to participate in the Festival.

The Festival includes free workshops for those who are interested in becoming storytellers or who wish to polish their existing storytelling skills. The addition of a free workshop on Sunday will extend the Festival to a three-day event. Sunday’s longer and more in-depth workshop will be led by the national teller and will be for both novice and experienced tellers from sixth grade through adult. Attendees at workshops include teachers, students, recreation leaders, Sunday school teachers, Boy and Girl Scout leaders, preschool teachers, parents, grandparents, storytelling hobbyists and professional tellers.

The TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL is part of the "renaissance of storytelling [which] is cascading across the country, a renaissance heard in the clear voices of teachers, librarians, corporate executives, therapists, ministers, parents, and others for whom storytelling is a vibrant part of everyday life and work" (from NSN homepage). The Festival supports the movement that began in Jonesborough and takes it into schools, recreation centers and homes of Hillsborough County, Florida.

The Festival gives back to the storytelling community by sharing resources with the storytelling community nationally -- and internationally. Through the website, www.tampastory.org, you can see a schedule of this year’s events, request a copy of the excellent manual, ask questions, link to other great storytelling sites, and find out more about next year’s Storytelling Festival.

The Festival has inspired other communities throughout Florida and the United States to work with children as storytellers. The Festival is looked upon as a leader and model for teaching children to tell stories. Every year more and more information requests are received from around the country.
  

There are lots of smiling faces at the TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL. They’re young, old, and in-between. Family remembrances, old tales, and new adventures are shared and stored in memory to be brought out another day for new sharing. Youth storytellers bask in the limelight as their talents are recognized. Parents beam proudly on their prodigy. Families talk about ideas, insights and shared experiences. New skills for communicating and personal growth evolve and families strengthen their relationships and gain new respect for one another as they realize the joy of our common humanity.

REACHING OUT TO "AT-RISK" STUDENTS:

Teachers are encouraged to use storytelling with "at-risk" youth. For some of these children, storytelling is their first taste of success. This success often continues to propel these children to other successful endeavors, improving both their school performance and their personal self-esteem.

Many recreation centers are in the inner-city. Recreation staff members and volunteers work with these children and a coach visits them as they polish their story performances.  Please call 813-931-2106 to see if transportation can be provided from a center to the festival.

SUPPORTING STORYTELLERS AND THE ADULTS WHO WORK WITH THEM:

The Festival placed storytelling resource book collections at all City and County Recreation Centers and Playgrounds. These books are used by the children to select suitable stories for telling. They are especially helpful for children who do not have a library within easy walking distance and who may have little or no book resources at home. (This also aids in the development of reading interest and literacy skills for these children.) There are collections of ready-to-tell stories appropriate for children in inner city settings who may have less "world experience" and coaching/support from parents.

A professional storytelling coach visits recreation centers to help leaders and their young storytellers polish their storytelling performances. This teller helps the children better refine their performances and provides them with personal contact with a quality teller.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED:

People from all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds attend the Storytelling Festival. They range in ages from babes in arms to octogenarians. In 1980, the first year of the festival, the audience totaled 1,000 people. Throughout the year of 2005 over 19,000 people attended storytelling events produced by over 30 professional and semi-professional tellers.

That the TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL has successfully expanded public awareness of storytelling is made clear by the growing crowds at the culminating Festival. 

Marketing the Festival:

Announcements of the culminating Festival reach a wide range of people through the media contacted in the marketing campaign. Sponsors, which range from The Tampa Tribune to radio stations and broadcast and cable television stations, carry Festival advertisements for free.

Information is distributed through the school system, city and county recreation centers, book stores, businesses, museums, and libraries, including the inner-city and rural areas of the county. Each school is sent materials encouraging the media specialist and teachers to introduce their students to the art of storytelling and to encourage them to participate in the Festival. Manuals and videos made available to teachers and others include lesson plans to enable them to easily include the art of storytelling in the curriculum.

The Festival uses the Web site (www.tampastory.org) to spread the word about storytelling and to share information with people in Hillsborough County and around the world.

INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY:

The Storytelling Festival Committee takes pride in the number and variety of people from throughout the Tampa area that are involved in the Festival.

The Festival Committee handles planning, marketing, fund raising, and administrative details. Members include librarians, recreation department employees (city and county), professional storytellers, teachers, school administrative personnel, business people, computer people, community leaders, and parents of student tellers.

The Storytelling Festival involves a number of local creative artists, including members of the Tampa Bay Storytellers Guild, members of the Florida Suncoast Puppet Guild, Tampa Recreation Creative Arts Theater performers, and, of course, the student storytellers.

Teaching the students how to tell stories involves school and public librarians, recreation department leaders, teachers, and parents. Children from kindergarten through twelfth grade are involved as tellers. Evaluating the student storytellers at mini-festivals involves school administration, county and city recreational personnel, parents, and community volunteers.

An average of twenty to thirty sponsors each year are introduced to the power of story and its impact on children’s lives. Sponsors include Target Stores, IBM, Bright House Tampa Electric, and The Tampa Tribune.

SHOWCASING STORYTELLING FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES:

A storyteller who tells using American Sign Language has been added to the roster of professional tellers at the culminating Festival. This service to the hearing impaired community also raises awareness of storytelling’s many faces.

Bilingual Spanish storytelling has been an integral part of the Festival for many years. In 1998 the Festival opened a multilingual storytelling area. Stories in Spanish and English, French and English, African languages and English, American Sign Language and English were featured in this area.

In the spring the City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department sponsors a weekly Friday night concert. The national teller is highlighted during the concert on the Friday night before the Festival. Thus the Festival is promoted in a very active and entertaining way to music concert-goers who may not hear of the Festival otherwise.

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Alumni

Every year since 1947, youth throughout the city of Tampa have committed stories to heart. Were you one of those tellers? If so, we are looking for you!

2005 was the 25^th year of the Festival and the 58^th year of storytelling in City Recreation centers. The Festival in April 2000 included an anniversary celebration, with Alumni tellers involved. The year 2005 was the 25th Anniversary of the Storytelling Festival!

If you participated as a youth storyteller in Tampa area playgrounds and recreation centers since 1947 or in the Storytelling Festival since 1980 (or know someone who has) please call Jody Wren at (813) 931-2106 or e-mail info@tampastory.org.

Storytellers selected for the club will receive a special Festival button with a gold background as well as an Ambassador ribbon.

There is no membership fee for students who are members of the Ambassador Club. However, all transportation to and from any locations where youth storytellers perform is the responsibility of the youth tellers' families.

Spotlight Your Festival Quality Storytellers

Let your Festival Quality Storytellers know you are proud of them and give them opportunities to continue to polish their stories before they appear at the Festival. A few suggestions (we're sure you can think of more):

• Feature them telling their stories on your school's morning show.

• List their names on the marquee outside the school.

• List their names in the school or PTA newsletter (and make sure you include information on the Festival so everyone can be there to cheer them on!).

• Let students tell their stories to other classes.

• Take a group to tell at a preschool or nursing home.

• Feature them in a school mini-festival.