NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
BLACK STORYTELLERS, INC.
26th “In the Tradition…”
Annual National Black
Storytelling Festival and Conference
Cincinnati, Ohio
WORKSHOPS
The History of Slavery and the Id - Carl Westmoreland, Senior Advisor for Historic Preservation, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
The effects of our nation’s history of slavery on the development of the sense of self, the id, for today’s young African Americans will be explored, along with a look at how self perceptions develop as a result of repeated experiences and also can be handed down from generation to generation.
Attracting and Retaining Youth Members -Deborah Asante, Founder/Artistic Director and Keesha Dixon, Executive Director, Asante Children's Theatre, Indianapolis, Indiana
Members of successful youth programs will share tips and guidelines on how to attract youth to your program, how to get them interested, and how to involve them in the art of storytelling.
Finding Funding for Storytelling Programs- Nokware Adesegun, Director, Research Grants Administrator, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
You have the talent now where are the funds. Discussions on funding, grant writing, collaborations, and partnering will highlight this session.
Freedom Songs- Sharon Jordan Holley, Storyteller and Retired Librarian, Buffalo, New York
Learn how our "freedom songs" have given strength and meaning to our struggle. Participants will sing along and discuss the songs and how they can be used in stories.
How to become an Affiliate of the National Association of Black Storyteller, Inc.- Baba Jamal Koram, National Affiliate Program Director, Alexandria, Virginia
Concept, guidelines and environment for creating a storytelling affiliate organization will be discussed. Strategies for membership recruitment, renewal and retention will also be explored.
Leveraging your Ability to Procure Grants and other Funding Opportunities – Diane Williams, Arts Industry Program Director, Mississippi Arts Commission, Madison, Mississippi
Participants will learn step-by-step positioning and preparation needed to apply for state arts agency grants, creative funding, fellowships and other award opportunities for artistic endeavors. Resource opportunities will be shared.
Some Symbols of the Underground Railroad: Leading the Way to Freedom - Beverly Cottman, Storyteller and Producer of Radio Storytelling Programs, Minneapolis, Minnesota
In this interactive workshop, participants will investigate some ways enslaved Africans and African Americans may have been helped as they traveled from station to station on the Underground Railroad.
StoryBuddies: An Intergenerational Storytelling Program- Gwen Marable, Storyteller and Producer of the StoryBuddy Program, Cockeys, Maryland
An overview of the program that brings elders and young people together to become StoryBuddies. The StoryBuddy Program will enable you to facilitate and encourage communication, understanding and storytelling across generations.
Teller Evaluations for Program Performance- Caroliese Frink Reed, Media Specialist, Grover Washington Middle School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and S. Bunjo Butler, Branch Manager, Walbrook Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland
An evaluative process and guidelines will be presented for selecting tellers for programs. Tips and advice will be given with documented criteria for various venues and appropriate skill levels.
We Look Like Men: Warriors And Memoirs- David A. Anderson/Sankofa, Historian and Storyteller, Rochester, New York
Recognition of the humanity of Africans in America, hinged on overturning policy that the Civil War, was “a white man's war.” Screen pre-war actions of men of color and do a brief readers theater on a “colored Yankee soldier.”
The Road to Freedom on the Underground Railroad: The Spiritual and the Trail Tell the Story – Elisha Minter, Senior Assistant Librarian/Youth Education Specialist, Beatties Ford Road Branch, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library, Charlotte, North Carolina
Youth and adults will create a spiritual mock drawing of the escape route from their hometown. Trace our enslaved ancestors steps through Negro spirituals and on paper as we imagine our trip towards the Ohio River and freedom.
Creative Ways of Telling Our Stories: Collaborating with Museums- William Billingsley, Executive Director, Association of African American Museums and Valena Randolph, Education Specialist, Ohio Historical Society, Wilberforce, Ohio
