Right on the heels of a sold out Final Storytelling Competition at the Coolidge Corner Theater (April 11th), massmouth, inc. offers its very first storytelling festival. On April 21, 2012 at the Boston Public Library, from 10 am-4:30 pm storytellers from massmouth,inc. will make you laugh, sing and think as they present the art of storytelling through folk and fairy tales, songs, story slams and personal narrative.

The inaugural Boston Storytelling Festival features a variety of storytelling experiences — from workshops to traditional and contemporary storytelling to slams: the works. These events appeal to all ages and are accessible to everyone who has ever been intrigued by
storytelling.

FREE storytelling workshops will be offered for beginners and experts alike. The Boston Public Library’s Rabb Lecture Hall will host ongoing concerts throughout the day that festival-goers can attend as they please. Storytellers will also double as street performers outside by the Copley Sq. entrance.

A score of acclaimed storytellers have signed on to perform, including several award-winning storytellers from massmouth slams.

Traditional storytellers include: Judith Black, Doria Hughes, Norah Dooley, Andrea Lovett, Ben Cunningham, Paula Junn, Jo Radner, Cindy Rivka Marshall, Katie Green and ToRena Webb Thomas.

Storytellers “for the 21st century” include: Scott Schultz, Laura Packer, Ben Cunningham (1st place award winner, BigMouthOff Season 2), Robin Maxfield, ToRena Webb Thomas, Norah Dooley, Andrea Lovett, Michael Anderson (2nd place award winner, BigMouthOff Season 1), Jackson Anderson, Katie Liesener (Massmouth Choice award winner, BigMouthOff Season 2), Farrah Haidar (2nd place award winner, Season 2). These storytellers will be joined by some of the winners from our Season 3 finale at The Coolidge Corner Theater!

Best of all? Honoring our commitment to bring storytelling to the widest audience possible, massmouth,inc. presents this entire event FREE and open to the public. In order to secure a place in your workshop(s) of choice, pre-registration is strongly recommended but not required.
http://massmouth.eventbrite.com/ for free registration to the workshops.

We look forward to seeing you on April 21st, at what we hope will become an annual celebration of the art of storytelling in its many forms in the city of Boston!

This program is sponsored in part by the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency, as administered by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

About massmouth, inc. — a 501(c)3 non-profit organization:

Storytelling has been entertaining human beings since time immemorial, but the art form doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Boston-based massmouth, inc. is changing that.

In 2009 massmouth,inc. hosted first story slam in Boston. Since then we have held hundreds of live events, taught thousands of people to tell their stories, including high school students in over 10 public schools, and have a robust online presence that includes audio, video and social media sites.

“Storytelling is our ‘birthright’ art. We aim to reacquaint people with their own creativity and imaginations. In doing so, we bring people together in meaningful and rewarding way.” – Norah Dooley, co-founder and Executive Director.