THE OTTAWA STORYTELLERS
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Mission Statement
Ottawa StoryTellers is a non-profit arts group that supports training for aspiring storytelling artists and offers opportunities for tellers and listeners of all ages to share and enjoy well-told stories celebrating the diversity of Canada’s past and present populations. The purpose of The Ottawa Storytellers is to promote the art and appreciation of storytelling by: • Educating the public, particularly in the national capital region, with respect to the art of storytelling and the oral tradition • Nurturing and inspiring beginning and experienced storytellers and supporting amateur and professional tellers throughout the national capital community • Providing tellers and listeners of all ages and background with opportunities to share, enjoy and appreciate storytelling and • Offering training and instruction in the art of storytelling.
About This Cause
Who we are - Ottawa StoryTellers (OST) is one of the most enduring storytelling organizations in Canada, and one of the longest standing arts organizations in Ottawa. About Storytelling – The ancient art of storytelling is as relevant today as it ever was. The pandemic has shown how very much we all need person-to-person communication. Storytelling connects people in a simple, direct way, person to person. And when people understand more about themselves and each other after hearing a story, the result is a more caring and connected society. Storytellers share their social, cultural, and historic insights, and listeners gain understanding of the experience of others and entry into imaginative realms. Storytelling can be inspiring, thought-provoking, or just plain fun. It’s good for the tellers, good for the listeners, good for our community. Why we do it - Our aim is to break barriers and enrich lives by sharing the amazing diversity of our community and artistic heritage via the tellers we present, the stories they tell, and the audiences who receive the stories. OST has a number of community partners with whom we engage in a variety of projects. Ottawa StoryTellers’ collaboration with Ottawa’s Indigenous community through Odawa Native Friendship Centre helps connect Indigenous and non-indigenous storytellers and audiences, inviting non-Indigenous listeners to relate to First Peoples’ cultural heritage and their lived experiences. Working with the Ottawa Public Library and the French Catholic school board, le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), Ottawa StoryTellers presents an annual storytelling festival for children with both English and French speaking storytelling artists. OST collaborates with the francophone tellers le Cercle des Conteurs et Conteuses de l’Est d’Ontario to present bilingual programs. What we do - OST has spent 40+ years introducing storytelling into our community through quality performances, festivals, community engagement events as well as our training workshops and mentorships. Our many performance series give storytellers an ongoing opportunity to create and present their art. Audiences are offered opportunities to enjoy oral literature in-person and online. Oral storytelling offers diverse possibilities! Children and youth may come to our programs to develop confidence and public speaking skills. Parents and grandparents may be seeking the skills to build closer family ties. Our historical events attract participants searching for heritage preserved. Young adults often attend (un)told events to share the reality of life as they know it. Others are developing storytelling artists, whose voices speak for themselves and their cultural or chosen communities. Oral Tellers who have trained with OST are recognized artists across Canada and beyond. Our activities - From the breadth of our activities, you wouldn’t guess that we are a small, volunteer organization with two part-time staff. Our programs include: Storytelling Open Mic - gatherings where all are welcome to share a tale Story Café - storytellers present a curated evening of entertainment Signature Series – presentations of local, national, and international professional storytelling artists at Ottawa’s Arts Court (un)told - original, personal stories told live in a relaxed setting without notes, sets, or props. Workshops: - For adults -introduction to the art of storytelling held over several weeks; or specific skills development lasting a day or several months; or professional development programs for developing artists; or master classes; -For children - multi-session workshops building oral narrative literacy -For youth - multi-session workshops giving voice to youth deemed at-risk and/or BIPOC communities Mentorships – With a focus on underrepresented voices, this program pairs professional storytellers with emerging tellers. The emerging artists receive some funding and a great deal of personalized training time to help them develop a wide range of performance and administrative skills. Through this program, OST expects to grow a new generation of storytellers and sustain the art in our city. Small group teller-cooperatives – meet regularly to workshop performances and offer skill building through peer mentoring Children’s Storytelling Festival - “Ottawa Children’s Storytelling Day/Journée de contes des enfants d'Ottawa”, an annual, bilingual event now in its 30th year, brings families and communities together to listen to stories. The event builds family bonds and shared literary touchpoints, encourages imagination, and contributes to children’s narrative skills and love of words. Its goal is to make our diverse cultural heritage accessible to and embraced by children and families.