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World Storytelling Day
A global celebration of storytelling, on, and around March 20, 2012
The theme is "Trees"

World Storytelling Day

Follow our "Noticeboard Blog" for an overview of World Storytelling Day events in Canada.

OR

Check our "Events" calendar for individual events in your area.

Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada is proud to announce the following World Storytelling Day (WSD) projects will receive grants from SC-CC for 2012. Overall, the projects this year were innovative and definitely showed creativity and ingenuity in their thinking and strategies, not only involving the community in their events but also using current communication tools to broadcast their messages.

Durham, ON
The Durham Folklore Storytellers, currently in their fifth year of presenting two concerts annually for WSD in Oshawa, ON plan to grow to an additional 5 or 6 venues using libraries, bookstores, schools, and community or art centres. They will be sending their 17 tellers out in troupes of three or four over a two-week period. They presented a good implementation plan for such a large geographical area.
Cambridge, ON
Tongue Wagging Productions will premier their production of “The Backwoods without a Butler” at the O’Keefe Cottage Café and are doing lead-in events for Culture Days 2011 for WSD 2012. They also presented an excellent SC-CC promotion plan.
Eastern Townships, QC
Productions Littorale in Sherbrooke, PQ plan a concert with the Storytelling Circle of the Eastern Township Circle on the Friday night, another on the Saturday night with a professional storyteller, and on Sunday (WSD), two or three free concerts, with at least one for children. Shows will be free or low cost. They are using electronic media as part of their publicity plan and have also committed group funds to the project.
Eastern Ontario
Brian Hetherington and Deborah Dunleavy have developed a show which they will be prforming in three locations (Kingston, Brockville, and Gananoque, ON on March 20, 21, and 23). They are planning to make new storytelling connections in each community and have proposed good SC-CC promotion.

Richeleu, NS
Anne LeBlanc of Club Richeleu, NS and her group will be hosting a supper of fricot (an Acadian dish) followed by an evening of French storytelling and music. This multicultural evening will include Acadian-Metis, Mikmaq, African, and Creole. They held a similar event last year which was incredibly successful. Hopefully, they will be able to build on their success and continue to increase the profile of storytelling and SC-CC in that region.
Baden, ON
Baden Storytellers’ Guild will be recording a concert live at the Waterloo Region Museum based on the WSD theme of Trees. They will then use it to extend the impact of WSD, the Guild and SC-CC. The Guild will be able to leverage the SC-CC grant with additional funding from a recording studio. Their clear, well thought-out budget considered both distribution and production funds.
Montréal, PQ
Théatre de l’équisse will be doing a French performance for an adult audience on Tuesday, March 20 for WSD on the theme of Trees. On Sunday, March 18, Arbraconte will be the regular storytelling program for children and will be on the theme of trees. The organization provides most of the financial support for the venue and the advertising and the funds requested were to pay for the storytellers.
Calgary, AB
Tales Calgary is taking a walk in the woods with an orienteering stroll through the Tri-Woods park led by a storytelling orienteer followed by an afternoon concert, “The World Tree” featuring the magic and wisdom of trees. They have requested funds to pay the tellers, the orienteering leader and the organizer, although the or ganization also is committing some of their own funds to cover anticipated shortfall.

Pleasantville, NS

Southshore Tellers, is a new organization formed last year as a result of a WSD initiative. This growing group of ten tellers plan to go to three libraries and two other venues. Last year they went to two libraries. Since they cover a vast territory, they have requested funds to assist them with their travel and to cover the cost of two small newspaper ads.

Victoria, B.C.

Victoria Storytellers Guild is reaching out to the community by partnering with a local 50-member community choir for an afternoon family concert and an evening adult-focused concert on Sunday. On Monday, the regular Victoria Storytellers Guild venue will be dedicated to WSD and members of the Parks Department who have worked with VSG tellers will participate. Also, two teams of VSG tellers will visit two inner city schools to celebrate WSD with multicultural stories of trees and will invite School District groundskeepers to join them. Their concerts will be by donation. They will be paying the storytelling coaches working with the youth on creating stories. The VSG will be contributing group funds to this exciting project. If you or your group are just beginning to think about ideas for what you could do for World Storytelling Day, perhaps some of these ideas may help. Be creative. The theme is “Trees.” Just take it from there and branch out.

Do want to hear a story on World Storytelling Day. If your community isn't on the list above, invite a storyteller into your living room, your cafe, your school, your group meeting, your seniors' homes or your library. You can find storytellers in Canada by checking our directory.

For more information, visit worldstorytellingday.webs.com.
Read below what our members did with their grants for World Storytelling Day in 2011:

  • 1000 Islands Yarnspinners - Mar 17, 19
  • Baden Storytellers' Guild - Mar 19, 20
  • Laura Thomas (Delta, BC) - Water-in-Words-Contest.html
  • Nanaimo's Around Town Tellers - Mar 18
  • Manitoba Storytelling Guild - Mar 19
  • Productions Littorale Mar 18-20
  • RAGS- Regina Area Group for Storytelling - March 11, 12
  • Storytellers Circle of Halifax - Mar 20,Mar 20
  • TALES Calgary - Mar 20
  • TALES Edmonton - Mar 20
  • Théâtre de l'Esquisse - Mar 19
  • Tongues Wagging Productions Storytelling- Mar 19
    • Nov 27, 2011