Louisville Storytellers is back with in-person shows. Get tickets and share your story
The Courier Journal will again inspire community connection through a series of nights featuring true, personal stories told by the people who live and work here as the Louisville Storytellers Project returns to in-person shows.
Editors and reporters will curate quarterly shows, coaching 20 people from the community to develop entertaining, compelling stories that reflect on the themes growing up, neighbors, food and family and holidays.
Tickets are on sale now at www.storytellersproject.com/all-events. If you'd like to participate in one of the shows, send us your story pitches at www.storytellersproject.com/tell/.
“We are so excited to pass the mic in communities across America, inviting everyday people to tell their own stories in front of their neighbors,” said Megan Finnerty, founder and director of the Storytellers Project, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“When people feel empowered to tell their stories and others feel excited about listening, a community changes,” she said. “People feel closer to each other. They feel more accepting of those unlike themselves. They feel more connected to their city and the people in it.”
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Since its launch in 2011 at the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, the Storytellers Project has helped more than 6,000 people tell brief, personal stories on stages in front of more than 60,000 people. And during the pandemic, the shows were aired online, reaching millions since March 2020.
In 2022, it will be part of 17 USA TODAY Network newsrooms.
“Growing Up” will kick off the series in Louisville on March 9. Tickets, which are $8 and $12, may be purchased at www.storytellersproject.com/all-events/ and storyteller hopefuls can apply to tell a story on stage at www.storytellersproject.com/tell/.
All four of the Louisville shows will be held in the Muhammad Ali Center's View Pointe Hall, a stunning space at the top level of the Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and storytelling starts promptly at 7 p.m.
Mary Irby-Jones, executive editor of The Courier Journal, said she is pleased to see the return of this event, which brings together our journalists and our community for a night of live storytelling and sharing of what is often some of the most intimate, compelling personal experiences.
“Storytellers is a great way to reflect our community while building relationships and increasing connections between our citizens," Irby-Jones said. "Oral history, much like journalism, has a historical and sentimental value that shouldn’t be taken for grant or undervalued.”
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The series is returning to 11 cities, from Rochester, New York, and Des Moines, Iowa, to Southwest Florida and coming to six new cities. New markets include Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Palm Beach, Florida; Wilmington, Delaware; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Worcester, Massachusetts
2022 Louisville Storytellers season
March 9: Growing Up — You’ll feel energized, inspired and maybe a bit nostalgic as we share stories about growth.
June 29: Neighbors — You’ll feel heartened, uplifted and more connected to the world and people around you as we share stories from the neighborhood.
Sept. 14: Food and Family — You’ll feel full of warmth, hopeful and a wee bit sentimental as we share stories about food and our family traditions.
Dec. 7: Holidays — You’ll feel comforted and ready for loved ones, presents and the lights of the season as we share stories about the holidays.
Become a storyteller
We are looking for storytellers from all backgrounds who are willing to share their hearts, and jokes, with their neighbors. Tellers work with storytelling coaches to shape their true, first-person story around the theme of the night. Each story is 7-10 minutes and tellers receive between three and five hours of training to develop their stories.
Tellers begin working with the project coaches about two months before the event, but you can apply now as tellers will be selected in the coming weeks.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale for all 2022 shows. Purchase season tickets or individual shows. Seats typically sell out quickly and far in advance. To reserve yours today, visit www.storytellersproject.com/all-events.
Veda Morgan is the senior director for engagement and diversity at The Courier Journal and the lead for Louisville Storytellers. Contact her at vmorgan@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4215.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Storytellers is back with live, in-person shows in 2022
