Lend your voices and your ideas to the Florida Storytelling Association and to our annual Storytelling Festival in January. The dates are January 28-31.
We’re currently accepting applications for Porch Tellers to share their stories at the historical Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora during the festival. You get a half hour to tell on Friday or Saturday morning. This is a free event, and we want you to put your best story forward to give listeners a sample of the best in storytelling.
Last year, we filled every rocker on the porch. We have a limited number of spots for tellers so please volunteer as soon as possible. This event is free and open to the public.
Front Porch Storytellers will be selected and notified by December 15. See the application form on this website under “Festival” (Navigation)
The FSA also is looking for new Board of Directors members. You can get actively involved in shaping the future of storytelling in Florida. We meet monthly via zoom and gather as volunteers at the Festival in January. Current members include Debra Weller, President; Glenda Ellis, Vice-President; Jeanna Lee, Secretary; Walt Belcher, Treasurer: also Monica Ladd and Whittier Mikkelsen.
We have elections annually. You can submit an application found on this website under “About US.”
FESTIVAL EVENTS
There are numerous ways to share stories during the festival.
THE FRINGE: We recently selected three storytellers from those who had submitted entries for the annual Fringe. This is a late-night program in which each teller is given 45-minutes to share their story or stories. Those selected in a drawing are Natalie Jones, Josh Campbell and Bill Berry.
Jones, who lives in Georgia, has told at the Florida Storytelling Festival in the past. A former park range, teacher and librarian, is a full-time storyteller.
Berry, who lives in St, Petersburg is a performer who a sword swallower, chainsaw juggler and fire breather among other things. He has performed over 7,000 shows across all 50 states and in 85 countries, earning seven world records along the way. But beyond the numbers, he has made it a mission to blend high-level entertainment with deeper elements of philosophy, yoga, and personal growth.
Josh Campbell is a storyteller, curator, archivist, and educator who believes in building community one poem, play, workshop and performance at a time.
MEMBERSHIP SHOWCASE: There is still time to submit an application to be in our annual Member Showcase where you get to share on the Main Stage at the Mount Dora Music Hall with the featured tellers.
You can apply for Showcase slots on Thursday, January 28, and Sunday, January 31, 2027.
You must be a member of the FSA. The deadline for application is Oct. 15.
The theme for the Sunday Showcase at 9 am is “Stories from the Heart”:
AT THE EVENT:
Liars Contest – Can you tell a 5-minute-tall tale that bends the truth? Just show up and put your name in the hat to become the champion Liar of the festival. We give away a nifty trophy each year. A panel of judges makes the decision. Names are drawn at random.
Swaps – Just show up and get on the list to tell your story. Names drawn at random. Swaps 5 – 7 minute stories.
The Story Slam – It’s a contest. 5-minute stories on the theme. Show up and enter. Win cash prizes!
Youthful Voices – Our grade school tellers open the show for the featured tellers on Saturday of the festival. Send in audition videos. Deadline: Nov 16
Featured Tellers are chosen by the Board of Directors, by invitation, in advance of each festival. Email us at fsa@flstory.com with your suggestions. If you are interested in being considered as a future Featured Teller, apply HERE.
This years’ Featured Tellers: Motoko, Gene Tagaban, Kelly Swanson, Andy Russell
Motoko: The recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s 2017 Circle of Excellence Award, Motoko has enchanted audiences of every age since 1993. She trained with master mime Tony Montanaro (1927-2002) and renowned Appalachian storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. Motoko’s repertoire includes Asian folktales, Rakugo and Zen tales, ghost stories, mime vignettes, as well as oral memoirs from her childhood in Osaka and her life as an immigrant in the U.S. Learn more about Motoko at Motoko Award Winning Storyteller Home
Gene Tagaban, “One Crazy Raven,” is a storyteller, speaker, mentor, teacher and counselor of the spirit. He is Cherokee, Tlingit and Filipino, and of the Takdeintaan clan, the Raven, Freshwater Sockeye clan from Hoonah, Alaska. A teller of stories that teach, entertain, and heal, Tagaban travels internationally, sharing his music, dance, traditional Native American stories, and stories from his personal experience, family, and historical events. His appearances include performing with the Dalai Lama at the “Seeds of Compassion” gathering as well as the Nature Conservancy’s 50th anniversary with Jane Goodall.
Kelly Swanson: She is a Hall of Fame motivational speaker, award-winning storyteller, and comedic speaker who’s spent over 20 years on stages helping audiences laugh harder and connect deeper. She helps audiences laugh, connect, and see new possibilities in their work and lives. Learn more at Funny Motivational Speaker | Kelly Swanson | Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker
Andy Russell: A former board member of the Florida Storytelling Association, Andy offers heartwarming stories that will bring a smile to your face. He grew up in North Carolina where family gatherings were often filled with stories of hard times, simple pleasures and heartfelt emotions. Andy’s stories sparkle from time spent with his grandparents, fishing with a cane pole and making music with friends. Today, Andy’s stories and music blend those experiences with his beliefs that we are all connected by stories, that animals matter, and that magic still exists in this world. Learn more at Andy Russell, Storyteller – storytelling, nostalgia, humor