Share Your Story. . .
The Weber State
University Storytelling Festival is held annually on the Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of the last week in February.
(See the Frequently Asked Questions below)
The
Festival includes national, regional and community storytellers performing in a
variety of events and venues.
Events
include:
-
Daytime story concerts attended mainly by school
children. Most of the community tellers perform at these daytime concerts.
-
Outreach concerts to local elementary and
secondary schools
-
Bilingual Voices, a concert of stories from many
lands and languages
-
Preschool story hours
-
Seniors Concert, especially for senior citizens
-
On-campus events performed by national
storytellers
-
Evening concerts for family audiences performed
by national storytellers
Next Live Audition:
Weber County Library
2464
Jefferson Avenue
Ogden, UT 84401
If you are unable to attend the live audition, complete the application (below) and send the application by either email or regular mail as indicated on the form.
Application: An
application is required each year, even if you have told in the festival
before. This helps the committee understand your intent to participate in the
current festival. This also updates your contact information. Your application
includes an audition. Your current application may include an audition from the
previous year as auditions are good for two years.
If you have questions about the application or process, contact storyauditions@weber.edu
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is considered “storytelling”?
Storytelling focuses on the spoken word. It involves the
teller, the story and the listener in an interactive art form.
The storyteller always acknowledges the audience’s presence
through eye contact, responding to the reactions of the audience, and possibly
changing the story to reflect the feedback. Storytelling does not have the
fourth wall as is common with theatre.
Please honor storytelling as the main stage art for
this festival. You may merge other elements into the story if you
like—though not required—such as song, music, mime, dance or
puppetry.
Applicants who read or recite their story will not be
considered. Listeners enjoy the flow of sound, gestures, and facial expressions
in the telling of a tale. Silence can also be beautiful as expressed through
mime or American Sign Language.
Who can apply to perform at the Festival?
Adults, college students and youth (kindergarten to high
school) are welcome to apply in the form of solo, tandem, or tridem
performances.
About twenty slots are reserved for adults, with six to
eight slots specifically for bilingual tellers.
Five slots are reserved for Weber State University students.
Youth living within the boundaries of Davis, Ogden, Morgan
and Weber School Districts or from private schools need to contact their own
districts in regards to participation. Otherwise, two festival slots are
reserved for youth outside these areas. These youth must apply through the
regular process.
Davis
School District contact:
Monica
Murdock
(801)
402-5179
mmurdock@dsdmail.net
Ogden
School District contact:
Shelly
Ripplinger
(801)
737-8308
ripplingers@ogdensd.org
Morgan
School District contact:
Nancy
Taylor
(801)
829-3438
ntaylor@morgan.k12.ut.us
Weber
School District contact:
Shirley
Atkinson and Sue Fisher
(801)
476-7894 –Shirley or (801) 476-7877 –Sue
satkinson@weber.k12.ut.us or sfisher@weber.k12.ut.us
Private
School contact:
Paulette
Herman
(801)
392-2912
pherman@stpaulutah.com
Be aware that most teller slots are in the morning or
afternoon of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the festival. (Click here for schedule template).
When are the important dates?
September 11, 2009
|
Videotape/DVD, application, and picture RECEIVED by
midnight ***Mail or E-Mail options only
|
September 12, 2009
|
Live audition
at Weber County Library starting at 11:00am
|
October 1, 2009
|
Notification of results sent to all applicants
|
October 15, 2009
|
Scheduling requirements submitted from invited tellers
|
November 1, 2009
|
Official contracts mailed to invited tellers
|
November 15, 2009
|
Official contracts due from invited tellers
|
February 22-24, 2010
|
Invited tellers perform for the Festival
|
Grey—actions due by applicants and/or invited
tellers
Purple—correspondence from the Storyteller
Committee
What are my options to apply?
You may share or submit a
story through Live Audition, E-Mail, or by Mail. (Please refer to application
requirements here)
Live Audition: Saturday,
September 12th, 2009 starting at 11:00am at the Weber County Library. Email storyauditions@weber.edu if you want
a specific time for your 8-minute slot. Otherwise, walk-ins are welcome. Application
and picture are due upon arrival.
Weber County Library
2464 Jefferson Avenue
Ogden, Utah 84401
The live audition is
preferred, but if you are unable to come then choose either to submit by
E-Mail or by regular mail.
E-Mail: Click here for the downloadable application. You could share a web link to view a video. Otherwise,
the live audition or mailing a videotape/DVD would fulfill the 8-minute story requirement. The emailed application needs to be time stamped by midnight on Friday, September 11th,
2009.
Mail: Click here to download an application form. The form must be RECEIVED by Friday, September 11th,
2009.
WSU Storytelling Festival -- Auditions
1304 University Circle
Ogden, Utah 84408-1304
Sending a videotape/DVD
or video web link is given with the understanding that you are granting
permission for the items to be used by the committee for audition and archival
purposes only.
What is required to apply? What is the checklist?
Checklist before Audition/Submission—
-
Application
- Current picture
within last 5 years, can be mailed or emailed of at least 300 dpi quality
- 8-minute Story
For the 8-minute story audition
requirement for the current festival, choose one of these options:
□ Attend live audition
□ Add video web link
to application
□ Mail video/DVD with application and
picture
□ Use my 2008 audition in place of my 2009 audition
What can I expect from the live audition?
The annual live audition will be scheduled at the Weber
County Library auditorium every Second Saturday of September (S.S.S.).
Our next audition is on September 12, 2009 starting at
11:00 a.m. in connection with the festival on February 22-24, 2010.
You will be expected to
present an 8-minute story before an audience made up of the Storytellers
Committee and other storytellers. The committee will use a rubric that rates
your performance for your connection with the audience, the appropriateness of
the story for this Festival and your performance skills.
Email storyauditions@weber.edu if you want
a specific time for your 8-minute slot. Walk-ins are welcome though we prefer
that you RSVP. People with scheduled slots will perform first.
Bring your application and picture with you or submit
these items via email.
You will be required to use a microphone for the following
reasons:
- Live
audition is filmed for archival purposes. Your presence grants
permission for you to be filmed at the audition.
- Microphone
use is required for anyone invited to tell at the Festival. You may choose
a stand-up or a clip-on microphone.
If you arrive about 15-30 minutes before the auditions
start, then you can practice with the microphone and rehearse some technical
etiquette. We recommend that you stay for the entire audition to build an
audience for anyone else telling a story.
It is to your advantage to participate in the live audition
opportunity. However, the committee will also accept videotapes or DVDs by mail
as well as video web links.
Even though you must apply each year, your story audition is
valid for two years (see application). However, if you auditioned last year,
you have the option of auditioning a different story this year.
Above all, have fun! We certainly will.
If I have told in previous years at this festival, do
I still need to apply?
Yes. Every year we need a new application. This helps the
committee understand your intent to participate in the current festival as well
as provide updated contact information. Hopefully you have some additions or
changes to update in your biography since some time has passed. You will also
want a current picture that was taken within the past five years.
Because the 8-minute story requirement is valid for two
years, you do have the option to use your audition from the previous year in
place of your current audition.
How does the committee select the storytellers for the
festival?
The Storyteller Committee, which consists of four to six
people, will each have a ballot of certain skills based on the storyteller, the
story, and on performance skills.
Storyteller:
- Audience
Connection
- Stage
Presence
- Respectful
with Audience and with Committee
Story:
- Audience
Appeal
- Unique
- Appropriate
Performance Elements:
- Vocal
Clarity
- Vocal
Expression
- Eye
Contact
- Body
Language
- Appropriate
Gestures
- Familiarity
with Story
- Satisfying
Ending
- Poise
The typical audience of the festival is a mix of elementary,
middle school, and high school students. The addition of the general public
creates a family-type atmosphere. Therefore, the choice of story needs to
connect well with these groups.
When all tellers scheduled for the live audition are seen,
then the committee watches any videotapes, DVDs, or video web links submitted
by other applicants. Finally, the committee members tabulate scores for each
storyteller and decide who will be invited to participate. The names of these
top tellers are passed along to the Festival Board for consideration and final
approval. All applicants will receive notification of results shortly after the
auditions.
May I apply at any time?
Yes.
To be considered for the 2010 Weber State University Storytelling Festival, you need to do ONE of the following:
1. Attend live audition on Saturday, September 12th, 2009 and hand the application and picture at that time
2. Complete online application with web link video of story POSTED by midnight of Friday, September 11th, 2009
3. Mail the required items and have them RECEIVED by Friday, September 11th, 2009
Any other submissions after those dates will be filed for the 2011 festival.
How can I contact the Festival with other questions?
For general festival information, email story@weber.edu. For questions relating to auditions, email storyauditions@weber.edu and put “Storyteller Auditions” in the subject heading.
jerry
and vickie moyes college of education