Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Artist Experience <br />My fundamental belief as an instructor and a human is that everyone has a <br />story to tell and a unique and authentic voice that longs to be heard, which <br />is why I have spent the last two years building and growing a storytelling <br />series in Orange County. <br />Since its inception in 2024, over 60 people have taken Story Connection <br />classes, half of whom enrolled for free thanks to previous OCAC grants. <br />Roughly 200 people have attended performances, which have been <br />recorded and released in podcast form to a wider audience. To date 5 <br />episodes have been published, averaging 150 downloads each. <br />In addition to classes and performances, there are monthly jams, casual <br />gatherings where the story-curious can tell and hear stories. These free <br />meetups have been held at Peel Gallery, Chapel Hill Public Library, and <br />Eno Artists’ House, strengthening the connection to vibrant community <br />spaces. <br />The word is spreading about Story Connection (including local news <br />coverage, attached). The impact of this project goes has been larger and <br />more gratifying than I could have dreamed. Storytellers report feeling more <br />confident using their voices and being in their bodies. <br />Audience members are changed. W hile telling a story requires vulnerability, <br />witnessing often requires entering an unfamiliar and sometimes <br />uncomfortable experience outside one’s own. W hen the show concludes, I <br />encourage people to mingle, sharing what struck them, even with strangers. <br />Audience members are often as exuberant as storytellers, enthusiastic in <br />their praise and appreciation of storytellers, who never forget the kind <br />words of a stranger. This is how community is built, one connection at a <br />time. <br />Part of the power of storytelling comes from its simplicity; it’s an art form <br />that doesn’t involve screens or special effects, requires no more than <br />talking and listening. At shows I encourage audience members to turn off <br />their phones, and somewhat surprisingly, they often comply. The tangibility <br />of a flesh and blood human being sharing something in real time is far more <br />compelling than an Instagram confessional. It returns us to the realm of the <br />present, which we have drifted far away from, and diminishes the <br />pervasive loneliness that has arisen from not enough in-person interaction. <br />In this time of profound hurt and scarcity, storytelling fans the flames of <br />connection and hope. There is much we have lost, but we still have each <br />other. Stories can be the glue that holds us together during these dark <br />times, sustaining the community we need to survive and thrive. <br />I am honored to create spaces where people feel safe enough to be <br />vulnerable, where they can be heard and seen, where audiences can be <br />changed by hearing a stranger’s uninterrupted truth. It is by far the most <br />meaningful work I do, nurturing compassion and presence in others and <br />reminding me also to turn toward those values, and I look forward to <br />continuing it. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 48EE4C0A-782B-4356-9910-53E4A5C88C34