Worldwide Virtual Storytelling Guild
Contributed by Jim Brulé
The Worldwide Virtual Storytelling Guild (WVSG) was launched by Hope Lewis and Cris Riedel two years ago - long before the time of Covid, and in the earliest days of Zoom and storytelling. It was originally conceived as an opportunity to give storytellers in the more remote quarters of the Northeast a chance to build community, and it saw a good, positive response early on. It wasn’t long before it found its ranks swelling beyond the geographic region, and climbing rapidly in number, and so it added the “Worldwide” qualifier to its name.
The main purpose of the WVSG is to provide storytellers with a “guild” environment in which to work on stories, old and new, rather than act as a performance space. We usually schedule 5-6 storytellers per 90-minute session, which allows for each to tell for up to 10 minutes and have time for substantive feedback. Often storytellers will come with questions that they want the others to address, but frequently they just seek constructive critiques.
Members of WVSG come literally from around the globe and every continent except Antarctica (so far!). There are three online gatherings per month: the zoom links can always be found here: https://www.nestorytelling.org/invite-to-next-vsg-meeting/. Recordings of each meeting are distributed among the membership. Storytellers for WVSG are routinely booked at least one, usually two months in advance.
Its growth has continued in every dimension - the number of members, the events it sponsors, and the presence it has. Currently, there are over 500 members of its Facebook page, and nearly an identical number on its mailing list (generously supported by Jo Radner and American University). The Facebook presence is lively, but the real work occurs in the thrice-monthly meetings, where each attendee has the chance to experience the stories through their own unique lenses, and offer support and assistance.
WVSG’s first major international event was co-hosting “Tales from the Longhouse” with FEAST - Federation of Asian Storytellers - in a multi-hour event that featured eight storytellers sharing indigenous stories from the East and West. Another special performance evening was recently held for tellers from the Indian subcontinent. We expect to continue this practice on a quarterly basis going forward.
We invite all storytellers to join us, no matter whether you are a beginner or a “well-seasoned” veteran - we all have a lot to learn by telling to an attentive audience who wants to help us grow.
Please join us!
Jim Brulé is a Maggid - a transformational storyteller. His stories and students span the globe; his online storytelling school has been operating for years. Jim is a board member and immediate past-president of Northeast Storytelling and serves on the board of Artists Standing Strong Together.
