Your Real Stories presents the 5th Annual Story Days in Tampa Bay, October 1-6, 2018. This popular six-day storytelling festival collaborates with St. Petersburg and Tampa area artists and arts organizations, theatres, libraries, universities, restaurants, and museums to present real life stories just the way you like them– told, performed on stage, danced, sung, seen in exhibits and documentaries and experienced in seminars for writers, producers and filmmakers. Each evening ends with receptions and after parties at local restaurants because there will be a lot to talk about.
Last year, just two weeks after Hurricane Irma, we asked people to bring in their stories–the frightening ones, the sad ones, the funny ones. And they did. This year, supported by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council, we are presenting “Irma and Maria: Hurricane Stories, One year later” a theatrical performance based on interviews with Tampa Bay residents including two families who fled Puerto Rico. Local actors will perform the real life stories of these survivors. We also invite everybody to bring their own stories and help create an evening of interactive theatre on the spot . This October 2 event is free at the Poynter Institute Barnes Pavilion, 801 Third Street South in St Petersburg.
Improvisation and collaboration characterize another festival favorite performed in the Museum of Fine Arts Atrium Lobby. “Stories, Poetry and Motion,” features poet, Gloria Munoz , and dancer/ choreographers Helen Hansen French, Kellie Harmon, Crystal DelGiudice, and Andee Scott. This free event is scheduled for Thursday, October 4 at 5:00 pm. The MFA is located at 255 Beach Drive in St Petersburg.
The Kitchen Table Literary Arts group will present the work of local writers in another event on Thursday, October 4 called “Choose Your Own Adventure–Live! With three stories and six possible endings the group will create an interactive night of stories where YOU choose the ending! The evening features stories by local writers Adrien Julious, Slam Anderson, and Silk-Jazmyne Hindus. Tickets are $15.00 and available on Evenbrite.com or at the door.
The Second Annual “Story Days Short Film Screening: The Visual Narrative” features short films from the award-winning photojournalists of the Tampa Bay Times series “Everyday Tampa Bay,” and from the Your Real Stories archive and others. The doors and cash bar open at 6:00 pm on October 3, the screening begins at 6:30 pm at The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd. in St Petersburg.
Story Days in Tampa Bay celebrates storytelling and storytellers too. That’s why each festival includes workshops and seminars for writers, photographers and filmmakers. So, if you’ve got an idea for a new film, Netflix series, book or podcast. Or if you are just thinking about producing your own family’s story, find out how to take the next step and the step after that to create a winning proposal and get it funded! Internationally recognized author and digital media expert, Andrew W. Thornhill returns to Tampa Bay to deliver this industry-leading seminar. Seating is limited, so register soon for the Thornhill Digital Storytelling “Documentary Funding Proposal Seminar and Producer’s Workshop.” Tickets are $20 and available on Eventbrite.com. (seminar booklet and light refreshments are included in the ticket price.
Story Days in Tampa Bay is the signature production of Your Real Stories, creators of the series: Decades of Day Work and St. Pete Stories. And, Out of the Shadows: the LGBTQ Homeless Youth project, which was awarded the 2017 “Best of the Bay” for “The Best Mix of Theatre, Storytelling and Activism,” presented by Creative Loafing.
Each year Your Real Stories produces some of the events for Story Days and then collaborates with partners around Tampa Bay to complete the rest of the six-day schedule. Current and former partners include the Tampa Bay Times, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Dali Museum, The St. Petersburg Library System, University of South Florida (USF) Tampa and USF St. Petersburg, The Studio@620, and The Florida Holocaust Museum, among others.
The mission of Your Real Stories is to create a space for people to experience the compelling authentic stories of real people and to find the common threads that tie us together as human beings. Get your Story Days in Tampa Bay tickets and festival pass online at Eventbrite.com and enjoy great storytelling events each day, October 1 through 6, 2018.
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