ETSU storytelling students are bringing live storytelling back to campus with their Stories of Transition event on Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 5-6:30pm at the ETSU amphitheater.
During the pandemic, many storytelling students struggled to fully immerse themselves in their performances due to being online, so students Cynthia Millhorn, Irene Poulton and Cory Howard and their faculty advisor Nancy Donoval organized this event to bring their community together.
“The three of us just kind of all started brainstorming and said, ‘We need to bring back in-person storytelling so that we have opportunities so that we can connect with the community’ and because we’re trying to show how storytelling is really for all ages,” said Millhorn.
The event will have about nine storytellers who will be performing anywhere from very personal stories about big life change to more fictional folktales.
Some performers may also incorporate singing into their stories.
“I hope that people will understand what storytelling really means. I mean it is the foundation of so much of culture right. It’s the origin of how we have history and entertainment and film. It’s kind of a buzzword right now, because a lot of different companies are hiring people to come in and be storytellers in the medical field even,” said Millhorn.
If any other departments or organizations want to take part in any storytelling activities, the group is very open to fostering interdepartmental communication and working to create fun events for campus.
“There are some people on faculty and in the program that are really just brilliant creative minds. It’s just a great opportunity to come in and hear some really interesting and cool stories and have some fun,” said Millhorn.
In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside the Culp Center to Musicians’ Corner.
