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It's Time for TELLABRATION!

© Chris King

What do you call an event that is a worldwide celebration of storytelling taking place at the same time on the same weekend? Why TELLABRATION!, of course. J. G. Pinkerton, a Connecticut yarn spinner, originated this international event as a means of building community support for storytelling. He formed the idea in 1987 and by the fall of 1988, the event was launched by the Connecticut Storytelling Center in six locations across the state. The volunteer network of 14 producers, 35 storytellers, and 102 production staffers worked together to give more than 1,000 story listeners a night to remember. And that was just the beginning.

What is Tellabration? Tellabration features an evening of benefit storytelling that creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts bonded together in spirit at the same time and on the same weekend. Traditionally held on the Saturday night before Thanksgiving ─ this year on November 17th, Tellabration has grown in some areas to encompass several days and evenings of storytelling during the week before and after that particular Saturday. Also, the program has evolved at many sites from a showcase for storytelling to a community-support project. Funds from TELLABRATION! Events now go to support schools, libraries, shelters for the homeless, Habitats for Humanity, Food Banks, and Crisis Centers.

How has Tellabration grown to become such a huge success? In 1989, Texas and Missouri joined Connecticut in a dedicated evening of story-celebration. Nineteen communities entertained a total of 3,000 audience members. Then in 1990, J. G. collaborated with the National Storytelling Association (NSA), now the National Storytelling Network (NSN), to make the evening into a nationwide event. J. G., a former corporate executive and arts producer, provided the necessary vision and timing, while NSA furnished its networking and administrative skills. Together they succeeded in firmly establishing TELLABRATION! as a coast-to-coast celebration. In 1995 there was a Tellabration in Japan, brought there by Japanese storyteller Masako Sueyoshi, who had been a part of Tellabration when she lived in Connecticut for several years. Now, sites from all over the world participate. For example, in 1999, 333 sites, 400 producers, and 6700 production staffers spun stories to a combined audience of more than 34,000.

How do I find a Tellabration in my area? If you visit the special Tellabration website at: http://www.tellabration.org, you will find information about the events in your area. If you can't attend one this year, at least you will find the name of a contact person to call about other storytelling happenings in your community. Most of the people involved with Tellabration are active storytellers, and a good number are members of NSN, the organization that serves as a facilitator to producers and also as a clearinghouse for information.