This is the second year for the event. Last year in 2009, Stories In Service was sub-titled "A Day of Neighborhood Storytelling" and took place in 4 Philadelphia neighborhoods on the same day. Teams of 3-4 storytellers held interactive storytelling programs in Germantown, North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia then gathered in West Philadelphia for a storytelling program with all of the tellers. All of the programs had music, live drumming, African dancing and there was even a stilt walker in South Philly. The events could not have taken place without all of the storytellers who volunteered their time and TAHIRA, of TAHIRA Productions, who collaborated on the project from its inception.
GRASS-ROOTS INSPIRATIONS
While I'm being credited as the visionary for this approach, I think it's important to say a few things here. I have been honored to work at the feet of some really talented "visionaries". Prior to founding GriotWorks, I worked with two organizations that helped to shape my ideas on working at the grass roots level in communities. For about 8 years, I worked with an organization called the All Stars Talent Show Network, based in New York. The All Stars works with youth to produce and perform in their own talent shows in neighborhoods in several cities. Over those years, I witnessed change, first hand through the production of dozens of talent shows with thousands of participants. In my opinion, their model works and the key factor in the success of each show is getting out into communities and talking to people about the art of performance, how it changes people and how a change in people can impact the larger society.
Having that work as my foundation, I later worked for a non-profit organization called Scribe Video Center, under the direction of Louis Massiah. To date, my work with Scribe has been my greatest inspiration. This organization has produced hundreds of community based documentaries where the people from those communities learn video skills and tell their own stories. In addition, they do neighborhood based independent film screenings that address issues going on in communities. Working as the Program Coordinator for Scribe, I was deeply inspired by how effective these programs were. I became very sensitive to the the importance of storytelling in communities whether it was through video, or the ability to dialogue with one another after the screening of short films.
While working at Scribe, I was also beginning to tell folktales to children and creating art programs at schools and recreation centers. By the reference of several people who were telling stories professionally, I reached out to Keepers of the Culture (KOTC), Philadelphia's oldest storytelling organization. I wanted to learn the art of storytelling because unlike film/video or talent shows, I could create media simply by opening my mouth and beginning to speak. Through attending monthly meetings with KOTC, I was able to meet phenomenal storytellers, all my elders, who provided invaluable advice.
TIME TO SERVE
In Philadelphia during the years 2007-2008, there was a media culture developing and it was frightening. Everyday, you could literally turn on the news and hear numbers, "number 108, number 262, number 368". They were the numbers of murders in the city. The news, for some reason thought this was a good idea to count each death to intensify the hype around the increase in violence in Philadelphia. And this media wasn't sensored-- so our youth were taking it in as well and beginning to live in fear. I found myself trying to encourage young people, including my god children, and young family members, with stories. However, Bre'r Rabbit's briar patch had to become his neighborhood. How was Bre'r Rabbit going to navigate his way through, and stay alive being the littlest creature in the hood? Why wasn't Bre'r Rabbit afraid? What were his skills? How was he going to make it? In my heart, these stories had the power to save lives and it was important to me that storytelling, a media that was easily accessible and transferable, be used to combat some of the foolishness that was being pumped into our communities. With experience working with grass-roots community models, I figured, this would work with storytelling as well. As a fairly new storyteller though, I needed help.
TAHIRA and TAHIRA Productions
I met TAHIRA in a hair salon back in 2001 when I was starting a dance company Griot Don (a whole other story...). She was getting her locks twisted offering me advice. TAHIRA was the first professional storyteller I had met and her business sense was encouraging. Over the years, I would run into her "How are you? Do you have your business cards? Have you started a blog?" If I was discouraged she'd offer a book reference, "try reading Ask and It is Given... and just start with chapters 1,6, and 22--you'll be fine"... While I initially thought of TAHIRA for her entrepreneurial perspective on things, over time, I realized that her perspective provided a lifeline for the art of storytelling (and art in general), for it to breathe, develop and sustain itself. So, when I had this passion to do a community storytelling project, she was the first person I thought of and she brought her business sense, her relationships with storytellers, and her desire for artistic excellence to the project.
STORIES IN SERVICE - AGAIN IN 2010
The event was super successful last year. The people in the communities responded very positively and the tellers were pleased with their contributions and the event. As with every program, there were some things we wanted to improve on but, we were all excited about it and agreed that it should happen again in 2010. A week or so after the event though, I moved to NY to start a graduate program in film. Over the past year, I've worked to keep GriotWorks afloat but it has been one heck of a task running between Philadelphia and NY. Because the event had so much potential though, I felt it was extremely important to do it again. However, it didn't seem possible. I was stressed out. I had lost touch with the various community groups I had once had strong relationships with and having been so focused on mastering filmmaking, I hadn't told stories in quite a while. TAHIRA, had been through a series of experiences that had her focused on other things as well. So we had a bit of an orphan child. But, we all know the saying-- "It takes a village to raise a child" And there were some people in the villagers by the name of Keepers of the Culture who were interested in being a part of the project. Without their expressed interest, under the leadership of President, Queen Nur, we might have lost our momentum.
So, Queen and I began to talk and soon, TAHIRA came back into the fold. Terri Shockley and the Community Education Center, has had my back on every single project I've ever envisioned or initiated in Philadelphia. Thus Stories In Service this year is a 4-Part partnership of GriotWorks, TAHIRA Productions, Keepers of the Culture and the CEC. Queen Nur suggested that it be called GriotWorks: Stories In Service day so that my vision doesn't go un-noted. However, it is important for me to say that the vision is fluid and inspired by work that has already been done. My only hope is that tomorrow's event will offer teachers, parents, grand parents, children and all in attendance tools to tell stories that heal and inspire. At our outdoor storytelling program, families will hear tales that they can talk about with one another, having inter-generational dialogue about values, morals, hopes, fears, and ways to keep moving.
I give thanks for all the people who are a part of this project and for everyone who will attend.
The story continues -- Saturday, August 14th @ Noon. 3500 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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