Community Plate invites you to learn the basics of storytelling in this introductory small group workshop. The workshop will take place over TWO virtual (zoom) group sessions: Monday, December 23, 6:30-8:30pm AND Monday, December 30, 6:30-8:30pm; plus an additional and optional one-on-one (zoom or phone) coaching session.
With our workshop facilitator, Karl Schatz (see bio below), you will learn what makes a good story, develop and craft a personal narrative, practice and receive feedback, and get tips on performance. After the workshop, you'll have the opportunity to perform your story at an upcoming Community Plate, or other storytelling event. This workshop is perfect for the beginner who wants to learn the art of storytelling, intermediate storytellers who want to practice their craft and develop a new story, or anyone interested in becoming a better public speaker.
This storytelling workshop is in support of Community Plate's January 30th Story Sharing Potluck Supper at Mechanics’ Hall in Portland, "Stews & Stories," during which we will share stories about comfort and warmth. We hope that one of the workshop participants will tell their story at the January 30th supper in Portland. You DO NOT need to live in Portland or attend the January 30th supper to participate in the workshop.
Participation in the workshop is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested workshop fee of $35, but as with all Community Plate events, our intention is that there should be no economic barriers to partcipation.
Although this is a virtual workshop, we ask that all participants be Maine residents. We do this for grant funding reasons, and also because we hope participants will be available to tell their story at a future in-person Community Plate event.
Workshop Facilitator: Karl Schatz is the co-founder and Executive Director of Community Plate. An award winning journalist, he got his start in visual and journalistic storytelling working at ABC Television and Time Magazine. For 14 years he was the Director of the photo agency, Aurora Photos. He has collaborated with his wife and Community Plate co-founder, Margaret Hathaway, on seven books on food and farming, including most recently the two award winning volumes of the Maine Community Cookbooks. He has been telling stories for more than 15 years to the hundreds of visitors who come to Ten Apple Farm, the farm and agritourism business where he lives with Margaret and their three daughters.
This workshop is made possible in part through a generous grant from the Onion Foundation.