The Festival is fast approaching, and I'm keeping very busy with all the necessary preparations. Today I visited Saint Brigid's and was very impressed with all the rennovations that have taken place there since my last visit early in the summer. The downstairs performance space which we will use for our concerts has been rennovated to showcase the stage and the stone walls that give it an old world charm. There's also a new lobby area with cabaret style tables, where we will have our morning workshops. The whole place has a very charming feel, and I can't wait to see our storytellers in action!

All of the pieces are falling into place as we book flights, obtain licenses, put the last touches on the program and launch our new publicity materials. It's incredibly exciting to see everything coming together after all the work that myself and the Festival Committee have poured into the planning. I really hope that you are excited to come to the Festival and see the product of our work - I know I am! This Festival may be a bit different than our first 20, but it is still a celebration of storytelling, and that is what brings us all together. We really need your support to make the Ottawa Storytelling Festival a success.

If you are interested in being involved in any way in the coming weeks, please let me know. You can email me at mad@ottawastorytellers.ca. I'll be looking for some helpers to be a part of my Super Fantastic Poster Squad in October, so give me a shout to get your very own stack of posters for distribution!

If you want to volunteer during the Festival itself, contact Kim Kilpatrick at ostfestivalvolunteers@gmail.com.

As for tickets, you still have a couple of days to send your special member mail order form to me, or you can purchase tickets online. More information about tickets, the program, and everything else Festival related can be found on the festival website: http://twentytenfestivalost.wordpress.com/ (or just click on the poster to the left).

See you soon!