Message from the President - April 2010

In spring a young (!) man's fancy turns to... well, in my case, grant applications. Instead of wooing with chocolates and roses, we do it with data and plans. The results, while not particularly romantic, are very important. Ottawa StoryTellers relies on four main sources of grant money. Each has a different deadline and different requirements, so that wrapping your head around it all takes a bit of concentration and a lot of help.

One of the best parts of writing grant applications is that it gives us a chance to reflect on OST's history and accomplishments, which are many. We have a solid record of successful programming and financial stability, both of which stand us in good stead with funding agencies.

The applications also force us to plan well ahead for the future, and to articulate why we are doing things as we are. In the spring of 2010, this has been particularly important, as we begin a two-year cycle, alternating a Festival Year, with a focus on bringing international-calibre storytellers from around the world to Ottawa audiences, and a Community Year, with a focus on local storytellers, providing more opportunities to tell and to engage in professional development, and encouraging the development of younger storytellers. With this new plan, we hope to balance our complex mandate.

Thanks to the many who have helped by providing information to the grant application process. It really does matter that we can report the size of the audience for your last gig. And special thanks to those who have contributed in a major way by writing, editing, and sorting through finances. I won't try to name you individually for fear of omitting someone.

I hope you will be able to join us at the AGM April 11!
Phil Nagy

Note from the newsletter editor

In this issue, a number of reviews of books and tellings; news of the upcoming Ottawa StoryTelling Festival, audio interviews with seasoned tellers, and three graduates of the fall Introduction to StoryTelling workshop; a written interview with a wonderful couple who attend many storytelling performances; two stories recorded live; and just a touch of gossip. Again, when I asked members to send me a wee writeup of the events they attended, the books they read, the shows they saw, they came through with flying colours. Thank-you for making your newsletter truly yours.

Have you read a book you think others should read? Send me a teaser, an outline, a bit about how the book made you feel. Do you have a suggestion for a story others should be telling? Let me know what story, who should be telling it, and of course, why. Did you see a wonderful telling? Write a review. Do you have a neat bit of seasonal history you want to share? Well, we are listening.