Story Crossroads: The Newsletter Volume 10, Issue 18
Welcome to a short, more direct weekly newsletter * Week 1: Story of the Month - links with membership * Week 2: Upcoming
Events * Week 3: Cap's Off to You! - people/organization profiles * Week 4: Past & Future News
|
Choose! Two Logo Options - vote by November 5th
We need to update our logo to be more printable and introduce merchandise. Plus, we wish to honor our 10th year. Vote by Nov. 5 for either "Blue
& Orange Twist" or "Original Adaptation." You can vote by replying back to this message or emailing info@storycrossroads.org.
Reflections on 1st "Getting to Know Us"
On October 2, 2024, we held our first annual "Getting to Know Us - Story Crossroads," a one-hour Zoom training open to current Board Members and
the curious public. While it was free, some attendees chose to donate. We premiered a 20-minute film featuring reflections from various participants on how Story Crossroads has impacted their lives. Shorter clips will be shared from mid-November through the end of the year, so stay tuned! Participants noted that understanding our operating budget growth highlights our consistent progress and year-round impact—demonstrating that we are more than just a festival. |
Completing Cohort
& taking A.I. Workshop
We are grateful to Zoo, Arts & Parks of Salt Lake County (ZAP) for including us as part of their first cohort, which included six months of group and one-on-one training in Marketing, Finances, and Fundraising. We also had the opportunity to attend a workshop on "AI in the Arts & Culture Industry"
featuring panelists Emily Lawhead, PhD (Utah Museum of Fine Arts), Darby Bailey, PhD Candidate (University of Utah Continuing Education), and Doug Parkin (Data Annotation Technologies). Learning to become
"Prompt Engineers"—knowing how to effectively question AI tools—can streamline business and grant writing, allowing more time for storytelling creation and teaching. We were encouraged to practice by asking at least one question a day to tools like ChatGPT. Doug Parkin shared the following formula: Context + Specific Info + Intent + Response Format = Effective
Prompt Some questions we asked ChatGPT in practice: - In one paragraph for an 8th grader to understand, how would you explain how to use oral storytelling and apply this skill for future careers?
- In one paragraph for a 5th grader teacher to explain to a school administrator, how would you explain how to use oral storytelling and apply this skill for use in the classroom?
- In one
paragraph for a reluctant 9th grade teacher, how would you explain the need to include a school assembly or multi-week program of oral storytelling during school time?
- As bulleted points, what can an oral storytelling nonprofit that holds a summit and festival offer a university or professor as an exchange for working with their college students?
See how business, marketing, and grant writing can become easier? We will be developing an Artificial Intelligence policy for Story Crossroads and exploring how it aligns with our 2025-2028 Strategic Plan. |
The "Whirling Winds" issue is calling for submissions of stories, articles, or art—theme-related or
not—due by November 15, 2024. Do you have a paragraph or more of how you "survived your art" through either an embarrassing or strange moment? Or any true, original, or folkloric stories that links to "Whirling Winds"? Visit The Story Beast website; we welcome your submissions for our 2024 quarterly issues. Though this is a separate entity from Story Crossroads, we’re excited to see this free e-publication available globally. All details can be found at storybeast.org. Notably, the Story Crossroads Executive Director
launched this initiative, collaborating with a fantastic team to bring it to life.
On October 2, 2024, we had our "Getting to Know Us- Story Crossroads" 1-hour Zoom as shared above. On October 12, 2024, Vinita Dhondiyal Bhatnagar shared some stories from India and how people within and beyond this culture could share them in a respectful manner. She got us
singing and dancing as we discovered which stories are sacred versus secular. This workshop and other past ones can be ordered at http://storycrossroads.org/AllThingsStory. On October 25, 2024, Bradley Mackay shared two original undead stories as
well as a twist to a classic scary story. He announced that he has been the "go-to" Halloween house concert as we have had him featured for three years in a row with different and original stories each time. He prepares as early as April every year knowing that we will ask him! You can explore past streams as well as the upcoming house concerts at http://storycrossroads.org/HouseConcerts.
As for future events, we have at least two every month. We have Tim Lowry teaching a virtual workshop (November 2). Jeff Driggs will be
performing for our 86th House Concert (November 13).
|
Enjoy a hint of what to expect with Tim Lowry's workshop "Crafting a Personal Narrative See more videos at our YouTube
Channel.
If you or someone you know has a story video that you want us to see, then let us know by emailing info@storycrossroads.org.
|
Story Crossroads - 501(c)(3) - To foster creative and compassionate communities through the art of storytelling.
|
|
|
