Heartwood Soundstage will host the fourth Story Summit event Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The event is located at 619 S. Main St. and will feature six storytellers from the three largest storytelling organizations in Gainesville: Self Narrate, Guts & Glory GNV and The Conch.
Storytelling began as an obscure art in Gainesville with very small participation, said Brand Telg, co-founder of Self Narrate. Self Narrate is a nonprofit that organizes workshops, events and other community-building opportunities to encourage people to share their personal stories.
Over the past five years, the storytelling community has greatly expanded, offering at least three storytelling events a month. Story Summit is the best night of the year to hear from Gainesville’s most talented storytellers.
“There are many storytelling events in Gainesville, often at least three per month, but if you only come to one storytelling event in Gainesville each year, it should be Story Summit,” Telg said.
According to Bill Bryson, founder of The Conch, the event features six storytellers who will tell true stories about their life. Bryson started The Conch after being inspired by storytelling podcast, “The Moth.” The Conch holds open mics at Satchel’s Pizza monthly.
The event shows the collaborative culture that Gainesville’s creative community works hard to cultivate.
“To be totally honest, people asked each of us if we were in competition with each other, and that’s very much not the case,” Telg said. “We are all friends in this storytelling community, so unifying our efforts on a big event like Story Summit also demonstrates that our community is cohesive and whole.”
Speakers from Guts and Glory GNV, founded by UF alumni Taylor Williams, will also be speaking at the event.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. Early ticket price is $15. Ticket price at the door is $20.
Bryson and Telg hope that participants personally connect with the performers.
“Storytelling is a powerful tool for developing self-efficacy, building relationships and gaining perspective,” Telg said.
