2019 Year in Review

Thank you all for being part of the Tell Us Something community last year! 2019 is now disappearing in the rearview mirror. And before we look forward to building new stories together, let’s take a moment to reflect on another year of shared stories, successes, and growth.

In 2019, we were able to:

• Continue providing free storytelling workshops for all storytellers
• Provide paid ASL interpreters for our friends in the deaf community
• Begin paying storytellers for sharing their stories
• Continue paying independent local artists to design event posters
• Continue paying local photographers for their coverage of the live Tell Us Something events
• Continue paying the director’s health insurance
• Begin paying director $1,000/month in August (acting as a volunteer previous to August 2019)

March – sold out The Wilma in advance; Appeared in the Spring
April – Nominated by storyteller alumni Kristi Hager, Tell Us Something Executive Director Marc Moss wins the Arts Missoula Cultural Vision award, which is given to an organization, group or individual who has developed a special project or program that demonstrates unique cultural or artistic vision. Awards luncheon at Edgewater Doubletree.

May – Produced a nearly sold-out show at The Myrna Loy; taught a six-day arts integration in the classroom class at C.S. Porter, integrating storytelling with a unit on The American Civil War; taught 2-week section on storytelling during the graduate program Creative Pulse at The University of Montana

June – Fathers’ Day special airs on MTPR; taught 20 international high school teachers at The University of Montana as part of the Study of the U.S. Institute on Secondary Education: American Studies through the Lens of Democracy and Citizenship

July – provided a 2 week long multi-session storytelling workshop at Living Art of Montana, culminating with a live performance of all 7 participants’ stories at Free Cycles

August – hosted a kids’ summer camp for students 13-18 at the ZACC, culminating in a performance at the ZACC featuring all 7 of the campers sharing their stories

September – MTPR Tell Us Something Radio feature 9/24; sold-out live event at The Wilma

October – corporate workshop for Families First – worked with 3 storytellers in preparation for the annual Families First fundraiser; Appeared on the front page of the Montana Press Monthly

November – Spark – Storytelling for Empathy in the 7th-grade health classes at C.S. Porter; site visits to Bozeman, Livingston and Gardiner in preparation for 2020 dates; Natural History Center corporate workshop for staff

December – Sold out live event at The Wilma

Looking to the future, we are continually growing:

• We have begun the process of forming a 501(3)c and have interviewed potential board members
• We have an event booked in Helena at The Myrna Loy as part of their regular season
• We have an event booked at The Orphan Girl Theatre in Butte
• We have an event booked at The Rialto in Bozeman
• There are 4 planned events in Missoula
• Researching booking events in Livingston and Gardiner, Montana

I hope that you can join us for our very first fundraiser

On February 9, at The Top Hat! The fundraiser will feature 6 storytellers reprising some beloved stories with a live improvised soundtrack by musicians Travis Yost and John Sporman. There will be a raffle featuring items donated by local Missoula businesses and a live auction of The Golden Ticket — good for all Logjam Presents shows in 2020!

Tickets are extremely limited! To get yours before they are gone, follow this link.

Looking forward to seeing you on February 9!

Thanks,

Marc Moss

Executive Director

Tell Us Something