The Tennessee Storytelling
Association is committed to preserving the irreplaceable oral traditions
of Tennessee through its dedication to the art of storytelling. The
association is a natural outgrowth of the state's rich storytelling
heritage and is an organization designed for everyone with storytelling
interest. It serves the community through the sponsorship of public
performances and by providing professional development for its members.
Members include storytellers, teachers, librarians, community workers,
and all who love to tell and listen to stories. The organization and its
members bring education and healing that cross generational and cultural
boundaries through the power and art of storytelling.
The founders of TSA, led by nationally renowned storyteller Doc McConnell of Rogersville, had a vision, a vision to nurture our storytelling tradition across the state. With keen interest and overflowing enthusiasm, the founders sent letters, made phone calls, and spoke to friends. In 1988 in a Knoxville motel, the organization process for the Tennessee Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (TAPPS) began. A storytelling vision, hard work, and mutual esteem brought about the flowering of this young statewide association. As years passed, TAPPS became Tennessee Storytellers Association, which grew and flourished, gaining recognition and effectiveness. Able board members, working committees, and active members produced workshops, festivals, and storytelling activities across the state from Memphis to Jonesborough.
TSA produces an annual
storytelling conference and festival, sponsors workshops, and provides
training in the art of storytelling for teachers, librarians, and
others. The 2007 Storytelling Festival and Conference took place in
April at Fiddler's Grove in Lebanon, Tennessee. Planning is already
underway for the 2008 festival, scheduled for April 18-20 back at
Fiddler's Grove in Lebanon, hosted by Tennessee Storytellers Association
and Wilson County Promotions.
Like the Tennessee state bird, the mockingbird, the Tennessee Storytelling Association, TSA, has many voices and is dedicated to protecting and sustaining the rich heritage of storytelling in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Storytelling Association was incorporated in Tennessee in 1988 and is classified as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code.
© 2007 Tennessee Storytelling Association