GENERAL INFORMATION
Please read all information on this page prior to submitting your proposal
2022 NSN Virtual Conference & Festival
CONNECTED: CREATING TOMORROW – honoring the past and shaping our future
How do we learn from our history, without being weighed down by it? What role do we play in creating the change we’d like to see in the world? How can we inspire creative solutions to common problems? Where should storytellers be that they aren’t – yet?
PROPOSAL SPECIFICS
July 27-31, 2022 NSN will bring together storytellers from all over the United States and the world!
The NSN 2022 Conference, Connected: Creating Tomorrow, is seeking submissions from storytellers who will produce showcases of stories from across the spectrum of the oral narrative art form. Please propose a Showcase addressing the Conference theme from any angle. “Connected” and “Creating Tomorrow” are phrases with many meanings; there is much we can preserve and learn from the past, while simultaneously working to instill hope and possibility in the future. We are looking for showcases that address change, innovation, creativity, connection, transformation, etc.
We are looking for showcases of stories from people who have challenged the status quo, innovated social or political environments, transformed their own future, inspired meaningful change, used story to make a difference, gained insight from the past, and stepped boldly into a new life.
Showcases may include personal stories, folk tales, original stories, historical and biographical narratives, other art forms that use story, and more. All kinds of storytellers are welcome, especially those from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented at NSN conferences and festivals. Propose a Showcase that reflects your understanding of the theme, a Showcase about which you are passionate, a Showcase that you feel needs to be heard.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROPOSALS
Individual Showcase producers will invite storytellers to join their Showcases, bringing together performers from the larger storytelling community. In an effort to expand our reach, one requirement for all Showcases is that at least one person performing must not have performed with NSN in the past. (This means that one person per Showcase must not have been a featured teller at an NSN-sponsored event, a fringe performer, or a workshop leader. Previous participation in NSN slams or swaps does not count toward this requirement.)
A Showcase should be 75 minutes in length. Please include descriptions of the skills you bring to the role of Showcase producer, similar events you have produced in the past, and your specific goals in producing this Showcase. It is assumed that conference presentations will primarily be live and synchronous, but Showcases may also include quality recordings of stories.
You are welcome to submit more than one (1) Showcase proposal, but can only be selected to present one (1) Showcase. Those producing a Showcase may also present a workshop, provided separate proposals for both are submitted and selected. Showcase producers may tell as a part of their Showcase, but may not perform in another Showcase. Participating in other NSN events outside of the conference does not prohibit participation in Connected.
NSN is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in all of our practices and presentations. Click here to read NSN’s Statement On Racism, Discrimination, And Injustice.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 at 12 pm Noon Central U.S. Time
COMPENSATION
A $100 flat fee will be paid to the Producer/Host and to each teller in the Showcase. Given the 75-minute Showcase length, it is assumed that a Showcase would involve 4-6 people, including the producer/host, and that the total expense budget for each Showcase would be $400.00 – $600.00 USD. Producers/hosts may perform in the showcase but will not be compensated for both.
Additionally, Showcase producers and tellers will receive a 40% discount on Connected Conference registration. Showcases will be recorded and become part of the NSN digital library for one (1) year. Please review the NSN Recording Policy. The policy can be reviewed by clicking here.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 at 12 pm Noon Central U.S. Time
Fill out the form below with all relevant information and attachments.
You will be notified of the results by March 15, 2022
You will receive a copy of your proposal via email after your submission is complete.
NEW THIS YEAR: You may now save a working draft of your proposal by scrolling to the bottom of the form and selecting “Save.” Users are responsible for maintaining their own drafts. You must click SUBMIT before the deadline to have your proposal considered. NSN will not be able to recover lost drafts.