A powerful story has the potential to connect us to our own experiences, pull a community together, and engage new audiences with our work. In this master class storytelling workshop, sponsored by the Committee on Public Awareness (COPA) and led by Micaela Blei, a two-time Moth GrandSLAM winner with a PhD in narrative education, you’ll learn:
- What makes a story work;
- The connections among narrative performance, research, and teaching; and
- How to brainstorm and craft stories of your own.
The workshop is aimed at budding storytellers as well as seasoned bards looking to refresh their skills. It is structured to make the online experience as welcoming and engaging as possible, using a webinar format followed by an optional small-group discussion structure so that you can take par…
A powerful story has the potential to connect us to our own experiences, pull a community together, and engage new audiences with our work. In this master class storytelling workshop, sponsored by the Committee on Public Awareness (COPA) and led by Micaela Blei, a two-time Moth GrandSLAM winner with a PhD in narrative education, you’ll learn:
- What makes a story work;
- The connections among narrative performance, research, and teaching; and
- How to brainstorm and craft stories of your own.
The workshop is aimed at budding storytellers as well as seasoned bards looking to refresh their skills. It is structured to make the online experience as welcoming and engaging as possible, using a webinar format followed by an optional small-group discussion structure so that you can take part in the workshop at the level that will best serve you.
After completing this workshop, storytellers will then have the opportunity to submit their story for possible performance in a springtime virtual storytelling event—“A Finding Aid to My Soul”—on April 30, 2026! If selected, you’ll receive additional guidance from Dr. Blei to help fine-tune your story. Stay tuned for more details (and watch the 2025 event).
But first, register here for the Storytelling Workshop Master Class!
Here’s what past attendees had to say about the workshop:
- “It was amazing - both personally resonant and professionally useful, and looking toward the larger question of how our profession relates to the rest of society.”
- “The presenter was terrific. She was so engaging. The structure of the workshop and the tips/prompts she gave made it much easier than I expected to participate.”
- “Micaela brought so much energy and laughter to this workshop! It was entertaining and very useful.”
- “I will be using it a lot - in describing our collections, in speaking with donors and supporters, in relating to the larger community, and making the case for why our goals should be prioritized within the institution in which we work.”
Date: February 27, 2026 Time: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT Fee: $49