"Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)
10501 FGCU Blvd S, Fort Myers, FL 33965

FGCU Storytelling

FGCU Storytelling Series presents oral storytelling as a performance art, community art, healing art. Produced by Dr. Joel Ying and Prof. Lori Cornelius for the Dept of Language and Literature and the Dept of Integrated Studies, College of Arts and Sciences. Sponsored by Seidler Foundation, FGCU Wasmer Art Gallery, Florida Storytelling Association.

Upcoming Events

*all events at FGCU Wasmer Art Gallery, Arts Complex, FGCU (*unless otherwise noted)

FALL 2024

Tue  Sep 17 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Empathy”

Tue  Sep  24 @6p Susan O’Halloran – Everyone Has a Story
Wed Sep 25 @6p Susan O’Halloran – Pot of Gold: Irish Stories and Songs!

Tue Oct 1 @11am Sidewalk Talk: What's Your Story? -  We want to hear from you. Stop by for 10 minutes and just talk. We are here for active and supportive listening. Co-sponsored by the ROCK Center. (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Tue  Oct 22 @6p Nestor Gomez – Stories of Growing Up
Wed Oct 23 @6p Nestor Gomez – Stories of Immigration

Tue  Oct 29  @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Unbelievable”
Wed Oct 30 @6p Tamiami Tale Tellers – Storytelling Showcase

Tue  Nov 12  @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Kindness and Compassion”
Wed Nov 13 @6p Joel Ying – Let's Get Personal

Wed Nov 20 @5p Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing
                                        (*moved to FGCU Wasmer Art Gallery)

SPRING 2025

Jan 23 - 26, 2025 Florida Storytelling Festival (*Lakeside Inn, Mt Dora, FL)

Tue  Jan  28 @6p Carol Birch – Fire and Ice: A Pittsburgh Inheritance
Wed Jan 29 @6p Carol Birch – Only Connect: Stories Old and New

Tue Feb 4 @6pm Kim Weitkamp - Storytelling Performance

Tue  Feb 11 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Love”
Wed Feb 12 @6p Joel Ying – Legacy of Love

Tue  Mar 25  @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Luck”
Wed Mar 26 @6p Tamiami Tale Tellers – Storytelling Showcase

Tue  Apr  1 @6p Diane Macklin – Mining Story Gems
Wed Apr 2 @6p Diane Macklin – Bringing Hearts Together

Wed Apr 16 @5p Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing
                                         (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Tue Apr 22 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Kindness and Compassion”

Summer 2024

June 21 - 23, FGCU Storytelling Conference - "Storytelling as Healing: Creating Community, Transforming Lives"

Spring 2024

Jan 25 - 28, 2024 Florida Storytelling Festival (*Lakeside Inn, Mt Dora, FL)

Tue Jan  30 @6p Tim Tingle – Choctaw Tales: Crossing the River of Life

Wed Jan 31 @6p Tim Tingle – Trail of Tears : Learning to Swim

Tue Feb 13 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Love”

Tue Mar  26 @6p Sheila Arnold – African American Folk Tales and Songs

Wed Mar 27 @6p Sheila Arnold – Stories of the Underground Railroad

Tue Apr 2  @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Unbelievable”

Wed Apr 3 @6p Joel Ying – Myths & Legends: It’s all Greek to me

Wed Apr 10 @2p Storytelling for Positive Aging (*South County Regional Library, Estero, FL)

Wed Apr 17 @5p Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Tue Apr 23 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Inspired”

Fall 2023

Tue Sep 12 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Failure”

Tue Sep 19 @6p Josh Goforth - Folk Music and Stories of Appalachia

Wed Sep 20 @noon Take a Study Break with Josh Goforth ~ Lunch, Music, Q&A

Wed Sep 20 @6p Josh Goforth – Stories and Songs of Appalachia

Thu Sep 21 @6p   Nathan Hill  –  New Book Launch! Reading, Reception, Signing. (*FGCU Library, Data Visualization Area, 1st Floor)

Tue Oct  17 @6p Robin Schulte – Jack and the Levitator

Wed Oct 18 @6p Robin Schulte – Healing with Stories

Tue Oct 31 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Spooked”

Tue Nov 14 @5p Open Mic Storytelling – Theme: “Food”

Wed Nov 15 @6p Joel Ying – What the Folk Are Saying

Wed Nov 29 @5p Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Spring 2023

Jan 26 - 29, 2023 Florida Storytelling Festival, Lakeside Inn, Mt Dora, FL

Tue Jan 31 @6pm          Alton Chung performs “History in the First Person”

Wed Feb 1 @6pm          Alton Chung performs “Okinawan Memories of WWII”

Tue Feb 7 @5:30pm Open Sharing ... Stories of Hope and Loss ~ Life After Hurricane Ian
 Reception at 5:30pm, Event starts 6pm.

Sat Feb 11 @9am YAK Festival (Young Authors for Kindness), Library Lawn, FGCU
 special performance by National Storyteller, Noa Baum

Tue Feb 14 @6pm         The Elephant: Open Mic Storytelling – “Second Chances”

Wed Feb 15 @6pm        Storytelling Salon: FGCU perspectives on “Love”

Tue Mar 14 @6pm         The Elephant: Open Mic Storytelling – “Scars”

Wed Mar 15 @7pm "Am I Interrupting?" Poetry Reading in Honor of Jim Gustafson

Tue Mar 28 @6pm        Sheila Arnold performs African American Folk Tales & Songs

Wed Mar 29 @6pm       Sheila Arnold performs Stories of the Underground Railroad, "Locks Open: Waterways to Freedom"

Tue Apr 4 @6pm            The Elephant: Open Mic Storytelling – “Believe it or not”

Wed Apr 5 @6pm           Dr. Joel Ying performs “From Jamaica with Love”

Wed Apr 19 @5pm         Student Showcase - Storytelling as Healing - POSTPONED TO NEXT SEMESTER

Tue Apr 25 @5pm          Student Showcase - The Elephant: Open Mic Storytelling – “Inspiration”

Fall 2022

Tue Sep 13          Open Mic Storytelling – “Mountains”

Wed Sep 14        Kuniko Yamamoto performs Origami Stories: Samurai Spirit

Mini-Conference Week: Voices of Appalachia  CANCELLED due to Hurricane Ian

Mon Sep 26        FGCU Faculty Reading: Out of the Mountains with Stephen Cavitt, Lori Cornelius

Tue Sep 27          Josh Goforth performs Folk Music and Stories of Appalachia

Wed Sep 28        Josh Goforth performs Stories and Songs of Appalachia

Thu Sep 29         Book Reading, Discussion, Reception: Karen McElmurray

Fri Sep 30            Panel Discussion: Appalachia to Academia; Karen McElmurray, Stephen Cavitt, Lori Cornelius

Tue Oct 18           Open Mic Storytelling – Medicine and Healing, guest emcee Regi Carpenter

Tue Oct 18           Regi Carpenter  performs Traditional Stories & Healing

Wed Oct 19         Storytelling Salon – Medicine and Healing; Joel Ying, Regi Carpenter, Lori Cornelius

Wed Oct 19         Regi Carpenter performs “Snapped!” Teenage struggle with mental illness.

Tue Oct  25         Open Mic Storytelling – Spooked!

Tue Nov 15         Open Mic Storytelling – “Never Forget”

Wed Nov 16       Dr. Joel Ying performs “Never Forget”

Wed Nov 30       Student Showcase

Tue Dec 6            Open Mic Storytelling – “Celebration”