Steve Sanfield loved the craft of storytelling, and delighted in the art. Thirty-four years ago he dreamed of bringing the best storytellers from around the nation to a schoolhouse crowning a ridge, and now thirty-fours years later, the Sierra Storytelling Festival is joyously continuing Steve’s vision. Join us the third weekend in July for three days of the art and craft of the best tellers the third weekend in July at the North Columbia Schoolhouse.
Early-bird tickets on sale now!
Loads of volunteer opportunities available; kid’s show on Sunday; Friday and Saturday evening not recommended for young children.
“Sierra Storytelling Festival is a dream for any storyteller/performer. Performing on stage under a ceiling of tree canopies, crisp sails, and blue skies; a warm and welcoming audience; delicious food and craft beer. Add to that a wide blend of stories and music and seriously, why would you do anything or go anywhere else that weekend?”- Kim Weitkamp
Announcing the 2019 Sierra Storytelling Festival Tellers!
Kim Weitkamp
Kim travels the continent full time, performing at theaters and at festivals. Kim currently has nine albums, seven of them award-winning collections of story and song, and the latest being “Dead Bird Singing”. Her material is played regularly on NPR affiliate stations and on SiriusXM Radio.
Motoko
Motoko trained with master mime Tony Montanaro and renowned Appalachian storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. Motoko’s repertoire includes Asian folktales, Rakugo and Zen tales, ghost stories, mime vignettes, as well as oral memoirs from her childhood in Osaka and her life as an immigrant in the U.S.
Antonio Rocha
Antonio Rocha presents a unique fusion of verbal and mime narratives enhanced by his tenor voice and fantastical sound effects. He has performed across the U.S. in prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, and the National Storytelling Festival, as well as across six continents.
Tim Tingle
Tim Tingle is an Oklahoma Choctaw and an award-winning author and storyteller. His first children’s book, “Crossing Bok Chitto,” garnered over twenty state and national awards, and was an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times Book Review. As a visiting author and performer, Tingle reaches audiences numbering over 200,000 annually.
Kirk Waller
Kirk is a Marin Arts Council Community Arts Grant recipient for his work with Fair Housing of Marin, Colors of Diversity Storytelling Project. He was awarded the coveted J.J. Reneaux Emerging Grant in 2010 by the National Storytelling Network. His latest CD, “But Why? Stories, Music and Songs,” received the Parents’ Choice Foundation GOLD award.
& Special Guest Liz Nichols
Liz Nichols joins us from Oakland, California. A gifted teacher and coach, Liz was the Storytelling Director of Stagebridge, the nation’s oldest senior theatre company. Since 2007 she has been a master trainer and facilitator for TimeSlips Creative Group Storytelling, designed for those with memory loss. She has a special affinity for tales from her Jewish heritage, and from Japan, where she lived and studied.
