By Sarah Mather
Crowding around the campfire listening to wild tales of adventure, romance and life is a ritual that seems to have been lost. However, the Ottawa Storytellers are keeping this tradition alive in Centretown.
Instead of campfires, these local residents are piling into rooms at the Library and Archives, the National Arts Centre and cafes around Ottawa to get lost in fantasy.
As each storyteller entertains the crowd with their body language and rhythmic voices, the audience loses touch with reality for the evening.
The Ottawa Storytellers are a group of individuals who thrive on telling tales.
The group believes that oral storytelling has been lost in modern society. They are reviving this tradition through their monthly story swaps at the National Library and Archives.
“Human beings have always had the oral tradition. I think it’s super important in this age of computers and TV to remind ourselves of the basics and to go and feed ourselves in that way,” says Lucie Roy, a member of the Ottawa Storytellers.
The group believes storytelling is an art form that unites communities.
Through storytelling people learn the history of their community and stories about their neighbours.
“We live in the same city but we don’t know the same stories,” says Ruth Stewart-Verger, co-president of the Ottawa Storytellers. “This shares [these stories].”
The group welcomes everyone and anyone interested in storytelling.
There are about 200 paying members and about 400 more who attend events throughout the year.
The group’s members include people from all walks of life – doctors, bus drivers, sheet metal workers and lawyers. The group’s youngest storyteller is 16, while its oldest is over 80 years old.
“The variety is incredible,” says Stewart-Verger. With such unique tellers, the group hears a wide range of stories from high brow literate tales to exciting adventures.
The group is involved in many activities from casual story-swapping nights to elaborate festivals.
During these events they share a variety of stories from folk tales, to urban legends, to epics.
Once a month the Ottawa Storytellers meet at the Library and Archives of Canada on Wellington to slip away from their lives and into these tales. During these monthly swaps, everyone is invited to captivate or to be captivated.These nights give amateur storytellers the opportunity to test their skills.
“We are totally inclusive and non-judgmental on those evenings,” says Roy.
Bob Woods, the Ottawa Storytellers’ treasurer, says they provide the opportunity for anyone who has the talent or desire to tell stories.
The group also produces monthly concerts at the National Arts Centre to showcase some of their more talented tellers. These are more intense environments with a stage, ticket sales and crowds averaging around 70 people.
The group also performs at storytelling festivals. The festivals are an annual event to feature some of Canada’s best tellers through storytelling concerts and workshops. This year’s storytelling festival will run Nov. 3 through Nov. 7.
The group does not solely tell stories. They also help others learn the art of telling tales through workshops and experience.
“We teach people what is a story, how it is a story and how you can make your audience create the picture in their head,” says Stewart-Verger.
Stewart-Verger says the Ottawa Storytellers have a reputation for being some of the best storytellers in Canada. She feels this is because they have the opportunity to hone their skills in larger venues such as the NAC.
The Ottawa Storytellers are a non-profit organization. They support themselves through grants, membership fees, ticket prices and donations.
The group believes the art of storytelling is an intricate part of who we are as humans.
“We all need stories, regardless of our age and I think the oral tradition is making such a resurgence because it is a fundamental need,” says Roy.