Editing Storytelling (section)

=== Festivals ===
[[Storytelling festival]]s typically feature the work of several storytellers and may include workshops for tellers and others who are interested in the art form or other targeted applications of storytelling. Elements of the [[oral storytelling]] art form often include the tellers encouragement to have participants co-create an experience by connecting to relatable elements of the story and using techniques of [[Mental image|visualization]] (the seeing of images in the mind's eye), and use vocal and bodily [[gestures]] to support understanding. In many ways, the art of storytelling draws upon other art forms such as [[acting]], [[oral interpretation]] and [[Performance Studies]].

In 1903, Richard Wyche, a professor of literature at the University of Tennessee created the first organized storytellers league of its kind.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}  It was called The National Story League. Wyche served as its president for 16 years, facilitated storytelling classes, and spurred an interest in the art.

Several other storytelling organizations started in the U.S. during the 1970s. One such organization was the National Association for the Perpetuation and Preservation of Storytelling (NAPPS), now the National Storytelling Network (NSN) and the International Storytelling Center (ISC). NSN is a professional organization that helps to organize resources for tellers and festival planners. The ISC runs the [[National Storytelling Festival]] in [[Jonesborough, TN]].<ref>Wolf, Eric James. [http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/2008/12/13/connie-regan-blake-national-storytelling-festival/ ''Connie Regan-Blake A History of the National Storytelling Festival''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120165212/http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com/2008/12/13/connie-regan-blake-national-storytelling-festival/ |date=2010-01-20 }} Audio Interview, 2008</ref> Australia followed their American counterparts with the establishment of storytelling guilds in the late 1970s.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} [[Australian storytelling]] today has individuals and groups across the country who meet to share their stories. The UK's [[Society for Storytelling]] was founded in 1993, bringing together tellers and listeners, and each year since 2000 has run a National Storytelling Week the first week of February.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Currently, there are dozens of storytelling festivals and hundreds of professional storytellers around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brandanew.co/10-storytelling-festivals-you-must-attend-in-2016/|title=10 Storytelling Festivals You Must Attend in 2016|last=Madaleno|first=Diana|date=2016|website=www.brandanew.co|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715121827/http://www.brandanew.co/10-storytelling-festivals-you-must-attend-in-2016/|archive-date=2017-07-15|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-international-storytelling-festivals-check-year-next/|title=5 international storytelling festivals to check out this year and next|work=Matador Network|access-date=2017-07-08|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909225506/http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-international-storytelling-festivals-check-year-next/|archive-date=2016-09-09}}</ref> and an international celebration of the art occurs on [[World Storytelling Day]].