StoryTown: The Jonesborough Community Story Initiative

StoryTown is a community initiative dedicated to bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to strengthen our community and enrich the lives of those who live here through the power of our own stories.

Through the StoryTown, the residents of our community will have opportunities to tell their personal and collective stories and, through an array of cultural arts, share their stories with Jonesborough’s residents and visitors.

StoryTown will collect the stories because:

• Our stories are important. Through them, we understand our history, culture and heritage. They define our community.
• Our stories inspire cultural, educational, and social experiences that strengthen our community, enrich our lives, and help us reach our highest potential.
• Sharing our stories can build strong, life-changing relationships among and between our community residents- all ages and cultural backgrounds- further enhancing quality of life for all residents of Jonesborough.

In addition, showcasing our stories supports the Town’s brand as the Storytelling Capital of the World. By creating projects from our community’s stories, we build this unique brand and generate economic opportunities in Jonesborough that serve our residents and visitors.

To collect our stories, we have created the Jonesborough Story Brigade- a group of Jonesborough volunteers who have been trained in the art of collecting oral stories.

Have a true story you’d like to share with us? You can do so now via our Google Voice Number. Call ‪(423) 281-5720 and share a story. You can even share it anonymously. Please note, content of stories shared will be used by the Town of Jonesborough in their story-related initiatives to include the StoryTown Radio Show, theatrical productions, archives, books, films, podcasts, exhibits, and other such projects that support the Town of Jonesborough storytelling initiatives.

The Initiative is a master plan for connecting, coordinating, and supporting a series of multi-generational and multicultural programs, activities and events conducted by community-based partners and affiliates. These programs include plays, lectures, art exhibitions, books, radio shows, archives, and other public activities- all designed to purposefully tap into the power of our stories and generate new insights, new learning, and positive community change.

Through these programs, StoryTown will work to achieve a series of goals that will make our community a stronger, more viable community. These goals include:

• Building bridges of understanding and acceptance
• Developing relationships
• Bringing people together from different backgrounds
• Increasing empathy as we understand each other’s stories
• Providing multi-generational opportunities for engagement

StoryTown is headquartered at the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School as part of Jonesborough’s Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts.