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 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 collects these 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 community volunteers who have been trained in the art of collecting oral stories. StoryTown offers Brigade training at least once a year. The Brigade meets on a regular basis to check in, receive story collecting assignments, and prepare for Listening Days. In 2025, Listening Days will be held at the Jonesborough Senior Center on March 25th, June 27th, September 22nd, and November 24th. Check back here or follow us on social media for more details.
Have a true story you’d like to share with us? Give us a call (423) 753-0562, email Anne Mason at annem@jonesboroughtn.org, or drop by the McKinney Center. Please note, content of stories shared will be used by the Town of Jonesborough in their story-related initiatives, including the StoryTown Radio Show, theatrical productions, archives, books, films, podcasts, exhibits, and other such projects that support the Town of Jonesborough’s storytelling programs.
StoryTown helps connect, coordinate, and support a series of multi-generational and multicultural activities and events conducted by community-based partners and affiliates. These 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.
Help your community by fulfilling McKinney Center's mission.
ABOUT THE MCKINNEY CENTER
The McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School is a multi-use facility providing arts education through Jonesborough's Mary B. Martin Program.
