There's so much going on at Story House! We are pleased to announce several new initiatives. As always, we welcome your ideas.  

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Artist Gym

Artist Gym is an innovative workshop series that uses arts-based exercises to inspire creative connection and community-building. It was developed by Sarah Plotkin, a theater artist who ran dozens of sessions in New York and Boston and recently returned to her home town of Ithaca. Participants move, improvise, write, and tell stories in a fun, supportive environment. The first session, on November 12, was supported by an SOS grant from the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) of Tompkins County. A Grants for Arts Programs (GAP) grant from CAP will support a second session this year.  

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Behind the Wall

Story House Ithaca and Prisoner Express are teaming up on Behind the Wall, a traveling exhibit of prisoner art and writing, thanks to a grant to Story House from Humanities New York. The project is bringing panels of artworks and writings collected and curated by Prisoner Express to public libraries in Ithaca, Auburn, Seneca Falls, Owego, and Cortland in the winter and spring of 2023. 

Stages of Life

Story House is now offering a multicultural, intergenerational playwriting workshop beginning in January. “Stages of Life” pairs elders from the GIAC Seniors Program and the Lifelong Senior Theatre Troupe with youth from the Village at Ithaca, Community Unity Music Education Program (CUMEP), and Running to Places Theatre Company, with everyone writing short plays based on the stories they learn from their partners. “Stages of Life” is supported by grants from CAP’s Creative Recovery Fund and the Legacy Foundation of Tompkins County. 

Black to the Future Film Festival

With support from a 2021 Community Arts Partnership Grants for Arts Programs (GAP) grant, a grant from the Park Foundation, a generous gift from Tompkins Community Bank, and Giving is Gorges contributions from June, Story House will present a first-ever Black film festival in 2023. Local entertainer Kenneth McLaurin and Ithaca College film faculty members Nicole Horsley and Shola Ajayi are the creative forces behind the project. Stay tuned for more details.

Presentation Night

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We are describing Presentation Night as "very short talks by non-experts on whatever." The first session, on February 7, attracted 65 people to The Soil Factory. Mapping engineer and storyteller Omar Shehata was the host. Topics ranged from why sourdough bread is not alcoholic to how we know what we know. Another session is scheduled for April 4 at Deep Dive. Be a presenter or just come for the fun of learning! 

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Rural storytelling tour

Story House helped organize a tour of rural libraries in Tompkins County last summer and into the winter by master storytellers Regi Carpenter and Jay Leeming. Their visits, which featured storytelling workshops for kids and adults, were supported by a CAP GAP grant.