- Have you been intrigued by artistic retreats, but were turned off by the high price, travel required, or lengthy time commitment?
- Did you ever attend a conference only to feel like you were crashing a private party or invading a longstanding social circle?
- Would you enjoy an affordable, accessible, & inclusive weekend of creative community and fun with 100+ new friends?
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 14th (7:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
Optional Zoom session for questions, icebreakers, and meeting new people.
Friday, April 17th (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
Welcome session and professional performance. Live music downstairs.
Saturday, April 18th (9:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
Full day of learning, fun, and exploration. Choose your own adventure!
Sunday, April 19th (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM)
Un-Slam performance by random draw of willing attendees and pizza party.
LOCATION
Join us in the North Center neighborhood at four classic Chicago venues all within 1-5 minute walking distance.
- Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro (3905 N Lincoln)
- Martyrs' (3855 N Lincoln)
- Bughouse Theater (1910 W Irving Park)
- Dance Center Chicago (3868 N Lincoln)
Limited free parking in lot and on cross streets. Metered in lot and on Lincoln. No meters active on Sunday!
EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. NO UPCHARGES.
- Six meals, loads of snacks, and all the coffee you can drink.
- Professional development sessions from an all-star lineup of acclaimed artists, teachers, and storytellers.
- A daylong storytelling open mic at a local theater.
- A daylong story circle to join for conversational storytelling.
- A drop-in Improv Gym. No experience necessary!
- Comfortable lounges for socializing, writing, reading, and daydreaming.
- Endless opportunities to share your own stories onstage and off, with no pressure or judgment. You can also choose to just listen!
- Conversation, camaraderie, and community.
- Optional large and small group activities and exercises.
- The ability to design your own perfect day.
- So much more.
PRESENTERS
No two sessions run concurrently, so you can experience them all (or some, or none, depending on how you want to spend your Saturday!)
- Michele Carlo
- Emily Lansana
- Ursa Miles
- Murphy Monroe
-Tim Rhoze
- Scott Whitehair
During the day on Saturday, we'll feature a drop-in Improv Gym with Liz Allen!
For more info on presenters and sessions, please click here.
ALL OF YOUR MEALS ARE COVERED, ALL WEEKEND.
On Friday evening, we'll have seasonal crudités served with Ranch, a selection of four Irish & domestic cheeses served with crackers & oat cakes, and an array of thin sliced corned beef, house smoked bangers, & smoked meats from Nueske's in Wisconsin, served with stout mustard.
For breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday, we'll have lots of coffee and some light options, such as fruit, yogurt, and muffins, at both Martyrs' and Murphy's.For lunch on Saturday, your choice of boxed lunches: A turkey sandwich with Irish potato chips, or a seasonal harvest salad (Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free).For dinner on Saturday, Murphy's will serve your choice of their 7-Time Ribfest Champion pork ribs with Guinness mac n' cheese, OR classic pub-style fish & chips OR vegetable curry with rice (Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free).At the conclusion of the Un-Slam on Sunday, we'll enjoy some tavern-cut pizza (Gluten and dairy free options will be available upon request.)All weekend long, Martyr's and Murphy's will have stations for snacks & treats.
*Soft drinks and alcohol not included, but available for purchase at venues.
Our guarantee to you: You will be valued, respected, included, and treated as an equal your entire time with us. Whether you've been professionally telling stories for decades or this retreat marks your first foray into formal storytelling, we consider you a kindred spirit and colleague. You are a human being, which makes you a storyteller and one of us.No experience is necessary, and the only prerequisite is an interest in stories and other people. You belong here, and we can't wait to spend some quality time with you.We don't care what kind of storyteller you are or hope to become. Personal narrative teller? Video game designer? Folktale aficionado? Graphic novelist? Corporate presenter? Journalist? Juggler? Grandmother telling bedtime tales?It's all storytelling to us.
ORGANIZER INFO: Scott Whitehair is the producer of THIS MUCH IS TRUE, the city's longest running monthly personal narrative series, creator of STORY LAB CHICAGO, featured in Forbes and Newsweek, and founder of DO NOT SUBMIT, a citywide network of pressure free open mics. He has told stories anywhere somebody will listen, including The Steppenwolf, Second City, The Green Mill, The Woodstock Opera House, and for NPR, The Risk Podcast, Sirius XM, and more. Scott is a 2x Moth Slam winner and has been featured at The Printer's Row Lit Festival, Fillet of Solo Festival, Chicago Improv Festival, The Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival, The Evanston Public Library Storytelling Festival, and The Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference. He has taught sold-out monthly classes since 2012, and has done training for such organizations as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Price Waterhouse Cooper, RW Baird, Chicago Cares, Loews Hotels, Lurie Children's Hospital, Crate & Barrel, Dyson, United Way, and many others. Scott has been a guest instructor at DePaul, Northwestern, Loyola, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, IO Chicago, and The Latin School. His private coaching clients have included a Fortune 500 CEO and top speakers nationwide. Scott formerly served on the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Network, taught a week long course at All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, and was the featured instructor at Hong Kong Story Worthy Week, which was headlined by David Sedaris. Scott performed at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough in 2017. He is a 2024 Meier Achievement Award winner.
For even more details, please visit our website.
All sales are final. Registration may be transferred to another party if the need arises.
I'd like to provide a registration to a stranger challenged by financial hardship.
This is priced so ridiculously low, it almost annoys me. Here's some extra funds to put towards the festivities.
