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Keynote Addresses
Thursday, July 29, 8:30-9:30 pm
Diane Ferlatte – Storytelling – The Tool of a Culture
Is storytelling a singular activity with separate & opposite roles of the teller & the listener, the performer & audience, or does the process of storytelling envelop both elements into a sense of community?
Is it true that "Talking to one another is loving one another" as the African proverb says?
Diane will explore these questions, revealing that many stories and listeners can create one world through story.
Diane Ferlatte is known for the intimate and personal rapport that she has been making with her audiences for over twenty years. With humor, depth, and tenderness, Diane loves to tell stories that hold truths touching upon our common humanity. She believes that telling and listening to each other’s stories not only enable us to learn about each other, but also to understand each other better.
Besides performing on six continents, her awards include a 2008 Grammy Nomination, the National Storytelling Network’s Oracle Circle of Excellence Award, the National Association of Black Storyteller’s Zora Neale Hurston Award, California Arts Council's Highest Ranking, as well as numerous awards for her recordings.
Saturday, July 31, 2:45-3:45 pm
Antonio Sacre - Honest Stories Meet the Real World
In 2007, Sacre spoke at the Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado, a prestigious yet unpaid honor. While there, he spoke at the local high school on a panel called “Sex, Teens, and Drugs.” The story he told there, while wildly popular with the students and ultimately pro-abstinence, was quoted out of context in the national media for nearly a month, including Clear Channel and XM radio, and at least five times on The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News.
Sacre will share the controversial story, the aftermath that severely affected his career, and discuss how (and how not) to tell difficult stories.
Antonio Sacre, an internationally touring storyteller, writer, and solo performance artist based in Los Angeles, has been featured at the Kennedy Center, the National Storytelling Festival, and schools, libraries, and festivals worldwide. He has three books published, two by Abrams Books for Young Readers, and his recordings have won numerous awards.