HISTORY

The Storytelling Resource Place (SRP) was founded in 2016 to promote the collecting and preserving of resources related to the art of storytelling as well as to establish a hub where these resources can be available to storytellers, researchers, historians, and academicians from across the country and around the world.   The founders recognized the value of having a central facility where the serious storytelling artist and aficionadas of storytelling can have access to storytelling artifacts from the storytelling pioneers and can identify and collect current resources significant to the evolution of storytelling.

 While the practice of storytelling is ancient and has been embedded in all cultures as a basis for transmitting values and history, its recognition as a universal art form first gained national attention in the early 1970’s in Jonesborough, Tennessee  where our early master storytellers told stories in front of the courthouse to listeners sitting on hay bales .   These founding tellers of this great American movement are aging and some are no longer with us.  There is an urgent need to ensure that their stories, working documents, audio-visuals, and collateral aides such as instruments, props, and costumes are preserved and made available now as well as for future generations of tellers and listeners. 

Already over 4,000 items have been donated to the effort by legends such as Flora Joy and Elizabeth Ellis. Each year tens of thousands visit Jonesborough because of an interest in storytelling.   The location of the SRP in the historic Slemmons House in Jonesborough will strengthen the town and provide a location near the roots of a great American art form.

The greatest needs for the SRP are to have active supporters and donors.   Leading local community leaders as well as leaders in the storytelling community have already indicated their support and recognition of the need.  SRP has been approved for  501(c) 3 status .  In order to make the SRP vision a reality, SRP will begin fundraising.  

If you would like to become a member, please fill out the application located on this site and email it to storytellingresouceplace@gmail.com or mail to Storytelling Resource Place, P.O. Box 1145, Jonesborough, TN 37659.