Live Workshops
Description
Create Your Story is a fun writing workshop that is perfect for seasoned writers as well as those folks who've only dreamed of writing their story. Minton has been teaching this workshop for 15 years and finds that there is no better way to get to know yourself and create community with others. This writing becomes medicine for the soul. We cange when we change the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.
Your Facilitator
Minton Sparks is a multifaceted artist whose talents span spoken word, novel writing, teaching, and essay composition. Her captivating performances have graced prestigious stages, from the renowned Jonesborough National Storytelling Festival to the iconic Lincoln Center and the legendary Grand Ole Opry. She has also shared the stage as an opening act for celebrated musicians like John Prine, Nanci Griffith, and Rodney Crowell.
Sparks' literary works and evocative writing have garnered widespread acclaim, receiving praise from esteemed media outlets such as NPR and BBC. Her debut recording featured a notable vocal contribution from the legendary Waylon Jennings, while her second recording included a collaboration with the Grammy-winning artist Keb Mo'.
Driven by her passion for fostering literary expression, Sparks founded the Nashville Writing and Performance Institute, where she imparts her wisdom and expertise through writing workshops held both domestically and internationally. In 2022, she further cemented her commitment to the spoken word and poetry community by launching the Minton Sparks' Spoken Word and Poetry Festival in Nashville, providing a platform for artists to showcase their talents and connect with fellow enthusiasts.
Come tell your story and get optional feedback from the pros!
Regi Carpenter, Jasmin Cardenas, Minton Sparks
Friday
Friday 4 - 5:30 pm
Ojai Art Center
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
Venue TBD
Free!
Workshop: Sheila Arnold
Healing the Divides through Storytelling
Saturday, October 25
3:30 - 5pm
Ojai Art Center Gallery
General Admission $25
Your Facilitator
Sheila Arnold, fondly known as Ms. Sheila, has been presenting Storytelling Programs, Historic Character Presentations, Christian Monologues, Professional Development and Inspirational/Motivational Speaking for schools, festivals, churches and organizations nationally and internationally since 2003. Sheila is also an Historical Consultant for museums, historical societies and organizations. One of Sheila's greatest joys is being the co-founder and Artistic Director of Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST), which formed during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, and continues to be a source of inspiration, strength and action in the storytelling and artists world. Sheila has been honored as a 2021 MacDowell Artist Fellow, a 2020 Mt. Vernon Research Fellow and a 2019 Hewnoaks Artist Colony summer residence Noted Artist. In the past she has worked as a Drama Ministry Director; Colonial Williamsburg employee; Substitute Teacher; and Social Worker for aggressive teens with emotional problems.
Sheila lives in Hampton, VA, near her son, Kristopher; her two grandsons, Brooklyn & KJ; as well as, her father and stepmother, Wallace & Vera Arnold. She communicates often with her Atlanta-based sister, Stephanie.
Description
Storytelling is a surprisingly flexible tool. It can entertain, inspire, inform, and even heal. Building on the use of storytelling as a healing practice in communities, schools, health care facilities, and religious institutions, Sheila will demonstrate how stories can help us heal divides and create a more inclusive and equitable world. The session will begin with a conversation-sparking story, then Sheila will teach participants how to find stories, use them to facilitate discussion, and create spaces where they can be received.
Saturday
Saturday 3:30 - 5pm
Help of Ojai
General Admission $25
Saturday
Description
Everyone loves a good story—but a funny story? That’s the one people remember, retell, and beg to hear again. Humor is a storyteller’s secret weapon, but great comedic moments don’t just happen—they’re crafted.
In this high-energy, laugh-filled workshop, storyteller Paul Strickland breaks down the mechanics of humor in storytelling, and how to make it hit every time. You’ll explore joke construction, comedic timing, and the subtle art of performance indicators—those small but powerful vocal shifts, gestures, and beats that signal an audience when to laugh. Through live examples, interactive exercises, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how professionals structure humor into their stories, you'll learn how to make funny moments replicable—not just lucky accidents.
Workshop: Paul Strickland
Comedic Techniques in Storytelling
Your Facilitator
Paul Strickland is a professional storyteller and theatre artist who lives in Kentucky. He has hours of unique family friendly stories in his repertoire, including reupholstered folk tales, fairytales for adults and future adults, tall-tales and even historical stories that just happened to have never happened.
Paul was a Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center in 2024. He was a Featured Teller: New Voice at the National Storytelling Festival and Featured Teller at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in 2023. and the Cave Run Storytelling Festival among others, in 2022.
In November of 2018 he made his NYC stage debut Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse with his shadow and flashlight ghost story play 13 Dead Dreams of “Eugene".
Always adapting to whatever audience is in front of him, Paul LOVES telling stories in every imaginable environment, from comedy clubs to elementary and middle schools, corporate events and even two prisons - where he was NOT an inmate at the time.
Collections of his stories have won "Best of Fest" honors more than 18 times at Fringe Theatre Festivals in the US and Canada. Selections from his comedy performance "Levels of Difficulty" are still played nearly every day on SiriusXM radio.
Sunday 9:00 - 10:30am
Art Center Gallery
General Admission $20
Sunday
Description
Turn a cherished memory into a memoir in this workshop. This workshop is designed to help you breathe life into your memories, developing vivid characters, authentic dialogue, and a robust story structure. Explore techniques to unlock your creative voice, discover the emotional core of your experiences, and shape them into a narrative that resonates with readers. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just beginning your memoir journey, this workshop provides a safe and inspiring space to develop your skills, share your stories, and connect with fellow memoirists.
Your Facilitator
Regi is the recipient of Storytelling World, Parent’s Choice, and Parents’ Guide to Children’s Media Awards. Her stories have been featured on Sirius Radio, Apple Seed Radio, The Moth, and NPR. Her story Snap! is a winner of the Boston StorySlam. Snap! is the true tale of her severe mental illness during her teenage years and her journey back to reality.
Her memoir, Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner: Stories of a Seared Childhood is “an unexpected gift that leaves us longing for more.” -Booklist Review
Regi is also the founder of Stories with Spirit, a creative initiative dedicated to bringing songs of joy and stories of hope to grieving children and the people who love and care for them in homes, hospices, and hospitals.
Workshop: Regi Carpenter
From Memory to Memoir
Workshop: Jasmin Cardenas
Finding You Voz/Voice!™ Exploring Self & Community through the body you find Identity Stories
Sunday 9:00 - 10:30am
Help of Ojai
General Admission $25
Description
Using games and activities that involve the body, voice and connecting with others, workshop participants will explore moments and memories from their lives that hold story potential. The workshop is very physical and all abilities are welcome. Come dressed comfortable to move. We will work in pairs, small groups and as a big group with moments for note taking.
Sunday
Your Facilitator
Jasmin Cardenas is a Colombian-American actress, theatermaker, educator, and social activist based in Chicago. She is a SAG-AFTRA member with credits in television and film. Cardenas is known for her work in Chicago's theater community, including Steppenwolf and Goodman theaters. She co-founded WorkersTEATRO to highlight wage worker stories and has been recognized for her storytelling, including a 2018 ALTA Award and a Race Bridges Storytelling Fellowship. Her one-woman show, ¿Niña Buena?, explores her experiences as a Latina American and has toured in the Midwest and Mexico. She was also awarded a 2020-2022 LAB Fellowship, was selected to be the 2022 U.S. Emergent Theater Artists, and received the 2023 USArtists International MidAtlantic Arts Grant.
Workshop: Paul Strickland
MORE THAN WORDS: Performance Techniques in Storytelling
Sunday, October 26
3:30 - 5:00pm
Help of Ojai Classroom
General Admission $20
Description
Telling a great story is about more than just words—it’s about how you *bring* those words to life. In “More Than Words: Performance Techniques for More Engaging Storytelling,” Paul will share practical techniques to enhance your stage presence, connect with your audience, and make your storytelling more compelling. Whether you’re a storyteller yourself or are just curious trying your hand (and voice) in the art, this interactive session will help you explore voice modulation, body language, pacing, and other essential performance skills to elevate your storytelling even in your day-to-day life.
Your Facilitator
Paul Strickland is a professional storyteller and theatre artist who lives in Kentucky. He has hours of unique family friendly stories in his repertoire, including reupholstered folk tales, fairytales for adults and future adults, tall-tales and even historical stories that just happened to have never happened.
Paul was a Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center in 2024. He was a Featured Teller: New Voice at the National Storytelling Festival and Featured Teller at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in 2023. and the Cave Run Storytelling Festival among others, in 2022.
In November of 2018 he made his NYC stage debut Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse with his shadow and flashlight ghost story play 13 Dead Dreams of “Eugene".
Always adapting to whatever audience is in front of him, Paul LOVES telling stories in every imaginable environment, from comedy clubs to elementary and middle schools, corporate events and even two prisons - where he was NOT an inmate at the time.
Collections of his stories have won "Best of Fest" honors more than 18 times at Fringe Theatre Festivals in the US and Canada. Selections from his comedy performance "Levels of Difficulty" are still played nearly every day on SiriusXM radio.
Sunday
Description
Stories from the world’s folk and fairy tale tradition often mirror the issues of people who seek professional care: confusion, depression, addiction, grief, and a loss of identity. This workshop demonstrates how these tales also contain coping skills, resourcefulness and resilience.
Sunday 3:30 - 5pm
Sane Living Auditorium
General Admission $20
Workshop: Regi Carpenter
Using Traditional Tales to Elicit Personal Stories & Coping Strategies
Your Facilitator
Regi is the recipient of Storytelling World, Parent’s Choice, and Parents’ Guide to Children’s Media Awards. Her stories have been featured on Sirius Radio, Apple Seed Radio, The Moth, and NPR. Her story Snap! is a winner of the Boston StorySlam. Snap! is the true tale of her severe mental illness during her teenage years and her journey back to reality.
Her memoir, Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner: Stories of a Seared Childhood is “an unexpected gift that leaves us longing for more.” -Booklist Review
Regi is also the founder of Stories with Spirit, a creative initiative dedicated to bringing songs of joy and stories of hope to grieving children and the people who love and care for them in homes, hospices, and hospitals.