Virtual Options                     by  Mikalena  Zuckett

Have you been wondering about virtual options for national and regional events?  Me too. So many conferences and workshops now offer a virtual option, sometimes even recorded so if you aren’t available, you can still see the event.

With the National Storytelling Network Conference so close this year, in Kennesaw, Georgia, I had really hoped to attend. Between my health issues and the conference location being a college campus, I just couldn’t work it all out. However, all hope was not lost. I could try the virtual option. It was my very first virtual conference, a whole new type of challenge! 

My first concern with the virtual option was that I wouldn’t be able to make the personal connections which were so wonderful and made me feel so at home when I attended the three NSN conferences that were held in Kansas City, Missouri (2015, 2016 and 2017). It was that contact which made me feel like “I had found my tribe!” How could a virtual ticket deliver that?

The virtual ticket live-streamed and recorded all the events on the main theatre stage. After the usual local dignitaries, NSN officers and conference planning committee member greetings to open the conference the local featured tellers provided an interesting showcase of Georgia’s storytellers. These were two separate links, so if you wanted to skip the initial hoopla and get straight to the performances, you could. 

The first full day of the NSN 2025 Conference, there were links for workshops and performances for every hour of the day. While I had no choice in which workshops and performances I could attend in each time slot, each virtual event offered was entirely engaging and the videography was well done. These links will be available to virtual ticket holders until September 30, 2025. In other words, if I wanted to skip if for now, I could come back later. Even so, I only missed one event in real time.

What made the difference for me were the two Zoom gatherings. I had trouble accessing the first one, my Zoom app wasn’t cooperating with their link. Eventually, I got it worked out and only joined the meeting a little bit late. The meeting was being run by the Healing Story Alliance, (HSA https://healingstoryalliance.org/) a group which used to be a Special Interest Group for NSN, but which has greatly changed since COVID.  Of course, that’s another story. HSA’s programs are all on-line now and they were offering their expertise in two Zoom meetings as part of the Virtual Ticket.  It's interesting how connected Zoom can help us to feel. I could actually see faces, talk to other people about the performances, ask questions, get more information and get clarifications. One of the moderators was at the conference, which linked us further with the live event. There was no Zoom meeting on Saturday, but there was one more HSA Zoom meeting as part of the wrap up. 

WVSG’s own Adam Booth was the emcee for the Friday night National Tellers Showcase and had some storytelling surprises for both the tellers and the audience. So glad that I didn’t miss that!

While all the performances were excellent and I heard many voices new to me, it was that connecting with other storytellers that made the difference and the Zoom meeting provided it.During the wrap up Zoom meeting,  I shared the story of how, at my first NSN conference, as I walked up the grand staircase to the meeting area, I overheard two ladies in front of me talking.

 “Ah! It’s so nice to be with my tribe again!” One said to the other, who quickly agreed.

Me, too! That was a perfect way to express what I was feeling. Now I was wondering how a virtual ticket could provide that, yet on my laptop screen, in this Zoom session, heads bobbed in each gallery view box and smiles of understanding crossed the screen as I shared this brief story. They felt that way too. Many of them were part of HSA’s Oars In The Water Zoom meeting which is held twice a month, with featured storytellers followed by a discussion of the story presented. (see HSA’s web address listed above for more information,)  

The Virtual Conference ticket is still on sale, so if you want to check out the performances, to see WVSG’s own JoAnn Dadisman receive the Oracle Award and perform along with other nationally recognized Oracle Winners, this is one way you can still do that.  Virtual tickets are still available until September 30, 2025, but the Zoom meeting, which had been my favorite part, will be a recording, if it’s included at all in the after conference Virtual ticket. 

In addition to WVSG’s Adam Booth being Emcee on opening night, Sunday brought us a workshopping of a tandem telling program being prepared for Booth’s Speak Series 2025 Commissioned work: The Strange Case of Lady Liberty by Barry Steward Mann and Deborah Strahorn. This commissioned piece is scheduled at Speak for November 11, 2025. 

WOW! This made me call my friend in Virginia and make plans for us both to see Mann and Strahorn’s final product in person! What I saw on my virtual ticket was a work in progress and it was already impressive.

So, you may want to still treat yourself to the virtual NSN Conference ticket. It’s an amazing option and I am so glad that I took that leap of faith and tried it out!