The JustStories Fellowship seeks to challenge and energize the professional storytelling community to develop, create and perform stories that deal with ethnic identity, race relations and valuing differences.

The Fellowship provides financial and creative support to a storyteller to find the time and space to create an original performance piece or pieces that deal with inclusive themes.

The JustStories Fellowship is an initiative of Angels Studio/Chicago in collaboration with O'Halloran Communications/Evanston, Illinois.

2007 JustStories Fellow:
Bangladeshi-American Muslim

Storyteller Arif Choudhury

Arif Choudhury explores how the various things he has been called --family names, nicknames, labels, and slurs/epithets throughout his life by friends and family, bullies, racists, and “well-meaning” but less than enlightened people have left an imprint on him, on how they have shaped who he is and how he sees himself.

Read more about Arif's story

2005 - 06 JustStories Fellows:
Latina Storyteller Olga Loya
and Cherokee Storyteller Gayle Ross

Storyteller Olga Loya

In 2006 Mexican-American storyteller Olga Loya developed, wrote and performed a story called "Nepantal". This original story was drawn from the culture "collisions" of Latino and American life. Telling personal and original stories, Olga Loya explores that place "in between" - Nepantal - when we are trying to figure out who we are and where we "fit" in this world. Olga Loya's new story is drawn from her life-journey and family history -- and gives us all an opportunity to look at ourselves in a whole new way.

Read more about Olga's story.

Olga Loya: oloya1@mindspring.com

Storyteller Gayle Ross

Gayle Ross first told her provocative story Inside the Beaded Beltway - Stories of American Indian Ambassadors to thousands at the Jonesborough, TN National Storytelling Festival October 7 - 9, 2005.

Ross tells in her story in historical and personal ways about the history of Indian delegations who traveled to Washington DC to argue for fair treatment of tribal peoples and to negotiate just treaties. The stories in Ross’ narrative are often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspirational as they shed light on race relations during the founding of America - and today.

Ross recently said : “ This piece, I believe, is important for many reasons. I want people to see beyond the stereotypes of Indian people perpetuated in popular media, that of the “naked savage” and the “noble shaman”. When our shared history is better understood, then people can begin to see clearly the issues that affect Native people today, most especially treaty obligations and tribal sovereignty. As the great Lakota leader, Sitting Bull once said, “Let us put our heads together and see what kind of world we can make for our children.”

Ross is a descendant of John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation during the infamous “Trail of Tears”. Ross, who learned many stories from her grandmother, skillfully weaves traditional Cherokee stories with history and contemporary Indian themes and issues. Ross has performed internationally, including at the “Millennium on the Mall” cosponsored by the White House and the Smithsonian Institution, and the Kennedy Center. She has written five award-winning children’s books, and has been a featured Storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival at Jonesborough TN six times.

The JustStorties Fellowship allowed Gayle Ross to carry out travel and interviewing in the final stages of the writing of her story.

Gayle Ross : gaylerross81@hotmail.com

Dovie Thomason, 2004 JustStories Fellow

Dovie was supported in the on-going development of a series of stories about residential schools and American Indians in the last century. Dovie Thomason is a Lakota/Kiowa Apache storyteller.

Dovie Thomason: dovestory@earthlink.net

Gerald Fierst, 2005 JustStories Fellow

Gerry was supported in developing and writing a number of stories for the new, three-voiced storytelling piece, More Alike Than Not: Stories from Three Americans - Catholic, Jewish and Muslim with Susan O'Halloran and Arif Choudhury. Gerry revels in, treasures and tells Jewish stories in the USA and overseas.

Gerald Fierst: gerald@geraldfierst.com

Mama Edie Armstrong, Summer 2005 JustStories Fellow

Storyteller Mama Edie Armstrong was supported in exploring the development of a summer program for Pan African refugee youth in Chicago. The project is called What About the Children? Storytelling in Action.

Mama Edie Armstrong: mamaedie2@aol.com

Antonio Sacre, 2003 JustStories Fellow

The 2003 JustStories Fellow was bilingual storyteller, Antonio Sacre
who is based in Los Angeles.

Antonio Sacre: asacre@earthlink.net

... Using stories to connect to our common story ...

photos : firstlightcreative.com