Safe Harbors Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Safe Harbors of the Hudson announces launch of
StoryCON
New Monthly Storytelling Series Every Last Saturday at the Lobby at the Ritz
Winning Storyteller Each Month to Receive Cash Prize
NEWBURGH, NEW YORK - Safe Harbors of the Hudson, a Newburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives and building community through housing and the arts, announced the launch of StoryCON, a new monthly storytelling series. Taking place on the last Saturday of each month in the Lobby at the Ritz, StoryCON will present a night of storytelling featuring six storytellers from Newburgh and the Hudson Valley.
Each month StoryCON will be facilitated and hosted by a different professional storyteller and organized around a theme—from first loves to worst days ever to stories from urban renewal and Newburgh history. StoryCON events will begin with a daytime workshop led by that month’s host, who will help participants shape and rehearse their stories for performance that night. The winning story selected by the audience at each monthly event will take home a $100 cash prize, and a slot in the season’s final StoryCON All-Stars event.
Ken Martinez, Safe Harbors’ Director of Performing Arts & Community Programming, shared, “StoryCON is a shorthand that encompasses everything about the event: Convention, meaning a gathering of storytellers; Contest, because the winning storyteller will receive a $100 prize; and most importantly the City of Newburgh, because this is a home-grown series and storytellers involved should be from the Newburgh area. Our goal is to create a platform for all voices and cultivate a community of diverse storytellers while building an audience that loves them.”
The first inaugural StoryCON event will take place Saturday, January 25 at 7 pm at Safe Harbors’ Lobby at the Ritz. Hosted by storyteller Drew Prochaska, the theme of the January StoryCON event will be “The First Time.” Drew is a two-time Moth StorySlam winner who has been featured on the RISK! and Story Collider podcasts, as well as Maine Public Radio. He has performed on and curated episodes of PBS World Channel’s Stories from the Stage. Drew is also the host of The Artichoke, a storytelling series at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY.
Tickets to the event are $10 in advance, or $15 at the door. Link for tickets: https://bit.ly/storyCON
Those interested in participating in StoryCON as storytellers should contact Ken Martinez at at kmartinez@safe-harbors.org or 845.784.1110 for more information.
SERIES SCHEDULE & LOCATION
StoryCON will take place at 7 pm every last Saturday of the month at Safe Harbors’ Lobby at the Ritz, located at 107 Broadway in downtown Newburgh.
Saturday, January 25
Saturday, February 22
Saturday, March 29
Saturday, April 26
Saturday, May 31
Saturday, June 28 – StoryCON All-Stars
Each month’s theme, host, and participating storytellers to be announced. Follow @safeharborsofthehudson or visit https://safe-harbors.org for more information.
ABOUT SAFE HARBORS OF THE HUDSON
Safe Harbors of the Hudson is a dynamic arts and housing nonprofit located in the City of Newburgh, New York. With the mission of transforming lives and building community through housing and the arts, Safe Harbors plays an integral role in Newburgh’s continuing revitalization through innovative redevelopment projects that co-locate supportive and affordable housing with visual and performing arts spaces and programming.
Safe Harbors operates the Cornerstone Residence, which provides supportive housing for 128 neighbors; the Ann Street Gallery, a contemporary visual arts venue; Safe Harbors Green, a vital green space and outdoor stage; and the Ritz Theater, the last historic performance venue in Newburgh which Safe Harbors is restoring into a flexible performance space for presentation, creation, education, and engagement. https://safe-harbors.org
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