Over the almost three years we have been running Storytime, there has been a good deal of debate over the intentionally unclear definition of the word “collective”, our collective, and why or how someone becomes a part of it.
The loose understanding was:
If you have read at Storytime, you become part of the collective.
This applied to both curated readers and open mic-ers.
Quickly, it became clear, this was inadequate.
What of the people who come to the nights, bring their light and their energy, but do not wish to read?
What of those who have not yet been lucky enough to have their names pulled out of the open mic hat?
Surely, they too are of the collective?
What of the team that runs the nights, designs the posters, runs the door, invites friendly folks and folky friends?
Are they not part of the collective?
Of course, yes, they were and are.
This prompted more intense bouts of existential interrogation. Does a collective obtain meaning by virtue of having an in-group or an out-group? Does inclusion and/or exclusion extend to codes of behaviour, with those who chant noisily being included, while those who wish to sit pleasantly, quietly and alone in the corner, being viciously shunned even though they too are (less conspicuously) deriving a sense of calm and fulfilment from being at the night.
Perhaps then these arbitrary assignations have no real power. Can something intended to be inclusive continue to be so if it is defined along exclusionary terms?
I do not have the answers to these questions.
What I do know is that Storytime is a club and a collective for like-minded folks to gather frequently, meet, tell stories, play music, make merry, etc.
We also want to grow, run more nights, and give more people the opportunity to read, perform, gather, spread the Storytime magic.
So, you can now become a Collective Member for £6/month.
This will give you access to:
(1) Storytime Monthly Story Writing Competition
As suggested by its pithy title, this is a monthly story writing competition. There is a monthly prize of £100 for the best story.
To enter, you must submit a maximum 1500-word story by the last day of each month on a given theme that is only made available to Collective members on the first day of each month. Points for creativity, experimentation,
The writer of the best story (judged by appointed members within the collective) will receive a £100 prize each month and will have their story published on the website. They will also get a headline slot at a future Storytime.
(2) Unplugged
Collective membership also gives you access to tickets for our monthly unplugged events. Only members will receive event details. These nights will be monthly and have secret headliners, secret locations, with no phones or recordings or photographs taken. This has been a lovely series over summer and will now continue on a monthly basis.
There are also some additional and extremely exciting Perks:
Collective members will receive 10% discount codes for all events tickets and will receive full access to all stories read at the night here on our website. We will also upload all photos from the nights in the subscriber-only parts of the website. Depending on interest, we will also roll out membership cards.
Finally, the first ten sign-ups will receive a free Storytime hat.
Why are we doing this?
We want the collective to expand and do more. We think that official membership of Storytime - where you get access to special competitions and event and content - is the best way to do this.
Also, very bluntly, we need a sustainable source of income for Storytime to pay the people who run the night in order that they are able to continue running it and also to pay our readers and performers as fairly as possible.
If you want to help us build the night to continue and to grow, consider signing up for £6 / month and formalise your membership of the collective.
