Unplugged

As a grassroots storytelling night, we are compelled to embrace all manner of methods of spreading the word. This means we increasingly deploy social media content, short clips of stories shared at the nights captured by our wonderful videographers, and beautiful pictures taken by our splendid photographers in some vague attempt to capture the essence of the nights.

Look, here!

This is how much fun you might well have if you attend a Storytime. You could well be one of these cheery and delighted people who truly and genuinely appear to be having a lovely, wonderful, natural and keenly engaged time.

We don’t regret this and must lean into it to a certain extent. In an increasingly visual media ecosystem and with no budget or meaningful financial backing (and while trying to both keep ticket prices at £10 while also paying our readers as fairly as possible), we would stymie more people finding us if we swore off it altogether. We would like to build Storytime as something of a movement and the things we place lightly upon the World Wide Web will help do this. Similarly, this Substack is a useful and moe substantial way to communicate with you, our dear collective members.

We admire and envy those who swear off social media completely to live happily in the woods forever. We are not brave enough for this more extreme course of action just yet.

HOWEVER.

The moment itself must always be the most important thing. There is a slight sense of perpetual compromise when everything is documented.

There should be some moments that are preserved and kept sacred, protected from the prying eyes of a camera lens or any other form of documentation.

So we announce Storytime Unplugged Volume #1, a new and indefinite secret series of storytelling and music nights that will take place around the city in several secret locations. Phones, cameras and all other systems and methods of documentation other than the written word are outlawed. You may also of course transmit news of the night by way of oral storytelling. For example, you could say to a colleague the following day:

Went to an event in the woods last night, no phones allowed, nothing. Everyone properly in the moment. Good, it was.

You slurp your tea with feigned insouciance, scorching your tongue. But you care not! For the news is important and must be shared.

How did people know you were there? Responds the colleague, baffled.

You lean forward.

They didn’t. They just have to believe me.

And now you might allow yourself a tentative grin, as your mind returns to the golden evening that took place, an undocumentable and undocumented few hours in a sacred outdoor space, where stories and songs were shared between a very small number of people in a highly meaningful spot.

Now you find yourself amidst a blissful reverie, a noontime stupor, and your colleague with whom you were conversing has wandered off to send an email, drink the latest pitiful instalment of their Pret subscription, and converse jealously with your other colleagues.

I think they went to a sex party in the woods last night, they might say.

Let them talk! Let them think what they want. For you will know that you were there for Unplugged #1. And only those in attendance will be able to speak to its great vibrancy, its purpose, its refulgence, and its significance.

Storytime Unplugged Volume #1 will take place on Thursday 16 July at 7pm. The first will be free. If you’d like to come, send us as an email and you will receive the relevant information and the password.

Before then, we present SCÉALAÍOCHTA with Johnjoe Irwin & Luke Macpherson next Friday 10 July. This will be a night inspired by the Irish tradition and will be lovely. Tickets are here.