“STORY SLAM IN THE PARK”

LAUNCH - 7:30 pm, Tuesday, February 9, 2010

At Café Haven, 9 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park, 780-417-5523

Contact: Katharine Weinmann, 780-467-9541

or go to Café Haven’s website: www.cafehaven.ca

Based on models in Vancouver, New York and Edmonton, Story Slam makes its debut in Sherwood Park on February 9th. Cafe Haven's Michael and Julie Harvey, and long- time Sherwood Park resident and Story Slam enthusiast Katharine Weinmann invite you to take a risk, be bold, and have an experience you’ll always remember. Visit your dreams, explore your past, stir your creativity, question your existence, write a story and get on stage to share it with an eager, appreciative audience in a welcoming, yet competitive environment. We gather on the 2nd Tuesday of every month to celebrate stories – fact, fiction or a combination.

Arrive early. Share a meal, tip a cup and join our newest community of storywriters and readers. We'll hear stories about childhood, middle and old age; lifetime yearnings and wisdom gleanings; parenthood, sisterhood and brotherhood; triumphs and failures; dreams and nightmares; what ifs, and what might be's.

In short, Story Slam in the Park is:

WHO: 10 storywriters, a story-loving audience and 5 audience judges

WHAT: 5 minute, original stories read/performed before an audience (Strict point penalty for rambling. Gong at 7 minutes). “Pass the hat” for contributions - $5 suggested - the evening’s winner takes all

WHEN: LAUNCH - Tuesday, February 9, 2010 & the 2nd Tuesday of every month Sign up at 6:30 p.m. Stage opens at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cafe Haven, 9 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park

Check out their website at www.cafehaven.ca for their menu and directions.

Katharine has regularly enjoyed Edmonton’s event, hosted by Susan Hagan and the Blue Chair Café. Appreciating the depth of creativity and the breadth of community represented both by those who step up to read, and who come to listen, she felt captivated and inspired to bring Story Slam to Sherwood Park. “Story Slam in the Park invites a community’s best - its vibrancy, eclecticism, pragmatism, and capacity to dream big… We’re a cross section of age, ethnicity, politics, work and life experience, and viewpoints.”

As a life coach, process artist and group facilitator whose work centres on community building and future creating, Weinmann recognized Story Slam as a simple, yet effective and highly entertaining way to do this.