The Toronto International Storytelling Festival takes place this May 5-14, 2023.
This May, Storytelling Toronto invites you to immerse yourself in the transformative magic of storytelling.
The 10-day festival features some of the city’s greatest storytellers along side invited guests from across the country and worldwide. Paul Aflalo and Dwayne Morgan return as festival curators, and January Rogers remains on the team as Advisor to Indigenous curation, continuing a legacy of diverse and innovative programming. Isaac Murdoch (Cutler, ON) returns by popular demand to share more stories with us from his Ojibwe traditions; Sahand Sahebdivani (Iran/The Netherlands) brings with him his unique style of marrying myth and personal stories; and Devan Sandiford (USA) returns with a deeper dive into the emotional depths of true storytelling.
We are proud to announce an amazing partnership with Theatre Passe Muraille’s Bob Nasmith Innovation Backspace, at Queen and Bathurst. This newly renovated and accessible performance space will be the home for most of our festival events. We will also be hosting all of our workshops at the nearby Centre for Social Innovation at Queen and Spadina, including the new Storyteller’s Conference: two full days of workshops for storytellers to train with masterful tellers and coaches.
We are also excited about partnering with the Alliance Française for a unique StoryFusion Cabaret! presentation of French-Canadian storytellers, curated by Donna Dudinsky. As well as the Festival Gala which will be featured at Factory Theatre’s Studio space.
And finally we are thrilled to announce an Opening Night partnership with the Gardiner Museum.
Celebrate the launch of the 2023 Toronto International Storytelling Festival with an evening of live storytelling inspired by Karine Giboulo: Housewarming. This is a unique opportunity to hear expert storytellers expand the narratives of the characters in the exhibition and explore shared experiences of the pandemic.
Tickets are $25 ($21 for members) and include access to the exhibit before the show. Stick around after the show for some light refreshments and a cash bar to celebrate the start of this year’s festival.
4 by 4 for the 44th!
Help us create the magic of the 44th Toronto International Storytelling Festival!
Our goal is to raise $4,000 over 4 months in support of the 44th TISF. Become a Friend of the Festival by donating now! Our goal of $4,000 is achievable if each month,
100 people donate 10$; 50 people donate 20$; 40 people donate 25$; 20 people donate 50$; OR 10 people donate 100$
As a Friend of the Festival you will be recognized for your support online, and be entered to win 2 tickets to the Gala on May 13th.
Your contribution will be equally divided between our four 2023 Outreach Initiatives of:
- Ensuring our Family Storytelling Day remains FREE and accessible,
- The creation of our 2023 Youth Cohort in collaboration with the Cosburn Middle School (students learning to become storytellers),
- Establishing Accessibility models,
- and Supporting Indigenous Arts
Upcoming Events
- Concerts
- Workshops
- Talks
Upcoming Concerts
Upcoming Workshops
Upcoming Talks
We know some of you are eager to see the full program...
but we are not quite ready to share it with you all just yet!
In the meantime, we have put together this TEASER schedule which maps out the 10 days of the festival so that you can start blocking off time on your calendar!
Please note that this teaser calendar does not feature ALL of the festival programs, but most of them. We look forward to sharing the full program in the coming weeks!
If you would like the teaser schedule in an accessible format (ie. not as an image), reach out to us at access@storytellingtoronto.org
- About the Festival
- Covid-19 Policy
- Accessibility
The Toronto International Storytelling Festival celebrates oral storytelling with traditional stories, personal true stories, poetry and so much more. The Festival promotes the sharing of values and cultures that connect us together.
The Festival also honours the many cultural traditions that come together in Toronto, one of the greatest crossroad cities in the world.
Now in our 43rd year, this is one of the world’s largest and oldest urban celebrations of live storytelling, oral traditions, and cultural diversity. We’ve pioneered grassroots storytelling in the community, and especially the importance of storytelling as a way to build intercultural and inter-generational bridges.
The Toronto International Storytelling Festival is produced by Storytelling Toronto, a Toronto based charity, that promotes and teaches the art of oral storytelling.
While public health policies regarding COVID precautions are changing, Storytelling Toronto and the Toronto International Storytelling Festival remain committed to the safety of artists, community members, staff and audiences who are coming together for this year's Festival. We are committed to upholding the following safety measures:
• All staff, artists, volunteers, and audience members must wear a mask in the venues, except while eating, drinking, or performing.
• The microphone will be sanitized between performers, or a different mic will be used.
• All on-duty staff and artists will be self-monitoring and taking rapid antigen tests regularly.
These measures help to reduce the transmission of COVID. We also encourage community members to self-monitor for COVID symptoms, and avoid attending activities at the Festival if they are not feeling well. If you miss an in-person event, you will be able to watch it online!
We will continue to review our procedures and will provide updates over time. Please continue to check in for regular updates.
Accessibility at the Festival
Storytelling Toronto is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and accessible space during all of our festival programming.
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about the accessibility at Storytelling Toronto, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator, Victoria Lacey, at access@storytellingtoronto.org
Land Acknowledgement
Storytelling Toronto and the 2023 Toronto International Storytelling
Festival operate on the ancestral and traditional territories of the
Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe, and the
Huron-Wendat Nations; the original caretakers of this land. We give
thanks to the Nations who live, and have lived, and protected their
territory against colonization, historically and today.