Rebooting The Tell

The Tell was a storytelling event similar in structure to The Moth which operated in Fargo-Moorhead until late 2019 when its founder and manager moved from the area. Several regular participants and volunteers have longed to restart The Tell and decided to pursue a reboot. We've held several brainstorming and organizing sessions, including research into venues and other costs.

We plan to hold the first event of the new TELL on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at Cellar 624 (formerly the VIP Room). We plan monthly events through June-November and January-May with a year-end "Tell-Off" where the story winners from the previous months compete to be the TELL champion. Each event features about six storytellers who are drawn at random from those wishing to Tell. Between each story we will feature music from a local musician or group and the musicians receive an honorarium for performing.

The venue cost is $100/hour plus bar minimum and is the major expense. The logo and facebook page will be updated. Promotion to begin in May. We have to provide a platform or riser, and a basic (one microphone) sound system, but the venue will store it for us. The platform is the only significant startup/one-time expense.

The Tell's former designer/social media promoter, Kay Weiss, has agreed to resume her role and we have access to records and samples of written materials (ballots, judging criteria, etc.). We plan to charge an admission of $10-$20 per person. The fee is still to be determined, but is intended to be affordable, yet keep the event self-sustaining after startup.

Funded by Cass Clay (April 2024)