Ase: the Chicago Association of Black Storytellers Affiliate Report 2014

Ase: The Chicago Association of Black Storytellers’ Affiliate Report – 2014

This has been a whirlwind year for ASE. We left NABS knowing that we needed to step up our game for we are hosting NABS 32nd Annual “In the Tradition . . .” Festival and Conference, Lighting the Way, Story Walkin’ ~ Rhythm Talkin’. With this in mind we spent many hours on the phone in conference with Jimmy and Tonya Caldwell preparing a fundraising instrument in the form of a letter. This letter kicked off a year of fundraising unlike any that ASE has seen in the past. Linda Gorham, co-director of the festival, worked tirelessly with the many committees that we formed to take care of festival business.

In addition to fundraising and making preparations for the NABS’ festival and conference, ASE continued and even stepped up our activities. The following is a list of events ASE sponsored and/or participated in:

Dec 15, 2014 - Kwanzaa Storytelling Celebration, King Branch Library, Chicago. ASE adult & youth tellers

Feb 15, 2014 – Black History Storytelling Concert, King Branch Library, Chicago. ASE youth tellers

Feb 22, 2014 – Black History ST Concert, COJ Family Life Center, Olympia Fields. ASE adult & youth tellers

Mar 8, 2014 – “It’s All About Love” ST Concert, Under the Gingko Tree BB, Chicago. ASE adult tellers

Mar 29, 2014 – ASE/NABS Community Meeting, UC Incubator, Chicago. NABSASE adult tellers

June 7, 2014 – Tribute to Gwendolyn Brooks, Printers Row Literary Fest, Chicago. ASE adult tellers

July 11, 2014 – “Our Voices, Our Stories” Annual ST Concert, Logan Center, Chicago. ASE adult tellers

July 12, 2014 – “Stories That Set You on Fire” Annual ST Concert, Logan Center, Chicago ASE youth tellers

Aug 12, 2014 – “Storytelling for a Cause,” Christ the Mediator Church, Chicago, ASE adult & youth tellers

As an organization ASE continues to grow and collaborate with other organizations. ASE inducted 6 new adult members this year. The ASE youth ensemble grew with each performance. We now have 19 financial youth members, 15 of which are active. ASE entered into a partnership with the University of Chicago Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts which allowed us to have our annual concerts in the Penthouse, to have our NABS community presentation in the UC Incubator and to have the upcoming NABS kick-off, Rhythm Talkin’, in the main theatre of the Logan Center. The founder and director of the Black Ensemble Theatre, Jackie Taylor, has invited ASE to use the Black Ensemble Theatre.

Respectfully submitted,

D. Kucha Brownlee, President