Anyone interested in becoming a storyteller or wanting to learn how to tell their family’s history can check out the Rose Hill Storytelling Conference on Saturday, June 8, at the Meridian Railroad Museum.
Presented by The Rose Hill Company of Players, the conference will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Cost to attend the event is $40 per person and includes lunch. The Meridian Railroad Museum will be closed to outside visitors during the conference.
This is an enlightening literary event aimed at promoting the art of storytelling, said Anne McKee, one of the founders of The Rose Hill Company of Players and executive director of the railroad museum.
“Storytelling is the oldest art form known to man and woman,” she said. “Before cave drawings, people sat around the fire outside and told stories.”
Through information presented at the conference and demonstrations from numerous local and out-of-town storytellers, participants will learn how to weave a good story to convey a message and entertain their audience, McKee said.
Many established storytelling groups around the state disbanded during the COVID pandemic, and the Rose Hill players hope to reignite an interest in the art form through their second annual conference.
“During COVID so many of the storytelling groups around the state closed and never reopened,” McKee said.
The keynote storyteller for the event will be Dianne Burrow Butler, a retired educator and storyteller from Magee, who specializes in telling stories geared toward the interest of children, she said.
Several local and out-of-town storytellers will join McKee in sharing stories during the conference, including Lauderdale County Sheriff Ward Calhoun, Dr. Alan Brown, Terrence Roberts and Zane Royal and his dog, Buddy, who plays Shadow the Railroad Dog.
Anyone interested in participating in the conference can register by calling 601-479-2483 or by email at info@meridianrails.org. The deadline to register is Monday, June 3.