History

Past, Present, Future

Tale Tellers of St. Augustine is a collective of professional storytellers and storytelling enthusiasts. We seek to provide a strong role model for any storytelling organization, of like size and purpose, and are an outstanding example of what a small, local group can accomplish.

Since its founding in January 1993, the guild has devoted itself to the advocacy of storytelling as an art form and an entertainment medium. The organization primarily develops projects and programs which provide cultural and educational enrichment to the St. Augustine area.

TTSA dedicates itself to expand public awareness of storytelling, and endeavors to make significant contributions to the larger storytelling community of Florida and beyond.

Storytelling Fundraisers

Since 1994, programs staged by TTSA have generated THOUSANDS of dollars to various charities, such as The Homeless: Benefit Performances for St. Francis House, the St. Johns County soup kitchen and homeless shelter. 

TTSA’s annual GhostWalk, in the St. Augustine Spanish Village, raises money for the St. Augustine Sertoma Club Scholarship Fund. These funds provide support to the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Christmas “Toyfor Tots” and tuition money to send hearing impaired children to summer camp in Central Florida.

St. Johns County Ecumenical Ministries (Food Pantry) provides holiday dinners to families during November/December and TTSA staged annual Seasonal Stories performances at the Christ Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church to benefit this worthy cause.

TTSA has also contributed to:

  • Northeast Florida Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
  • St. Augustine/St. Johns County Special Olympics.
  • St. Augustine/St. Johns County United Way.

Advocacy of Youth Storytellers

Champion of youth storytelling, TTSA offers tutors to work with interested youth and student tellers who have qualified to participate at the Florida Storytelling Association “Youthful Voices” and/or the National Junior Storytelling Hall of Fame.

Several St. Augustine tellers have participated in the semifinal competition at National Junior Storytelling Olympics in Tennessee and California. TTSA has also provided the students with stipends to cover travel expense.

TTSA Guild members have also served the community by:

  • Volunteering to present storytelling at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind for hearing and visually impaired students attending the summer orientation camp.
  • Senior Tellers volunteering to participate in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) “Learn to Read” project for district kindergarten and Head Start classrooms.
  • Tale Tellers bringing storytelling into public and private school classrooms at all grade levels.
  • Bringing storytelling programs to branches of the St. Johns County Public Library System and the Flagler County Public Library System.
  • Entertaining residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
  • Volunteering to tell stories during breaks for the ACS “Relay for Life.”
  • Telling stories for Halloween activities at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, FL, and in Flagler County at Princess Place and the Agricultural Museum.
  • Implementing a Rotary Grant by performing at assisted living facilities including Bayview and Allegro.
    Volunteering in support of Fostering Connections by teaching foster kids the art of storytelling.
  • Implementing a Family Story Festival inviting community partners to engage in storytelling for kids.
  • Implementing an elementary school based program to coach children in visual and oral arts – “A Picture in a Story” funded by the NE FL Community Foundation.