Thanks to Robbie Telfer, creator of The Encyclopedia Show and Louder than a Bomb teen poetry slam for sharing his thoughts on storytelling. We had a great conversation on Making a Difference radio. You can listen to our 20 minute conversation packed with great ideas here. I agree with Robbie when he says nonprofits host a lot of boring events. His suggestion: tell your story in a different way to really engage your audience. Here are some ideas Robbie and I thought you might like to use.

• Use difference voices to tell your story, different points of view
• Use different mediums – video, voice, poetry, theater
• Ask a question, or give an assignment and ask everyone to write, share their response – post them live
• Truly engage your audience in the issue
• Have a call to action at the event that will encourage, empower, engage guests in community action after the event
• Use a good cop, bad cop duet – MC to keep the evening moving and someone designated to tell the fundraising story and how and why the organization uses money raised

The Encyclopedia Show
The Encyclopedia Show, in its third season, is a live variety extravaganza that commissions local and touring artists and experts from many disciplines to use their individual talents to present a different verbal encyclopedia entry each month. The Encyclopedia Show endeavors to build an age-integrated community cultivating accidental knowledge and irreverent lovingkindness. View their schedule of performances here. Next show:

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 – 7:30pm
Series 3, Volume 3: THE VILLAGE OF SCHAUMBURG!
The Vittum Theatre – 1012 N. Noble Street – ChicagoTickets at the door.  $8 Adults, $5 Students.

Louder Than a Bomb – Teen Poetry Slam
Documentary featured at the Chicago International Film Festival

Michael Phillips’ recommendation for Monday, October 18 at the Chicago International Film Festival.

“Louder Than a Bomb” ✭✭✭½ (U.S., directed by Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel). A genuinely stirring hometown chronicle. This propulsive documentary by Jacobs and Siskel (nephew of Gene, the longtime Tribune film critic) follows a familiar competitive framework, as four teams representing four very different area high schools compete in the annual “Louder Than a Bomb” teen poetry slam. The filmmakers take just enough time to heighten the personal stories of a few key talents, among them the spectacularly gifted Nova Venerable from Oak Park/River Forest High School, whose poetry cuts like a knife; Nate Marshall, a spoken-word guru from Whitney Young High School; and Adam Gottlieb, the wizard of Northside College Prep, dealing with poetry itself and his Jewish heritage. As these and other writer/performers collaborate with their colleagues, mentors and notebooks en route to the competition, “Louder Than a Bomb” becomes an ode to Chicago’s diverse voices. Irresistible.