Our 5th Storytellers Conference, held in Chennai, South India on the 24th and 25th of September was an outstanding success, judging by the feedback and the ongoing posts in both our participants' whatsapp group and on social media.

With 124 participants, it was a splendid gathering featuring delegates from America, USA, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Nepal, Australia, and of course many delegates from India, especially from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, which have thriving storytelling communities.

For many delegates, a highlight was being able to see and meet Margaret Read Macdonald in person, who generously shared stories and her lifetime-of-telling wisdom.

What is particiularly notable about the extensive feedback we;ve received is that the conference succeeded in engaging and inspiring highly experience intenrational and Indian tellers as well as many participants who were relativel newcomers to telling and were attending a story conference for the first time. A universal comment is how warm, welcoming and joyous the entire conference was, from the Welcome dinner to the final day excursion.

The success of the conference was largely due to the tremendous work done by our local partners, the nine Chennai storytellers who came together to form SPRINGBOARD TALES. Their dedication, creativity and commitment was evident in all aspects of the conference, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable flow of multiple synchronous workshops throughout the days.

The conference closed with the announcement of our the host city for our sixth conference in 2028: BUTUAN CITY in Mindanao in the Philippines.