by Fredric Dannen

San Miguel is a city of artists and storytellers, but there has never before been a festival rivaling in scale and ambition the Art of the Story. Over three days, from Tuesday, October 29 through Thursday, October 31, at one convenient in-town location, La Casona Convention Center, Josefina Orozco 2, an international cadre of experts in different artistic disciplines – painting, acting, music, photography, dance and writing, among others – will show you how to use art to bring your stories to life.

The festival is made of up of:

• Five groups of five or six sessions, running currently, with each session lasting two hours. Subjects include “Experimental Fiction”; “Capturing Culture and Tradition Through Photography”; “How to Master the Actor– Narrator Technique”; “Telling Your Story Through Podcasting”; “Painting Against the Grain”; and many others. Presenters include accomplished writers, painters and performing artists.
• A daily special event (e.g., “The Deadly Dinner Party: Writing a Murder Mystery 101,” with Andrew Buckley, an internationally active storytelling guru).
• A daily main stage presentation by a distinguished speaker (e.g., Harrison Ball, former NYC Ballet principal dancer, on the history and cultural impact of dance).
• An evening pop-up bar called “Smokey Joe’s Café,” with beverages and live entertainment.
• Surprise activities.

In addition to being immersive and instructive, the festival is geared to be entertaining and fun. The festival organizers have put it this way: “We believe that art isn’t just something you look at — it’s something you do. That art isn’t just about creating; it’s about connecting and expressing.”

All sessions are designed to be accessible to both beginners and veterans. Participants are encouraged to attend sessions built around an artform new to them. The festival presentations are in English.

Tickets can be purchased for individual two-hour sessions, for USD$40, and for special events and main stage events for USD$15 and USD$20, respectively. For a modest price of USD$350, ticketholders will receive a festival pass, good for all three days.

Answers to most of your questions can be found on the detailed and well-organized website of Art of the Story: https://artofthestorysanmiguel.org/