Story Slam
An evening of true, personal stories told live on a set theme. Would-be tellers put their names in a hat; names are drawn one by one and each teller has five minutes, with no notes. Teams of judges drawn from the audience score each story, and a winner is crowned at the end.
Use for an offsite or conference evening when you want the group to hear each other as people, with energy and laughter rather than a formal programme.
Solves: Offsite evenings are either a quiet dinner or a party, and neither gives people a way to share something real with the whole group.
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Step 1: Announce the theme in advance so people can prepare a story (before the event).
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Step 2: As people arrive, would-be tellers put their names in the hat. Pick three small judging teams from the audience (10 min).
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Step 3: The host explains the rules: true, your own, on theme, five minutes, no notes (5 min).
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Step 4: Draw a name. The teller tells their story; judges score it (6-7 min per teller).
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Step 5: Continue for about ten stories, with a short break halfway (60-80 min).
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Step 6: Announce the winner and thank every teller (5 min).
- Run a short storytelling session earlier in the day so tellers know what a good story has: a change, a stake, an ending.
- Keep the judging light-hearted. The score is an excuse for structure, not a verdict.
- Leaders telling a story with a real stake in it set the tone for everyone else.
- No competition: drop the judges and keep the hat and the five minutes.