We probably all remember being children and listening to bedtime stories with rapt fascination; the stories seemed magical and beautiful, coming to life as our parents or grandparents read to us. As we grew older, we learned to internalize the magic and read on our own, but the feeling of being entranced by an oral tale never truly goes away.
That is the very feeling that Lizzy Karp and Karen Pichen drew on when they set up Rain City Chronicles, a series of live storytelling events that take place around Vancouver. Karp, after moving from Toronto, was disappointed to find that there weren’t really any events established to connect and meet with creative people. She formed Rain City Chronicles with Pichen in 2009 with the aim of showcasing the stories of Vancouverites and their city.
Since the organization began, Rain City has run several successful events with themes ranging from hotel stories to the hilarious misadventures of driving cross country. This past summer, they also hosted an event showcasing the culture of Chinatown. Of her storytellers, Karp says, “We don’t try to find expert speakers, or people who are the best in their field. We find people from all walks of life, some who had never even been on stage before, to tell their stories.”
Stories are also brought to life through song and banter by local musicians. The project is non-profit, designed to bring people together in the spirit of a relaxed community, and Karp focuses on finding intergenerational storytellers that can provide hilarious and inspirational stories for her audiences. Indeed, the community of sharing stories truly is a special and intimate experience. All of the money made from ticket sales goes right into making future shows the best that they can be.
We find people from all walks of life, some who had never even been on stage before, to tell their stories.” Lizzy Karp, co-founder of Rain City Chronicles
On Nov. 21 and 22, Rain City will be going back to the embarrassing yet endearing days of public school in their two part series, “ Pencils and Playgrounds” (Elementary School Tales) and “Chalk and Lockers” (High School Stories). Of the event, Karp says, “There are so many funny and awkward school stories. It’s a really unique time that everyone goes through and they really remember these stories. I wanted to bring the show into unexpected places, so I contacted the Vancouver School Board and they loved the idea.”
Taking place at Strathcona Elementary and Templeton High School — two schools with a rich history in Vancouver — attendees will gather to reminisce about their most memorable school moments. Teachers and principals from the Vancouver School Board will recount their experiences, along with people from across Canada. Rain City is also partnering with a pop up restaurant and three chefs will serve dinner at the school cafeteria to recreate the aura of a nostalgic cafeteria experience.
Oral culture in Vancouver is beautiful and, according to Karp, should be preserved. Of storytelling in the Internet age, she says, “Live, oral storytelling is really important right now [in order] to create an immediate connection that people experience at first with themselves, and then with the people around them. Everybody becomes a part of the story, which is something we don’t experience online. There is a hunger for that. That is why Rain City Chronicles continues to grow.”
