Unclenched: a space for sharing stories until we can be together on stage again.

In light of the challenges we are facing from the total societal upheaval as of late, the F*ST! Executive board has decided to modify how we serve our storytellers and our audience in the coming months. 

Between the rampant unsafety of a mishandled pandemic, and the resurgence of the conversation around the state-sanctioned murder of Black people, we believe it would better serve our storytellers, our Board, and our community, to have a place to write and process without all the attachments of performance. While there is so much beauty and power in speaking stories aloud, there is also so much that can be gained from sharing our stories through the written word. 

So: for the next couple of months, we will be hosting submitted stories here, on our "Unclenched" blog.

We imagine "Unclenched" as a space where our fellow F*STers can just release everything you've been holding onto during this time of chaos. Holding your hands in a FIST (pun intended) and constantly fighting this battle that we take on, to further justice and promote empathy, without stepping back to rest can also cause us to hold on to pain. While not a substitute for proper professional mental health care, the therapeutic nature of storytelling is something that we truly believe in at F*ST!. We encourage you to engage with it, and let us uplift your voice, as is our mission.

For the months of June and July, we ask you to write whatever you want--no theme, no prompt, just whatever it is you want to say--and submit to FST for publishing on "Unclenched" by emailing storytelling@fstorytellers.com. We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis.

Please note that in the submission process, we still retain discretion over which stories are selected for publishing. But without the constraints of event planning or the pressure of public speaking, we really hope that you will feel empowered to share your stories with us, and allow us to share them with the world. Additionally, we still will have performance shows, and our next virtual performance show, "The F word," will take place in late August, so keep an eye out for that!

Let us know if you have any questions. Otherwise, please share this with your friends, send us your stories, and let us be of one heart.